UK Benefit Cuts Sparked Increase in Disability Claims, IFS Says

UK households on welfare appear to react to benefits cuts by claiming more disability payments, according to a study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank that concluded ministers need to pay more attention to the knock-on effects of their policies.

The researchers found that cuts to other benefits led to an increase in disability welfare claims by the affected groups on four occasions between 2010 and 2019, reducing the savings the government hoped to make. The inflation shock that hit household incomes three years ago, when incapacity costs started to soar, probably had the same effect, the report added.