Reform UK has announced plans to reduce the annual welfare bill by more than £50 billion by 2030 if the party forms a government. This proposed cut represents approximately 25% of the total welfare spending, excluding the state pension.
A significant portion of the planned savings, around £21 billion, is expected to come from reforms to health and disability benefits, such as Personal Independence Payments (PIP). Reform UK intends to reassess approximately 2.89 million PIP recipients, potentially leading to modified or withdrawn payments, to be replaced by a new "Disability Needs Assessment." The party states that those with the most severe disabilities would be protected.
Another major element of the proposed cuts involves restricting benefits for foreign nationals, with Reform UK claiming this could save around £20 billion. This would include banning foreign nationals from receiving benefits like Universal Credit (UC). However, analysts warn that achieving these savings is not guaranteed, and such changes could lead to diplomatic challenges with the EU.
Further savings are being considered through using a less generous measure of inflation for annual benefit increases, potentially saving £4.8 billion a year, and increased spending on tackling benefit fraud, which the party predicts could save up to £2.8 billion annually.