Earlier this year, the government was forced to climbdown on planned cuts to disability benefits, including for those with mental health conditions, after facing major backlash from more than 100 of Labour’s own backbenchers.
But on Monday, the prime minister promised a renewed push on reforming the welfare system, which is said had “trapped people in poverty” and “wrote young people off as too ill to work”.
Led by clinical psychologist Prof Peter Fonagy, the new review’s findings will be published in Summer 2026.
Prof Fonagy said the aim was “to test assumptions rigorously and listen closely to those most affected, so that our recommendations are both honest and genuinely useful”.
As of March this year, around four million working-age adults in England and Wales claimed either disability or incapacity benefit – up from almost three million in 2019, according to research, external from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
The DHSC said the increased pressure on the NHS “means that for too long, people with acute needs have faced long waits, had to navigate overstretched services, experienced inequalities in care and felt abandoned when support was needed most”.
Mental health charity Mind welcomed the government’s announcement and signalled their willingness to contribute to the review.
“This is a huge opportunity to really understand what is driving increasing levels of mental illness, especially among our young people,” chief executive Dr Sarah Hughes said.
President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dr Lade Smith, called for the review to “rigorously identify gaps in care” while considering the “many complex reasons” people reach out for help.
The National Autistic Society said: “We need urgent action because, while we are currently seeing the number of people seeking an assessment levelling out, the average waiting time is rocketing.”
