Our response to Pathways to Work Green Paper
Today the Government published Pathways to Work: Benefits Reform and Support Green Paper. This consultation seeks views on the approaches government should consider around reform of the health and disability benefits system and employment support.
Sarah Brown-Fraser, Head of Communications and Policy at Activity Alliance, said:
“It’s almost a year since we released our manifesto, calling upon the new administration to put inclusion at its heart. We understand the financial challenges facing the government but urge them not to punish disabled people in the move to cut public spending.
“Being active has huge benefits, for physical, mental and social wellbeing. What is lost in the conversations around public saving and ‘economic inactivity’ is the contribution that 16 million disabled people in the UK give back to our society. We are concerned that tightening the Personal Independence Payment criteria and other social security will only make disabled people more fearful of being active or make it perceived as less affordable.
“In December, our research revealed the social value in disabled people being active and the societal cost of inequality. It found there is £6,200 social value per disabled person per year if supported to meet the official Chief Medical Officers’ (CMO) guidelines of 150 plus minutes a week. This works out three to four times’ the value of non-disabled people being active. To give a comparison of size, this figure is almost equivalent to being employed rather than unemployed, which has a social value of £7,000.
“Benefits play a huge part in breaking down barriers in sport and activity. The Activity Trap research shows that almost half of disabled people fear losing their benefits if they are seen to be physically active. One of the asks in our manifesto is for the benefits system to provide clearer understanding and wider safeguarding to reassure disabled people that being regularly active will not threaten their benefits and other forms of government financial assistance. That includes any proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment, Work Capability Assessment, or other benefits.
“In January, we were pleased to support a roundtable with other partners on benefits assessment and disabled people’s activity. Therefore, we welcome today’s announcement of the Personal Independence Payment assessment review under the same Minister, Sir Stephen Timms.
“We believe we and our partners have valuable insight, training and programme ideas to offer Government, assessors, and indeed, employers.
“In our most recent Activity and Disability Annual Survey, disabled people were less than half as likely to ‘see people like them’ working, and volunteering in sport and physical activity. We want to remind leaders in sports and leisure to take inclusive employment, notably disabled people’s employment, seriously. In 2024, disabled people were almost twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people. This ratio is similar to 2014. This employment gap is not fair or right in 2025.
“As the leading voice for disabled people in sports and activities, we will respond to the Government’s ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to get Britain Working Green Paper’. This paper allows organisations to input their views on the suggested changes to the welfare system. As well as feeding in evidence and insight ourselves, we strongly encourage other organisations to do so.”
