‘Unhelpful and ill-informed’: Charities slam Tony Blair think tank report on disability benefits

Apr 28, 2026 · 5:42 PM UTC ·6 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 27 views

#welfare #disability #tony blair #mental health #policy

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

A report by the Tony Blair Institute has recommended that people with conditions like moderate depression, ADHD, and lower-back pain should no longer be eligible for disability benefits, labeling them as 'non-work-limiting'. The proposal, aimed at cutting £11.5bn from welfare spending by 2029, has drawn strong criticism from disability charities. They argue the plan is out of touch with the realities faced by people with disabilities and could worsen poverty and anxiety.

Key facts

▪The Tony Blair Institute suggests reclassifying certain health conditions as 'non-work-limiting' to reduce welfare spending.
▪The proposed changes could save £11.5bn by 2029 and would be implemented using secondary legislation to limit parliamentary scrutiny.
▪Disability charities, including Mencap, have condemned the report as 'unhelpful and ill-informed' and say it ignores the real barriers people with disabilities face in employment.
▪The Department for Work and Pensions stated it will 'consider' the recommendations made in the report.
▪The report notes that while mental health has declined globally since the pandemic, the rise in long-term benefit claims is particularly pronounced in the UK.

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Original publisher	The Independent
Canonical URL	https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/disability-benefits-welfare-spending-pip-tony-blair-dwp-b2966422.html
Publication time	Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:42:30 GMT
Retrieval time	2026-04-28T17:59:40.768Z
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NewsUKHome News‘Unhelpful and ill-informed’: Charities slam Tony Blair think tank report on disability benefitsThe former PM’s firm put forward an ‘emergency handbrake’ plan for welfare spendingAlbert Toth Wednesday 29 April 2026 07:01 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"CF1:2966422To1","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/disability-benefits-dwp-pip-tony-blair-institute-welfare-report-b2966914.html","title":"Charities slam Tony Blair think tank report on disability benefits"}}July 2025: Senior Labour MP tells Starmer…

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