UK Department for Work and Pensions faces criticism over disability benefit reforms and launches Youth Guarantee rollout

A covert pilot called Transform Decision Making is being tested by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), shifting decision‑making on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims from health professionals to civil servants. The scheme, undisclosed to Parliament, now covers about 150,000 disabled claimants – roughly four percent of all PIP cases. Disability Rights UK warned the change is “a recipe for disaster,” saying it removes clinical judgment and could lead to inaccurate entitlement decisions.

At the same time, the DWP announced an expansion of its Youth Guarantee programme, aiming to create 300,000 new work‑experience and training placements for young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). The scheme will use Sector‑based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) and partners such as Gatwick Airport and Manchester Airport, with participants earning an average of £1,400 per month and many securing sustained employment within six months.