UK DWP under fire over unknown health‑condition claims and planned benefit cuts

Data obtained by the Conservative Party shows that 151,850 people receiving sickness‑related Universal Credit are recorded with "unknown" health conditions, costing the Department for Work and Pensions about £770 million. Critics, including shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately and former secretary Iain Duncan‑Smith, say the lack of formal diagnoses points to weaknesses in the benefits assessment process.

At the same time, Labour leader Andy Burnham and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy have announced plans to slash the welfare budget to free funds for a boost in defence spending. Burnham said he is "not squeamish" about cutting benefits, describing the proposal as a shift toward a more preventative state that supports people into work.

Both issues highlight growing political pressure on the DWP to tighten controls on welfare spending while reshaping the UK's social‑security landscape.