Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Health and Disability Benefits: Spending Estimate

Monday 1 September 2025 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • John Lamont questioned the Secretary of State about the impact of watering down the welfare Bill on taxpayer spending on benefits by 2030.
  • Peter Prinsley inquired about the necessity of investing in community mental health services to reduce mental health disability spending.
  • Danny Kruger asked the Minister about the lack of plans to reduce spending on personal independence payments and the collaboration process involved.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The OBR forecasted spending on incapacity and disability benefits to be £90.7 billion in 2029-30. The questioner references a previous welfare Bill that was significantly watered down.

Question

Just two months ago, the Secretary of State was left humiliated after being forced to significantly water down her botched welfare Bill. If the Government had pressed ahead with the Bill as originally drafted, how much less would taxpayers be spending on benefits by 2030?

Answer from The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

As I have said, the OBR will update its forecast at the time of the Budget. We inherited a terrible situation, with record numbers of economically inactive people. Economic inactivity is down since the election, and employment is up. Those developments have been encouraging, but our reforms will go much further. The £3.8 billion that we are investing in employment support for people out of work on health and disability grounds—the biggest package ever—will be key.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific amount of savings if the original welfare Bill was passed

How: We Inherited A Terrible Situation, Economic Inactivity Is Down

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Q2 Peter Prinsley Lab Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
NHS Mental Health
Context

The NHS 10-year plan published by the Health Secretary gives a new priority to mental health support.

Question

Does the Minister agree that we must invest in community mental health services if we are to reduce spending on mental health disability?

Answer from The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

I very much welcome the NHS 10-year plan published by our right hon. Friend the Health Secretary, which gives a new priority and commitment to mental health support. I agree with my hon. Friend that that is an important part of tackling the problems that we need to resolve.

Answered
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Q3 Danny Kruger Reform East Wiltshire
Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Minister is collaborating with disabled people and representatives of disability organisations for a review of PIP assessment.

Question

It is good to see the Minister back after the break, but I am sorry to hear that there are still no plans to reduce spending on personal independence payments. He has said that he is collaborating with people who would not be working with him on his review if there were to be any reductions in the levels of benefit or eligibility. Given that veto on cuts to PIP, I implore him again to consider the benefits to which PIP is a gateway, such as Motability, disability premiums, council tax discounts and blue badges. Will he promise at least that those entitlements could come down?

Answer from The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)

We have made it clear that we will co-produce our review of the PIP assessment with disabled people and representatives of disability organisations. The review will cover the assessment for the mobility component, which leads on to the Motability scheme, and other entitlements to which PIP is a gateway.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Promise of reducing entitlements linked to PIP

How: We Are Reviewing Universal Credit At The Moment

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