Health, poverty and employment effects of cutting income replacement benefits for the disabled: a difference-in-differences analysis of the 2017 welfare reforms
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Health-related economic inactivity in England has risen, with more working-age adults claiming disability and incapacity benefits. The 2016 Welfare Reform and Work Act reduced weekly payments for Employment and Support Allowance recipients deemed capable of some work from April 2017, potentially affecting poverty, mental health and employment among people with long-term conditions (LTCs). Evidence on its causal impact is limited. DATA AND METHODS: Using UK Household Longitudinal Survey data (2010-2019), we evaluated the reform's impact on working-age individuals with LTCs. Triple-difference and difference-in-differences models assessed transitions in employment, poverty risk (income
Fields of Study & Subjects
Retirement
Disability
and Employment
Disability Education and Employment
Employment and Welfare Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Volume
- 80
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 829–836
- Publication date
- 17 April 2026
- Language
- EN