A cross-party consensus on reducing the number of  benefits awards for anxiety and depression appears to be building. Shadow chancellor Mel Stride became the latest politician to speak out about the number of awards for “less severe mental health problems”, in his speech to the Conservative party conference today.

Below we have set out where the Conservatives, Labour and Reform stand on the issue. 

The LibDems have not made their position clear, although in a recent interview Ed Davey did claim there was “quite a lot of fraud” amongst recent PIP claims.

Conservatives

Stride told the conference:

“So we will ensure that benefits are properly targeted at those most in need, with people thriving in jobs where they can and should be working.

“That includes stopping claims for people with less severe mental health problems where what is needed is treatment and support, not simply cash.

“Because we know that the stability, pride and social interaction of work actually improves these conditions.”

Back in 2024, Stride told the Telegraph:

“There is a real risk now that we are labelling the normal ups and downs of human life as medical conditions which then actually serve to hold people back and, ultimately, drive up the benefit bill.

“If they go to the doctor and say ‘I’m feeling rather down and bluesy’, the doctor will give them on average about seven minutes and then, on 94% of occasions, they will be signed off as not fit to carry out any work whatsoever.”

Conservatives Update

Shadow work and pensions minister Helen Whately has now also spoken at the conference:

“But millions of people right now, are sitting on the sofa at home.

“Millions have got themselves a sick note from the GP and signed onto sickness benefits with just a form and a phone call.

“Millions are getting benefits for anxiety and ADHD, along with a free Motability car.

“TikTok videos tell you how - and some people even pay for VIP services to boost their chances of a successful benefits claim.

“Yes, there are people with serious illnesses and disabilities,

“But one in four people now describe themselves as disabled, so what does the term even mean . . . Fix the 'sick note' system, bring back face-to-face assessments, end sickness benefits for low level mental health problems, stop the abuse of Motability, and put British citizens first in our benefits system – just living here is not a reason to get money from taxpayers.”

Labour

Last week we highlighted that Labour is launching a review to decide whether some mental health and neurodivergence issues are being overdiagnosed.  The aim is clearly to provide a scientific justification for reducing the number of awards on these grounds.

Back in March, health minister Wes Streeting, the man behind this review, told the BBC that there was an “overdiagnosis” of mental health conditions and that “there’s too many people being written off”. 

And last week, prime minister Keir Starmer told Radio 4 that:

“I think we need to look again at this issue of mental health and ask ourselves a fundamental question, which is: would we not be better putting our money in the resources and support that is needed for mental health than simply saying, it’s to be provided in benefits?”

So, there seems little doubt that Labour have mental health conditions, especially as they relate to awards for young people, in their sights.

Reform

Meanwhile, Reform’s welfare spokesperson Lee Anderson assured us earlier this month:

“It’s become fashionable now to have mental health problems, to have your own counsellor, to go for therapy, to have anxiety attacks, to get down to the local benefit centre and sign on for PIP or ESA.”

And the latest defector from the Conservatives to Reform, former shadow DWP minister Danny Kruger has also highlighted the number of claims for less severe mental health conditions:

“ . . . the incidence of disability in our society is rising by 17% while benefit claims are rising by 34%. For some of the less severe mental health claims, it is far worse. In January 2020, there were 7,000 claims for people with anxiety disorders; this year, there are 31,000. In January 2020, there were 155,000 claims for anxiety and depressive disorders mixed; now there are 365,000.”

What next?

At the moment only Labour have the power to make changes to the benefits system.  Their recent attempt to reform PIP ended in failure after a backbench revolt supported by almost all the opposition parties.

However, if Labour does bring forward legislation to, make it harder to claim benefits on the basis of mental health conditions, then it looks likely that even a major backbench revolt would not necessarily prevent legislation being passed – provide Starmer was prepared to rely on Conservative and Reform support to get a bill through parliament.

But another major revolt, even if unsuccessful, might be fatal for Starmer’s leadership and so something he may not wish to risk.

Rather than waiting for Labour’s report on overdiagnosis and its inevitable conclusion, mental health and neurodivergence charities need to begin the work of putting the facts before MPs and the public now, before it’s too late.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 hours ago
    Where are all the employers willing to take on people who are impaired? They are looking for resilience, reliability and consistency. None of which are possible when suffering poor mental health.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 hours ago
    I do agree that there seems to be a massive increase in  the diagnosis of autism and ADHD. It's been talked about so much in the media and  online  that people who have been misdiagnosed or not diagnosed for years are now asking  to be assessed. I'm sure some may be playing the system but the majority , especially women are finally getting the help they need. Whether they qualify for benefits  though depends on the severity. My son was diagnosed with ADHD aged 5. He is also on the autistic spectrum. I claimed DLA for him as a child because he needed so much extra help but he chose to stop claiming when an adult. Now, aged 37 he's been rediagnosed and treated. The difference the treatment has made  in his ability to complete work and hold down a high powered job is massive. He has no need to claim any benefits. His wife is also autistic but she also works although without the success she could be capable of. ADHD especially has historically been seen as a    problem mainly in boys. Symptoms in women have been ignored for years so there's bound to be a big increase but not all should be claiming benefits. This is not a decision  to be made by politicians but by medical professionals.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 14 hours ago
    What are charities going to do?  The government don't care about the facts, they just do what they want!

    Case in point - the recent digital ID news.  Over 2.8 million signatures, and the government replied "we will go ahead".  They don't care, they are not held accountable, they've been doing what they want for decades now and it has to stop! 

    Benefit cuts are on the agenda, even though it was NOT in Labour's manifesto.  They kept quiet, then attacked us once in power.  It's disgusting. 

    So I have absolutely no faith that anything they do to us will be based on evidence, they'll simply ignore the facts and do as they please.  The real question is what will we as a society do when disabled people start dying?  

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 hours ago
      @Alex We defeated the government in the summer and can do it again. Defeatism won't get us anywhere. As a historian of many decades it is very clear that all of the rights we have have had to be fought for. They have not been given to us by benevolent politicians.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 15 hours ago
    MPs that create stigma against people who suffer from mental health do not help people with mental health problems. 'Mild' depression can involve active suicidal ideation, and indeed suicide, and it can certainly be made worse by being forced into full-time employment when one is not able to cope. GPs don't just sign people off work for being a little bluesy, and victimising and overtly discriminating against these people is beyond the pale. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 14 hours ago
      @Heisenberg When politicians talk about mild depression and anxiety. They are not actually talking about mild depression or anxiety as that level according to the NHS does not impact the ability to function in daily life. So they would not be incapable of working UC LCW or LCWRA and would not be incapable of looking after themself PIP.

      They are talking about those so unwell they are unable to work UC LCW or LCWRA and those so unwell they are unable to look after themselves PIP. Who could end up in poverty and or neglect and possibly a early grave if they have their benefits reduced or removed.

      And they are actually talking about all mental health disorders not just depression and anxiety.

      The group they appear to not consider mild is those with "severe" mental illnesses. "Severe" mental illnesses being those with psychosis. Where the person loses touch with reality and is delusional or having hallucinations. This group appears to be viewed as not mild due to cost of hospitalisation and fear/prejudice about the nature of their illness.

      But, going by what Liz Kendall said when she was DWP Minister this group may also not be safe under Labour. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    Severe mental ill health means a person cannot live/function or enjoy life never mind work.  

    For those on here with mental ill health issues, it is better to ignore these reports from the relative Governments.  I am so relieved I will be a few months from a state pension when the next election happened.  For those not in that position, always use the Citizens Advice Bureaux when filling in any forms to apply for Universal Credit or PIP.  They are not prejudiced, they know the dangers of mental ill health and they know how to fill the forms in to give you the best way of getting an award.  Lots of people with mental ill health will not know how to convey how severely their depression/anxiety affects them in a way that the DWP will take notice of. The CAB does.

    Being as how ill I feel right now with mental ill health, I would love to have any of the members of parliament here to tell them.  THey might not dismiss these issues so easily. (Mental ill health/depression and even anxiety can lead to suicide which is not spoken about often enough in all these debates.)
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    We can see how we've come to this sinister position. As the economy buckled during & after Covid, populist media & politicians increased victimising & scapegoating those suffering various health conditions, not least mental (& ditto many migrants). Suddenly, we were the bigger problem that needs fixing, rather than the many billions squandered on dodgy deals during Covid, getting neck deep in financially supporting foreign wars & avoiding small tax increases on the wealthiest individuals & corporations. Many of whom make huge political donations. Alas, this chimes with many voters, who unthinkingly swallow the media's stereotyping & false representations. Opportunistic politicians of all main parties are now pushing this with greater vigour from their own political interests. Leaving the ECHR will make it easier for them to get more callous policies through. It really is a sad reflection of the poor state of British politics across the spectrum (smaller parties like Greens excluded). Things are unlikely to get better for a few years. But we mustn't lose hope & give in, as that plays into their hands. When economies recover, the political climate is likely to change yet again for the better. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 hours ago
      @Ivan Please please put this excellent and articulate response in a letter to your MP.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @Boo Much agreed. We should use every useful recourse to push back against the lies. As it stands, if any individual posts a balanced comment on some populist site, they soon get shouted down & accused of all sorts. - A notorious propagandist from 1930s Germany once stated that if you repeat lies often enough, they become accepted as true. Sadly, this is playing out today across much of today's media & our main political parties. We're easy targets to avoid addressing the real, far bigger issues behind why most economies are still struggling. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @Ivan Perhaps benefits and works could have an editorial panel that debunks these lies and sends them to the newspapers and news sites to challenge. It’s because no one is challenging these lies they are emboldened to go further and faster with their propaganda.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    Snide is the epitome of a greasy-pole climbing ‘yes-man’ who will say and do anything
    in a pathetic attempt to curry favour and remain ‘relevant’. He is beneath contempt and his ‘speech’ today at conference (to a two-thirds empty room) consisted of him insisting the tories are the party of fiscal responsibility along with eye-watering benefits cuts and a promise that he wants to help you to “a better life”. The tories are a sinking ship that’s going under soon. And labour are going under too imo. Everyone can see what’s coming next and it won’t be pretty. The traditional two-party system is in its death-throes and I fear for the future of ordinary life as we know it over the course of the next few years unless something miraculous happens and I’ve no idea what that thing is. The tech bros are riding the crest of a wave, with the MAGA mindset becoming more and more prevalent over here with our own pound-shop version of the orange psychopath. And dare you imagine the sheer amount  of ‘alternative facts’ that will be bombarding our semi-literate younger generation in, say, the 2030s? On the other hand, maybe everything will turn out just fine and we can all learn to respect one another’s opinions and live peacefully together for the common good. Fingers crossed 

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @David The next general election is years away at a date of Labour's choosing. I expect by then Labour and the Conservatives will both have new leaders. The USA may have demonstrated that electing a Trump tribute act would be a bad idea. Maybe the Ukraine war will have ended and Ukraine food, fertilizer and animal feed exports, and Russian oil and gas exports will reduce prices, reducing the cost of living crisis. The right wing vote maybe split further, Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson back Advance UK a new Christian Nationalist party. With our first past the post electoral system people may turn up and vote tactically to keep the likes of Reform and Advance UK out of power. Despite the current increasingly bad polling. Personally I expect Labour to win again. Possibly a Labour LibDem government.

      I see the worst case scenario as Trump wrecks the world economy causing a global recession and UK voters as usual blame whoever is in government in the UK for the state of the UK economy. Reform and worse get into power and the UK's decent into hell accelerates.  
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    Been following the Tory updates all day on welfare 
    I am shocked and appalled by their lies, demonisation and lack of humanity for disabled people including mental health. Severity shouldn’t matter. It’s pushing an us vs them narrative and who is more worthy, counting those “less severe” as not worth helping. The false claims of overdiagnosis will do so much harm for future and existing claimants
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    It's always  the same pick on the sick disabled rhetoric wheeled out when the talk of saving tax payers  money, whilst they IMO are wasting  many times the cost of paying the sick disabled on other things such as net zero, and  wars, and of  cause the lasted waste of £££ digital ID
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    I'm scared. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @Clay I know, man. I'm scared too.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    It depends on the severity of the symptoms of anxiety and how many years and life events people have had some people have worked for many years with it until they couldn’t because they couldn’t think or function and no employer can rely on them. Any number of pull yourself together will not work just drive the person towards harming themselves . They can keep their money if it comes down to it because I can’t take any more of their sanctimonious attitude. I hope they all get it and see what it’s like. I bet you most people with anxiety and depression have more conditions than just that. With the way the whole lot of them have run and are running the country there’s not much to laugh at unless you are rich. What an absolute bunch of hypocrites.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    I wonder how they will then deal with the inevitable rise in suicide. 

    We're all so utterly scared done for. Not even a suggestion of fixing the reasons why young people are suffering, just punish them more
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    What will happen to those claimants who have anxiety, or depression, or both, but who also have other health conditions as well, such as heart disease, or kidney failure, or visual impairment? Will they also be denied vital benefits on the spurious grounds that they also have a "milder" mental health condition, their physical impairment or health condition notwithstanding?

    And what will happen to those claimants who are not eligible for treatment on the NHS via NHS Talking Therapies? NHS Talking Therapies do not accept referrals from any patient with a history of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts or self-harm - which I imagine would include a huge number of claimants with anxiety & depression.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    I always knew I was never going to make it to retirement age. I'm 54, I can't do this anymore. They are piling on those who don't have the resilience to cope with these constant attacks and threats. It's making me so ill, so much worse than I was.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    Although It's very reassuring to see they've sensibly excluded autism, learning  issues and psychosis from this warped drivel it's still dangerous and discriminatory.

    Anxiety and depression also work on a scale, yes there may be a few cases where the claimants depression or anxiety is a one off due to a bad life event and they'll recover, it needs to be recognised also that some depression lasts years or even for life,does not respond to any medication or therapy and that anxiety can also be at a severe end where it takes over and consumes a life, leads to physical symptoms such as vomiting,muscle spasms and much more.

    Thankfully the conservatives won't see power anytime soon, Labour has less of a backbone (thankfully) as well as a handful of genuinely good souls, reform (for now) is irrelevant so again not much will come of this it's too controversial.

    but  these dangerous and clueless politicians need to realise this entire cohort are at high risk of suicide and in my experience cornering them is fatal and foolish because these vulnerable people don't bluff about such a thing.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 hours ago
      @Dpb91
      I agree, My son and wife are both autistic and son has ADHD. Both work. They claim no benefits although I feel both would have grounds to claim.  The need for extra help doesn't just come down to a label.

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      · 2 hours ago
      @lemon pie 🍋 What about dyslexia and dementia ? I know someone who has both of these and their partner cares for them and they have been getting harrassed by job centre. Its not like they are young either - early 60s
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @lemon pie 🍋 Correct, Bluster and hot air, nothing can come of such a sick and pathetic plan.


      I have Two family members in the law profession and they strongly think all this is to get claimants so scared they themselves voluntarily close their claim. Which means by the time they realise nothing will happen they've already been taken off the system, have to reapply and what do you know they are now a new claimant with reduced amount and more conditionality. THAT is the REAL plan!

      any legislation of such a nature would be kicked to the curb by the high court if it made it.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @Dpb91 Please don't take this the wrong way, Pip is awarded on how much it affects the person not the illness, pointing out different illness cohorts won't help, We are so much stronger standing together. As they tick off one cohort against another and they will, it's better to stand strong together because they are working down a list . The way they treat disabled people says alot about them not us, Everybody works and pays in. But life happens and disability is a club nobody really wants to join ,but things happen, These people are already beating the most vulnerable when there already down. We shouldn't do it to ourselves also. There all about devide and concore, it's a game to them. But unfortunately it's our life.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @lemon pie 🍋 Will probably be Reform/Tory coalition   if its not a majority for Reform so we are all stuffed either way.  
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    It's pure evil. They want us back in the Victorian era, where we have no rights and we have to work our fingers to the bone just to barely manage to survive.
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    · 1 days ago
    The Conservatives appear to have adopted the Centre for Social Justice policy suggestion on this. And Labour appear to also give a lot of credence to their policy recommendations

    The Centre for Social Justice policy suggestion:

    "Excluding those with a learning disability,
    psychosis or autism, we have focused on the rising caseload with anxiety, depression, or the
    behaviour condition ADHD.

    Of over three million working-age people on PIP in January 2025, we estimate that there were
    736,000 claimants within this cohort, with our analysis suggesting that around three in ten
    received the higher or “enhanced” version of the benefit. We estimate a further 308,000 people
    with anxiety and depression, or ADHD, will join the benefit by 2030.

    We believe there is a clear case for the government to withdraw PIP and UC Health eligibility
    from those with milder mental health conditions (equating to the 69 per cent of claimants with
    these conditions who do not receive enhanced PIP, translating into roughly 1.09 million claimants
    across PIP and UC). For those retaining eligibility, payments should be reset to £103.10 per week, a
    reduction of roughly £80 per week – aligning the benefit with the standard rates of PIP.

    The savings generated from this reform would provide significant capital to invest in expanded
    treatment. A £1 billion expansion of NHS Talking Therapies could facilitate 1.47 million additional
    courses of treatment (or roughly 300,000 extra courses per year), which has been proven to
    improve mental health conditions and help people into work"

    The Centre for Social Justice is a think tank setup by Conservative MP Ian Duncan Smith to create evidence to support Conservative welfare policies. I say create as they at times have redefined the meaning of words like workless and multi generational worklessness to include working people to create evidence
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 21 hours ago
      @Kevin. As far as the Centre for Social Justice suggestions go. Schizophrenia and Bipolar 1 with psychosis would presumably be exempt due to those with psychosis being excluded. Unless they only mean those in active psychosis and failed to mention the proviso.

      The Centre for Social Justice 736,000 figure is so high it is all mental health claimants except those with psychosis, learning disabilities, autism. So those with Bipolar disorder without psychosis, and those with BPD would be effected. If they are not on PIP or are on standard rate PIP they would lose all their disability benefits/premiums and any protection from conditionality. If they are on enhanced rate PIP they would have their benefis/premiums greatly reduced.

      We will have to wait and see if the current Labour government or a future Conservative government implement such a policy. Or just parrot the rhetoric and "evidence" of the Centre for Social Justice. 
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      · 1 days ago
      @John So what about the three most serious genetic mental health conditions, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and BPD? Are they now considered mild mental health conditions by these think tanks that have no psychological or medical training? 
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    · 1 days ago
    You omitted the LibDems Ed Davey told Times Radio welfare expenditure must be cut and there are lots people claiming PIP fraudulent. 
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      · 21 hours ago
      @Kevin.
      I think Ed Davey is imply doctors believe whatever their patients say. And for example depression and anxiety are mental health conditions lacking definitive medical tests to prove/disprove what the patient says.

      That is smearing those on PIP for mental health conditions as fakes.

      While the Ed Dayey and the LibDems at the same time have the nerve to go on about how they are the party that cares about ill and disabled people. And pretend the time they were in government and actively advocated for, voted for, and sought to take credit for cuts to disability benefits, never happened.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @John PIP fraud is impossible, the amount of medical information you need from the appropriate medical bodies be they physical or mental health bodies to receive PIP is immense. Are they now saying that the medical experts are lying as well as the patents they represent. 
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    · 1 days ago
    Looking at Labour, the Tories and Reform, I'm reminded of this line from "Animal Farm": 

    "The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from man to pig again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."