The recent public accounts committee report has laid bare the harsh reality of Britain’s disability benefits system: it is failing those who need it the most. With disability benefit claimants waiting, on average, ten times longer than others to have their calls answered, and many facing devastating underpayments, it is clear that the current system is neither fit for purpose nor serving its intended beneficiaries.
While Keir Starmer has pledged that his government will “never turn our backs” on those in need, the ongoing rhetoric around being “ruthless” with benefits spending and prioritising “working people” suggests a disconnect between promises and policy. The result? Disabled individuals left struggling to access the support they rely on for survival.
The Reality on the Ground
Seema Flower, founder of Blind Ambition, has spent years advocating for visually impaired individuals and understands firsthand the frustrations of navigating the UK’s benefits system. Her own experience with Access to Work (ATW) mirrors the broader issues exposed in the committee’s report:
“Accessing the right support is a constant battle. The system is supposed to help disabled people work, yet it often feels like it’s working against us. I have spoken to countless disabled individuals who have waited months for their ATW applications to be processed, leaving them unable to do their jobs effectively. Many lose their employment entirely due to these delays. It’s unacceptable.”
Seema’s experiences echo those of thousands of disabled people who are left in limbo due to bureaucratic inefficiencies, digital-first systems that exclude many claimants, and an overwhelming lack of accessibility. The shift towards automation and cost-cutting measures has exacerbated these challenges, making it harder for disabled individuals to receive the support they are legally entitled to.
The Human Cost of a Broken System
The fallout from these failures extends beyond financial hardship. Research by the disability charity Sense found that almost half of people with complex disabilities report that the benefits application process is so stressful it worsens their condition. This is a tragic indictment of a system designed to offer support but which, instead, compounds suffering.
Seema has seen the devastating impact firsthand:
“The mental toll is immense. I have had people tell me they have suffered from severe anxiety and depression because they are constantly fighting to prove their disability. The system is supposed to provide independence, but instead, it strips away dignity and creates a culture of suspicion.”
The additional financial burden of delays and underpayments forces many disabled individuals to rely on food banks and struggle to afford essentials like heating, transport, and assistive technology. With the government pushing ahead with a planned £3bn cut to incapacity benefits, these pressures are only set to worsen.
Disability Benefits Underpayments on the Rise
The PAC report revealed that benefit claimants received over £4bn less than they were entitled to in 2023-24, a significant rise from £3.5bn in 2022-23. The highest underpayment rates affect disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Furthermore, 43% of claimants with complex disabilities do not have their needs met through DWP’s communications, leaving them at even greater risk of financial insecurity. The most common cause of underpayments is claimants not informing DWP of a change in circumstances—yet a significant proportion of calls to do so go unanswered. ESA claimants, for example, have to wait an average of nearly 30 minutes for DWP to answer their calls, compared to just two minutes for Universal Credit claimants.
While underpayments are increasing, so too are overpayments, reaching £9.5bn in 2023-24 (up from £8.2bn the previous year). The DWP claims rising fraud is to blame, but the PAC argues that the department’s primary duty should be ensuring that all claimants receive the correct amount—whether over or underpaid.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair of the Committee, strongly criticised the disparity in service:
“In some cases, claimants are literally calling for help and receiving no answer, resulting in increasing risks to their financial security. The British public would be forgiven for thinking the state is AWOL just when it needs it most.”
AI, Automation, and the Risk to Disabled Claimants
The report also highlights concerns over the DWP’s growing reliance on artificial intelligence to detect fraud. While automation can streamline processes, the committee warns that machine learning tools risk treating vulnerable claimants unfairly. Despite using AI to identify high-risk cases, the DWP admitted it has no system in place to flag vulnerable claimants in need of additional support when they call for help.
As Seema Flower notes:
“AI might seem like a solution to efficiency problems, but it doesn’t replace the need for human understanding and empathy. The fear is that disabled people will be wrongly flagged as fraudulent, denied essential support, or face even longer delays. We need a system that works for people, not one that punishes them.”
A Need for Urgent Reform
Disability campaigners are calling for immediate reforms, including:
- A drastic improvement in call response times and accessibility of support services.
- A simplification of the application process for benefits such as PIP and Access to Work.
- An end to punitive measures that make disabled claimants feel like fraud suspects rather than individuals in need of support.
- Increased investment in frontline staff to ensure timely processing of claims.
As Seema puts it:
“If the government is serious about supporting disabled people, they must start by fixing the systems that are supposed to enable us to work and live independently. A society that fails its most vulnerable members is a broken one.”
If Britain is to truly live up to the promise of never turning its back on those in need, it must overhaul its disability benefits system before even more lives are pushed into unnecessary hardship. The question now is whether the government will listen—or if disabled individuals will continue to be left fighting an uphill battle for the support they deserve.
