Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall, has stated that the UK’s £326 billion social security system is "at a crossroads" and could face collapse without reforms, including cuts to disability payments.
In a Guardian article published on June 18, 2025, she argued that the rising costs of the benefits system, particularly disability payments, are unsustainable, with forecasts suggesting the health and disability benefits bill could reach £70 billion a year by the end of the decade. She emphasised the need for her welfare reform bill, which includes £5 billion in savings by 2030, to ensure the system's sustainability while supporting those who can work and protecting those who cannot.
While Kendall frames the reforms as critical to preventing a systemic collapse, the lack of detailed evidence on the specific savings and the strong opposition from within her own party and disability advocates suggest the issue is far from straightforward.
