This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper
This Green Paper is an important staging post on a journey of reform, building on the vision and approach set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper in November 2024. It sets out our vision, strategy and proposals for change. We want to improve and refine our plans by consulting on certain measures, as described and highlighted above.
We are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. We will set up collaboration committees to develop our reforms further, directly with disabled people and people with health conditions and experts. We provide further detail on this in the ‘Stakeholder Engagement’ section of this Green Paper. This will involve bringing together disabled people, experts and civil servants around specific issues to collaborate, provide ideas, challenge, and input into recommendations. The initial policy areas to be included are, removing the barriers to trying work (Chapter 2), supporting people towards employment (Chapter 3) and supporting employers and making work accessible – the future of Access to Work (Chapter 4).
Our conversations with disabled people and people with health conditions, as well as experts, have already shaped and informed this Green Paper. We are committed to continuing this dialogue and drawing on a wide range of insights and experiences to get these reforms right.
Throughout the consultation period we will listen, learn and take feedback through an online form, email, post and through in-person and online events. We look forward to hearing your responses. A White Paper will follow later this year with final proposals ahead of future, further legislation.
The reforms set out in this Green Paper involve major change. However, there is a huge opportunity from turning a passive system that labels and abandons people – pushing them towards economic inactivity and low living standards – into an active system. One that supports and engages people, with more personalised support to help people towards work. One that steps up for people rather than gives up on people. One that provides a route to good work, better health, higher living standards, and greater independence.
The publication of this Green Paper marks the beginning of our consultation period.
The consultation will close 12 weeks after the point at which the accessible versions of this Green Paper are available. We have published this paper ahead of the accessible versions to put detailed information about the matters subject to consultation in the public domain at the earliest opportunity.
The production of accessible versions requires additional time, which is why the consultation period will not close until 12 weeks after these are released, so as to ensure all stakeholders have sufficient time to engage.
Contents
- Ministerial Foreword
- Executive Summary
- Chapter 1: The case for change and our ambition for change
- Chapter 2: Reforming the structure of the health and disability benefits system
- Section 1 – What the reformed system will look like
- Section 2 – The future of PIP, assessment processes and safeguarding
- Chapter 3: Supporting people to thrive
- Chapter 4: Supporting employers and making work accessible
- Annex A: Summary of Policy Measures and Consultation Questions
- Full List of Consultation Questions
- Annex B: The current system of health and disability benefits
