Overview

• Pat McFadden told the BBC he is not ruling out tightening Universal Credit eligibility or ending health‑related UC payments for people under 22.
• He argued the current system is unhealthy and said ongoing reform should focus on helping those who could work to get support to do so.
• Ministers have already scrapped earlier plans to overhaul PIP and some UC health elements, with a formal review now led by Stephen Timms.
• McFadden now leads a reconfigured ministry that brings skills into the DWP brief, and he has marked youth skills as an early priority.
• Coverage notes recent swings in long‑term gilt yields, reflecting wider concerns about the public finances that frame the welfare debate.