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Reform UK Unveils PIP Crackdown, Cites £9bn Savings as Lee Anderson Admits 'Gaming' System

Opponents question the feasibility of curbing anxiety-related awards through revived in-person checks.

Overview

  • Reform UK set out plans to tighten Personal Independence Payment eligibility by removing most “non‑major” anxiety cases and increasing the frequency of reassessments.
  • The party claims the measures would save up to £9bn a year by 2029, pointing to a trebling of new under‑25 claims over five years as justification.
  • Officials propose restoring predominantly face‑to‑face assessments, arguing remote evaluations have higher approval rates, with the shift costed at about £100m annually.
  • At the launch, MP Lee Anderson said he previously “gamed the system” while working at Citizens Advice and alleged some advisers had a “100% hit rate” on PIP applications.
  • Labour dismissed the blueprint as incoherent, noting Reform’s document promises only a “vast majority” of in‑person assessments and saying the pledge is already unravelling.