UK halves Universal Credit health element for new claimants
Change
UK cut the health premium inside Universal Credit to £50 weekly from April 2026 for people making new claims and confined full‑rate entitlement to those classed as terminal.
Why it matters
The change raises the evidentiary bar for long‑term entitlement, forcing applicants to produce stronger medical proof to qualify for sustained disability support. Common disabling diagnoses with fluctuating or potentially improving trajectories — including multiple sclerosis, bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease, myalgic encephalomyelitis and long Covid — risk being deemed ineligible under the tightened standard.
Implications
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