The Conservative Party has launched review of the UK’s benefits system, with party leader Kemi Badenoch warning that rising claims linked to low-level physical and mental health conditions are making welfare increasingly unsustainable.
Speaking in London, she said the review would examine when support should begin, how long it should last, and which medical conditions should still qualify for state assistance.
Badenoch argued that the current system was not designed for what she called today’s “age of diagnosis”, citing growing numbers of people receiving benefits for conditions such as ADHD.
She said the rise in claims required the government to draw a line on what the state can support, noting that one in four people now self-report as disabled.
She also signalled a potential overhaul of how poverty is measured, criticising the longstanding use of relative poverty thresholds, which classify people as poor if they earn below 60% of median income. According to her, this method fails to reflect improvements in living standards during periods of economic growth.
The review, which will involve medical and employment experts, forms part of the party’s wider plan to “get Britain working again”.
Badenoch maintained that the changes were necessary to protect the economy from future shocks and insisted her language about diagnosis trends and welfare spending was not stigmatising.
She rejected concerns that her approach was harsh, arguing that political leaders must speak plainly about a system she believes has become unworkable.
