Under-25s could lose main sickness and disability benefits under welfare proposals

Young people under 25 could lose their entitlement to the main sickness and disability benefits under a significant overhaul of the welfare system, The Guardian reported on 12 November 2026.

The welfare system is the set of state payments that support people who are out of work, unwell or disabled. Sickness and disability benefits are payments for people whose health conditions or disabilities affect their ability to work. Entitlement means the right to receive a payment once a person meets the rules for it.

According to the same report, the welfare proposals were expected to emerge from a review into young people and work that the government had commissioned. A government-commissioned review is an inquiry set up by the government to examine a question and report its findings back to it.