Disabled activist in court to challenge benefit assessment reforms

DISABLED activist Ellen Clifford began her legal challenge against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) today over the government’s “disingenuous” consultation on tightening the Work Capability Assessment.
Ms Clifford, represented by lawyers from Public Law Project, appeared at the High Court in London for the first of a two-day hearing to argue that the consultation was unlawful as it did not properly explain the conditions of the proposed changes.
The challenge also argues that the primary motive behind the consultation, which ran for eight weeks in 2023, was to reduce spending on disability benefits rather than to get more people into work.
Similar stories

EMMA COTTON explains the significance of a recent win at the High Court for a disability rights campaigner against the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions over a ‘misleading’ and ‘unfair’ consultation on social security cuts

Campaigners warn DWP proposals could be counterproductive and create a two-tier justice system