DWP announcement LIVE as PIP, Universal Credit and JSA benefit changes announced

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is set to announce major changes to the benefits system, which could affect millions of Brits who claim welfare from the government.

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall will make a statement in the House of Commons on Tuesday afternoon laying out her plans to slash the welfare bill by billions.

The Cabinet minister is expected to announce plans to shake up Universal Credit by abolishing the 'work capability assessment', which is used to determine to whether claimants with illnesses or disability are able to work.

She is also expected to cut the top rate of Universal Credit incapacity benefit, which The Times said would be partially offset by an increase to the basic rate and £1 billion pumped into support schemes to help claimants get into work.

However, the most controversial element of the package could be changes to Personal Independence Payment, known as PIP, which is paid to people with disabilities to support them with the increased cost of living associated with their condition. The benefit is not means-tested and is available to people even if they are working.

Reports suggest the government will make it harder for people to qualify for PIP payments, bringing the number of people eligible for the payments down. DWP figures released on Tuesday showed a total of 3.66 million claimants in England and Wales were entitled to PIP as of the end of January, up 12 per cent from 3.27 million a year earlier.

Ministers have said that the plans will more frequent reassessments to determine whether the payments are maintained. "We want people, if they’re on long-term sickness benefits, not to languish there forever, but to be reassessed," Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said.