Tag: 2026

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 19 May 2026.

Tens of thousands of disabled people needing support to move into or stay in work will have their claims processed quicker, thanks to action taken by the Department for Work and Pensions.

• Nearly 500 additional staff to be recruited to clear inherited backlog in the Access to Work scheme.
• Comes as payment delays already eliminated and 96 percent of urgent cases cleared within 28 days.
• Action taken will allow thousands more disabled people and people with health conditions to start or remain in work.

Tens of thousands of disabled people needing support to move into or stay in work will have their claims processed quicker, thanks to action taken by the Department for Work and Pensions. 

The Access to Work scheme can help fund specialist equipment, support workers including BSL interpreters, and the costs of travelling to work for people with health conditions and disabilities.  

Demand for the scheme has surged in recent years, with the number of claims more than doubling since 2018/19. This, coupled with the backlog inherited from the previous Government – of 48,270 applications awaiting a decision at the end of June 2024 – means around 60,000 applicants are awaiting a decision. 

As part of its efforts to move from a welfare state to a working state, the DWP is taking action to address the backlog by recruiting nearly 500 new members of staff to speed up processing times and help people get the support they need quicker. 

The change is part of a range of measures to break down barriers for sick or disabled people left behind by the previous Government. 

This includes:  

• Investing £3.5 billion into employment support of sick or disabled people by the end of the decade.
• Connect to Work which delivers tailored, personalised, local support that will help 300,000 people into work by the end of this parliament.
• The national expansion of WorkWell backed by £259mn, helping up to 250,000 people with health conditions to stay in or return to work.
• Allowing sick or disabled people to try work without the immediate fear of reassessment through the Right to Try. 
• The redeployment of 1,000 Pathways to Work advisers who’ve already helped tens of thousands of people the previous Government wrote off.

Pat McFadden, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said: 

Access to Work is a lifeline for disabled people and those with health conditions, helping them to start and stay in work, but when I came to the DWP it was clear there was a major issue with people waiting for a decision. 

That’s why I’m taking action to clear the backlog, because we know that the right support can change lives.  

This is part of our wider commitment to move from a welfare state to a working state, building an economy that works for everyone.

The recruitment drive will see 480 new case managers and caseworkers employed to help fix the inherited backlog by September 2027 – representing a 72 percent increase to the 658 people working on the scheme.  

New case managers will receive extensive training to handle complex applications, ensuring disabled people receive timely support to secure and sustain employment. Alongside recruitment, the government is already prioritising cases where applicants are due to start work within four weeks. 

Jon Sparkes OBE, Chief Executive of learning disability charity Mencap:  

We welcome the government taking action to clear the Access to Work backlog. Payment delays are putting enormous pressure on disabled people who rely on this vital support to get into and stay in work, as well as charities like Mencap who employ and support them.  

People with a learning disability can be fantastic employees, but many will need the right support to thrive in the workplace. Access to Work is one of the best ways to support disabled people in work, for example funding dedicated job coaches who help people with a learning disability to develop their skills in the workplace, build confidence, and sustain paid employment.   

This recruitment drive is a positive step in tackling the systematic delays and bogged down administration that has threatened this vital programme. If Access to Work runs as intended, it will help reduce the disability employment gap and get more people with a learning disability into paid work. We look forward to seeing this announcement translate into real, lasting improvement.

Laura Davis, CEO at BASE said:

Access to Work remains a lifeline for disabled people, enabling access to good careers and providing the practical support that helps individuals not just enter work, but flourish within it. It is wonderful to see the government joining the dots to create an environment where more disabled people can access good careers. 

At the same time, the current backlog is creating significant pressure across the system. For many providers, delays in decisions and payments are impacting their confidence to sustain and grow provision, with some concerned about their ability to continue offering support at all. This has implications not only for individuals, but for employers who are >ready to recruit and retain disabled talent.

We welcome the steps being taken to increase capacity and prioritise urgent cases. Addressing the backlog at pace, and ensuring timely payments to individuals, providers and employers, will be critical in restoring confidence and stability. This will enable the sector to focus fully on delivery, supporting more disabled people into sustainable employment and contributing to the wider ambition of building an economy that works for everyone.

Harriet Oppenheimer, Chief Executive of RNID, said: 

We are pleased to see the Government have acknowledged the scale and impact that Access to Work delays are having on disabled people and are investing in clearing the scheme’s backlog. 

Being able to access the tools and support needed to work is essential. For many people who are deaf, especially British Sign Language (BSL) users who rely on interpretation, the Access to Work scheme is vital to get the communication support they need to be able to do their jobs effectively. RNID’s research shows that Access to Work delays have forced people to change how they work or reduce their hours, while some people have been forced to cover the costs out of their own pocket.  

An effective Access to Work scheme is crucial to ensure deaf people have equal access to the workplace. We hope this announcement will help to ensure this vital scheme genuinely works for those who need it by reducing the waiting times people >are experiencing through Access to Work.

Today’s announcement builds on action already taken by the Government. Staff numbers have increased by around 30 percent since March 2024, payment delays have been eliminated, and 96 percent of urgent start-date cases are now decided within 28 days. 

It comes alongside wider work on Keep Britain Working where Government is partnering with Employers and stakeholders to develop practices and approaches to better support disabled people and those with health conditions in the workplace. 

Wider reforms to ensure Access to Work remains fair and sustainable are also being considered, with evidence gathered from disabled people, employers, and representative organisations to shape future changes. 

Further information: 

• Access to Work provides practical and financial support to disabled people and those with health conditions to help them start or stay in work. Further information is available at gov.uk.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 19 May 2026.

The Pensions Commission has today (19 May) published its interim report on the state of retirement saving in the UK, setting out the key challenges facing the current system and where it will focus its work next.

• Interim report highlights key challenges in retirement saving across the UK with 15 million people currently undersaving for retirement.
• Findings sets direction for further work to improve retirement outcomes ahead of final recommendations in 2027.
• Commission set up as part of government’s wider reforms to pensions system to help more people retire with dignity.

The Pensions Commission has today (19 May) published its interim report on the state of retirement saving in the UK, setting out the key challenges facing the current system and where it will focus its work next.

The report highlights that many people are not saving enough for retirement, particularly among low and middle earners, the self‑employed and women, and points to the need for the system to evolve to meet modern working lives.

There are currently 15 million people under saving for retirement which could reach 19 million without action, leaving large groups across the UK facing a severe cliff-edge when they retire, according to a new report from the Pensions Commission.

Set up by the Government in July 2025, the Commission aims to address a savings challenge that has been building for decades, examining why tomorrow’s retirees’ risk being worse off than today’s and making recommendations to reverse this.

This follows the success of the 2002 to 2006 Commission which built a consensus for the roll-out of Automatic Enrolment into pension saving, resulting in 89% of eligible employees now saving into their pensions, up from 55% in 2012.

Its findings include:

• Low and middle earners are most at risk, with around half saving only at minimum Automatic Enrolment levels with little else to fall back on.
• 45% of working-age adults – around 18 million people – are not saving into a pension at all, despite nearly half of them being in work.
• Where employers are contributing about the statutory minimum this is largely benefiting higher earners.
• Just 4% – one in 25 – of wholly self-employed workers are saving for retirement, and it’s even lower among younger self-employed people.
• On current trends around 3 in 10 private pension pots are accessed at the earliest possible opportunity with half of all pots taken out in full. Nearly half of these are spent on large expenses like a car, holiday or renovations.

The Commission examined why tomorrow’s retirees are on track to be poorer than today’s with too many working age adults are saving nothing at all into a pension. A final report with recommendations will follow in early 2027.

Pensions Commissioner, Baroness Jeannie Drake said:

Over the past two decades since the Turner Commission there is no doubt pensions reform can be described as a success. Yet the second Pensions Commission is looking forward and seeing many people not saving enough and millions not saving at all.

This demands a renewed national settlement on pensions.

Achieving this will require clarity of purpose, but it also offers a moment of opportunity; to renew a social contract that commands confidence across the country.

The recommendations we present in our final report will address the need to secure adequate income in later life and a pension system that is fit for decades to come.

The Commission will set out the course to improving future outcomes whilst ensuring the system is fair and sustainable within and between generations.

Minister for Pensions, Torsten Bell MP, said:

Britain has got back into the pension saving habit, but the job is only half done with tomorrow’s pensioners still on track to be poorer than today’s.

The Pensions Commission sets out clearly the scale of the challenge: not enough people are saving for retirement, and many of those that are aren’t saving enough.

The Commission warns that without action millions more people could be at risk of becoming reliant on state support in retirement.

It adds that there is much for public policy to do to shape the future of pensions, whilst maintaining the broad political consensus pensions has had since the Turner Commission in the 2000s. The Commission is clear that change must happen in the right way, with any recommendations for change implemented gradually. The Government has ruled out any changes to Automatic Enrolment contributions this Parliament.

Dr Yvonne Braun, ABI Director of Long-Term Savings Policy said:

The report makes a powerful case for a new national settlement for pensions. Automatic enrolment is a sturdy foundation, but must evolve to meet the scale of the challenges ahead.

We and our members stand ready to work with the Commission to deepen saving, extend coverage and support better decisions in retirement, so that everyone can look forward to greater financial security in later life.

Over the next year the Commission will hear a wide range of views before presenting its final report and recommendations in early 2027. A call for views from all interested parties has also launched today.

Rocio Concha, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Which? said:

Which? welcomes this interim report from the Pensions Commission and the valuable evidence it brings together on the UK’s pension adequacy challenge. It is very encouraging to see recognition of the need to increase private pension saving rates and coverage, while also acknowledging the financial pressures caused by the cost of living crisis.

The report rightly highlights that too many working people are projected to reach later life without sufficient savings, and that women, carers, the self-employed and many ethnic minority groups continue to face structural barriers. It is also promising to see a strong focus on how to support people to use their pension savings throughout retirement.

Which? looks forward to continuing to work with the Commission, industry and wider civil society groups to help drive the reforms needed so people are better prepared for retirement.

Julian Mund, Chief Executive of Pensions UK, said:

Pensions UK welcomes the breadth and ambition of this report, and shares the Commission’s view that we need a new national settlement on pensions.

Evidence presented in the report clearly strengthens the case for more pension saving over longer working lives, alongside systemic change that delivers sustainable incomes – building on welcome reforms in the Pension Schemes Act.

We look forward to working with Government to explore how that diagnosis can be turned into a practical roadmap for reform, well before the next generation fall short of the retirement incomes they expect and deserve.

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK:

We welcome this new report from the Pensions Commission, which provides an excellent analysis of the problems facing our pensions system today. This is the first and necessary step for ensuring the pensions system of the future enables tomorrow’s older people to have a decent standard of living.

There’s a clear need to improve the way the State Pension and private pension systems work together; otherwise people on low incomes are at risk of falling through the cracks and hurtling towards their retirements without the required funds, or the time to make up the shortfall. We look forward to working with the Commission as it explores the best solutions for future pensioners.

Aside from the commission, the government is also reforming the pension landscape and improving retirement for today’s workers. The Pension Schemes Act, passed this month, will benefit 22 million workers by up to £29,000 by the time they retire, driving down costs, boosting returns and enabling the automatic consolation of small pension pots to ensure every pound saved works harder for working people.

Louise Hellem, Chief Economist, CBI, said:

The publication of the Pensions Commission’s interim report is an important step towards building a long-term framework that delivers adequate living standards in retirement. Getting this right requires the government, businesses and individuals all to play their role in supporting better saving.

As the debate progresses, it is vital that retirement adequacy is considered hand in hand with the UK’s growth ambitions. Strong economic growth underpins sustainable pension outcomes by supporting employment and higher sustainable wage growth, enabling individuals to save, and driving stronger investment returns over time. It is only growth that can sufficiently reduce difficult trade-offs and maintain political, public and business support for change.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

Workers deserve a pension system that guarantees against poverty in retirement and enables them to maintain their standard of living.

Although millions more people are now building up workplace pensions, far too many on low and middle incomes are not heading for a decent retirement – with women, Black and minority ethnic and disabled workers, and those in the gig economy at highest risk.

The Commission must now develop a bold plan to fix this, which will need to include higher employer contributions and a fair deal for those currently missing out.

Nausicaa Delfas, Chief Executive of The Pensions Regulator, said:

The pensions system is still unfinished business with too many people on track for an inadequate retirement income. That is why we welcome the Pensions Commission report, and look forward to continuing to work with the Commission, Government and industry to create a system which delivers what matters most: a sustainable income in retirement for everyone.