Political reporter
There is an “overdiagnosis” of mental health conditions with “too many people being written off”, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said.
Streeting told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that the welfare system had to be “sustainable”, as he defended the government’s upcoming reforms aimed at cutting the benefits bill.
The eligibility of people to apply for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) – the main benefit for working-age adults – looks likely to be tightened under the plans.
More than half of the rise in working-age disability claims since the Covid pandemic is related to mental health or behavioural conditions, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is expected to set out details of reforms to welfare on Tuesday.
When asked if he agreed with experts that warn of an overdiagnosis of mental health conditions, Streeting said he wanted to “follow the evidence and I agree with that point about overdiagnosis”.
He told the BBC: “Here’s the other thing, mental wellbeing, illness, it’s a spectrum and I think definitely there’s an overdiagnosis but there’s too many people being written off.”
The health secretary said there were “too many people who just aren’t getting the support they need” and highlighted the government’s pledge to recruit 8,500 more mental health staff to cut waiting lists.
The previous Conservative government had explored making it harder for younger people with mental health conditions to claim PIP.
Streeting would not be drawn on the details of the government’s welfare reforms.
The BBC understands ministers are considering abandoning plans to not increase PIPs in line with inflation – the rate at which prices rise – for a year.
The potential shift in position comes after a number of usually loyal Labour MPs voiced strong opposition to freezing PIP.
When asked if PIPs would be frozen, Streeting said: “I haven’t seen the full plans, they haven’t come to Cabinet yet.
“But what I do know is the Work and Pensions Secretary wants to support people who need help the most.”
He added: “I haven’t seen the proposals but you’ve seen the briefing, you’ve seen the speculation. I think the moral of the story is wait for the plans.”
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott accused the government of being “all over the place and divided” over welfare reform.
When asked if the Conservatives would back the welfare changes, she said her party supported the “principle of welfare reform” but “we’re not clear on the plan”.
The SNP has urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to scrap the “cuts to disabled people”.
The party’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said the Labour government had “boxed itself in with its Tory austerity rules” on public spending.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has earmarked several billions of pounds in draft spending cuts to welfare and other government departments ahead of the Spring Statement.
On Friday, she said ministers needed to “get a grip” on the welfare bill, as she attempts to meet the government’s self-imposed rules on public spending.
Total spending on health and disability benefits is forecast to rise from £64.7bn in 2023-24 to £100.7bn in 2029-30.
The biggest contributor to this increase would be from welfare spending on working-age adults, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility.
PIP is the second-largest element of the working-age welfare bill, with spending on this projected to almost double to £34bn by 2029-30.
PIP is intended to help with the extra living costs for people who have a long-term physical or mental health condition.
Some recipients are in work and argue it provides essential support enabling them to remain in employment. But it also goes to those who are heavily disabled and unable to work.
Part of the reforms set out by Kendall will include a “right to try” guarantee – allowing people with disabilities the opportunity to take up employment without the risk of losing their benefits if it does not work out.