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Liz Kendall has been ousted from the Department for Work and Pensions after a disastrous (for the Labour government) failure to push billions of pounds of cuts to disability benefits through Parliament.
She has been replaced by Pat McFadden, who takes on not only Work & Pensions but a Skills brief that previously sat in the Education Department.
Ministers are presenting this as a step toward greater efficiency and coordination, but campaigners and benefit claimants will be watching closely to see whether it signals real change—or simply more of the same policies that have left sick and disabled people struggling.
The new super-department
The merger of Work & Pensions with Skills suggests a focus on linking welfare with employment and retraining schemes.
On paper, this could help people gain skills to move into work—but the critical question is what kind of work?
And for whom?
The policy context
Under former Secretary of State Liz Kendall, the emphasis was clear: sick and disabled people were to be seen as capable of work, with benefit conditionality and sanctions used to push them toward roles they may not have been fit for.
Critics argue this approach prioritised reducing benefit rolls over providing adequate support for health, rehabilitation, and meaningful employment opportunities.
Implications for claimants
The key concern now is whether the new department will continue these punitive practices or adopt a more compassionate approach.
How will skills programmes be tailored for those with disabilities or long-term health conditions?
Will conditionality and sanctions remain central to policy, or will genuine support be offered to help claimants thrive?
Labour’s promises v reality
Within the Westminster bubble, McFadden is seen as a pragmatic figure, but Labour has previously struggled to balance fiscal credibility with social protection.
For claimants, announcements matter less than day-to-day experiences: assessments, support, and real opportunities to access meaningful work.
Voices from the ground
Campaigners warn that merging departments risks diluting focus.
Combining jobs training with benefits could mean the individual needs of claimants get lost, according to some advocates.
For those with fluctuating health conditions, a one-size-fits-all approach may repeat past mistakes.
Vox Political‘s (interim) verdict
Pat McFadden’s super-department will be in the spotlight for how it treats the UK’s most vulnerable benefit claimants.
The government might hope to claim efficiency, but real change will only show if people are supported, and not forced, into work.
Share this post:
What Pat McFadden’s ‘Super-Department’ of Work & Pensions means for benefit claimants
Share this post:
Liz Kendall has been ousted from the Department for Work and Pensions after a disastrous (for the Labour government) failure to push billions of pounds of cuts to disability benefits through Parliament.
She has been replaced by Pat McFadden, who takes on not only Work & Pensions but a Skills brief that previously sat in the Education Department.
Ministers are presenting this as a step toward greater efficiency and coordination, but campaigners and benefit claimants will be watching closely to see whether it signals real change—or simply more of the same policies that have left sick and disabled people struggling.
The new super-department
The merger of Work & Pensions with Skills suggests a focus on linking welfare with employment and retraining schemes.
On paper, this could help people gain skills to move into work—but the critical question is what kind of work?
And for whom?
The policy context
Under former Secretary of State Liz Kendall, the emphasis was clear: sick and disabled people were to be seen as capable of work, with benefit conditionality and sanctions used to push them toward roles they may not have been fit for.
Critics argue this approach prioritised reducing benefit rolls over providing adequate support for health, rehabilitation, and meaningful employment opportunities.
Implications for claimants
The key concern now is whether the new department will continue these punitive practices or adopt a more compassionate approach.
How will skills programmes be tailored for those with disabilities or long-term health conditions?
Will conditionality and sanctions remain central to policy, or will genuine support be offered to help claimants thrive?
Labour’s promises v reality
Within the Westminster bubble, McFadden is seen as a pragmatic figure, but Labour has previously struggled to balance fiscal credibility with social protection.
For claimants, announcements matter less than day-to-day experiences: assessments, support, and real opportunities to access meaningful work.
Voices from the ground
Campaigners warn that merging departments risks diluting focus.
Combining jobs training with benefits could mean the individual needs of claimants get lost, according to some advocates.
For those with fluctuating health conditions, a one-size-fits-all approach may repeat past mistakes.
Vox Political‘s (interim) verdict
Pat McFadden’s super-department will be in the spotlight for how it treats the UK’s most vulnerable benefit claimants.
The government might hope to claim efficiency, but real change will only show if people are supported, and not forced, into work.
Share this post:
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