Reform UK has unveiled a sweeping plan to overhaul Britain’s welfare system, promising that “only British nationals can claim benefits” and vowing to restore strict limits on state support.
The party’s newly-appointed Shadow Chancellor, Robert Jenrick, delivered a keynote speech in London outlining policies aimed at tackling what he described as the “ballooning benefits bill” and the “managed decline” under Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Jenrick said Reform UK would reinstate in-person assessments and require clinical diagnoses to prevent misuse of disability benefits. He specifically highlighted plans to stop people with mild conditions, such as, “tennis elbow,” anxiety or depression, from claiming state support, instead encouraging them to enter employment.
“Reform will defuse the benefits bomb set to bankrupt Britain. We are developing the most comprehensive plan for welfare reform in British politics,” Jenrick said.
He also targeted schemes such as motability, criticizing what he described as excessive payouts for minor conditions, and reiterated the party’s commitment to ensuring only British nationals are eligible for state benefits.
Backing the plan, Reform UK chairman Dr David Bull told GB News that the policies represent a “next phase in the maturation of our party” and a pragmatic alternative to Labour’s recent economic approach.
“Everything we do will be costed. It won’t spook the markets or repeat the mistakes of past governments,” Bull said, referring to the former Chancellor’s budget.
Jenrick’s proposals include restoring the two-child benefit cap, which he described as “laudable but unaffordable under the current system.” Reform UK says its approach will balance fiscal responsibility with support for those genuinely in need, presenting it as a “pragmatic, thoroughly costed” plan to restore economic stability.
The party intends to release further details of its welfare reforms in the coming months, framing the policies as a cornerstone of its readiness to govern.
