New "Right to Try" legislation removes a key barrier to work for disabled people
From the end of April 2026, new legislation comes into force that should help address one of the longstanding obstacles to employment for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions: the fear that taking a job, only to find it doesn't work out, will trigger a costly and stressful benefits reassessment.
Under the new rules, starting work will no longer automatically trigger a reassessment for people who receive:
New-style Employment and Support Allowance
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
The health element of Universal Credit
Crucially, volunteering — which is often a stepping stone back into paid work — is also covered by the same protection.
It's worth noting that where a reassessment was already scheduled to take place, it will still go ahead as normal. The legislation is removing the act of starting work as a trigger; it isn't pausing the wider review process.
What this means for employers
If you recruit, this change may have a quiet but meaningful effect on your candidate pipeline. According to the DWP's own work aspirations research, more than a third of disabled people and people with health conditions said they wanted to work but were held back by the fear of losing their benefits. That's a significant pool of potential applicants who, until now, may have been self-selecting out of vacancies before you ever saw their CV.
For employers in South Wales who have been working hard to broaden their recruitment reach — particularly in sectors facing persistent skills shortages — this is a development worth keeping an eye on. It may also be a good prompt to revisit how your job adverts and recruitment processes come across to candidates with disabilities or long-term health conditions, and whether reasonable adjustments and trial arrangements are clearly signposted.
Getting in touch
If you'd like to talk through the payroll, employment or wider tax implications of bringing new people on board — including any of the existing employer support available for hiring disabled employees — please get in touch with Alera and we'd be happy to help.