New UK prime minister Andy Burnham has kept the ministers responsible for disability benefits and transport in their posts, while handing oversight of adult social care to a new health secretary.
- Pat McFadden remains work and pensions secretary and Sir Stephen Timms stays on as minister for social security and disability, meaning the ongoing reviews of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment and Access to Work continue under the same team, expected to report in autumn 2026.
- Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting has been moved to defence and replaced by Yvette Cooper, who will oversee reform of adult social care; a new minister for care has not yet been named.
- Transport secretary Heidi Alexander keeps her role as the Railways Bill, which includes accessibility provisions, continues through the House of Lords, and disabled former shadow minister Vicky Foxcroft was appointed a minister at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Why it matters: Keeping the same team at the Department for Work and Pensions means the PIP review should stay on its existing timeline, but disability campaigners have raised concern that retaining ministers linked to welfare-cut policies signals little change in approach.
Source: Disability News Service →
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