What the ‘Right to Try’ Scheme Really Means: Trying Work Without Losing Benefits
What the ‘Right to Try’ Scheme Really Means is a crucial policy initiative designed to dismantle the financial anxiety faced by disabled people entering the workplace.
The fear of losing vital disability benefits often acts as a significant barrier to employment, creating a benefits trap. This new scheme seeks to provide a protected pathway back to work.
By allowing claimants to test their capacity for employment without the immediate threat of losing their financial safety net, the government aims to foster genuine independence.
The policy acknowledges the fluctuating nature of many health conditions and the need for flexibility.
Why Was the ‘Right to Try’ Scheme Introduced?
The primary reason for introducing the ‘Right to Try’ scheme was to address the structural disincentive to work embedded within the legacy benefits system.
Many disabled individuals felt financially penalized for attempting employment. The previous system created a harsh cliff edge.
Claimants feared that starting a job, even temporarily, would immediately trigger a reassessment. This often resulted in months of stress and the potential loss of essential support if the job didn’t work out.
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What is the Core Problem with the “Benefits Trap”?
The “benefits trap” refers to the situation where a claimant is better off financially remaining on benefits than taking a low-paying job.
The instant loss of housing support, disability components, and free prescriptions often outweighs marginal earnings.
This structural flaw discourages initiative and contributes to the UK’s overall low employment rate among disabled people. The scheme aims to make the financial risk manageable.
Also read: How the PIP Overhaul Will Impact Hundreds of Thousands: What the New Eligibility Rules Mean
How Does the Scheme Differ from Permitted Work Rules?
Existing Permitted Work rules allow claimants to earn limited amounts while retaining benefits, but they are often complex and restrictive regarding hours or pay.
The ‘Right to Try’ introduces a fundamentally simpler and more robust guarantee.
It provides a higher degree of security and a longer window of protection, actively encouraging people to explore their work capacity without the constant threat of DWP intervention.
Read more: Pension Credit & Disability Benefit Updates: What the Latest Government Moves Are Saying
What Are the Official Goals for the Scheme?
The government’s official objective is to increase the employment rate for disabled individuals by reducing the financial and psychological disincentives associated with starting work. It aims to support gradual and safe transitions.
Ultimately, the goal is to shift perceptions, enabling disabled individuals to view work as a sustainable goal rather than an impossible risk.
What are the Core Financial Protections Offered by the Scheme?
The central feature of the ‘Right to Try’ scheme is the protection of existing disability payments during the trial period.
This financial safeguard is the crucial difference from previous, less successful initiatives. This security is what makes claimants feel safe enough to attempt work.
The scheme acts as an insurance policy, ensuring that essential support like Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and housing support remain intact while the claimant tests their capacity.
Which Benefits are Protected Under the Scheme?
The scheme is specifically designed to protect key non-means-tested and means-tested benefits related to disability and housing.
This includes major components of Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Crucially, it guarantees the continuation of the housing element and PIP/DLA payments. Losing these two components is often the biggest financial worry for claimants.
How Long Does the Protected Trial Period Last?
The protected period allows for a significant duration for the claimant to assess their ability to sustain employment. This length acknowledges that adapting to work with a long-term condition requires time and flexibility.
The exact duration is subject to the final DWP framework in 2025, but the intention is a period long enough to prove the job’s viability without premature penalty. This typically spans several months.
What is the Analogy of the Safety Net?
The ‘Right to Try’ scheme is like providing a safety net for an acrobat learning a new, risky move.
The acrobat (claimant) can attempt the difficult move (work) knowing that if they fail or fall, the net (protected benefits) is there to catch them, preventing catastrophic injury (financial ruin).
Without the net, the risk of the fall is too high to attempt the move at all. The net encourages ambition and mitigates fear.
How Will the Process Work for Claimants and Employers?
Claimants must notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) before starting work to invoke the protection.
Transparency is key to ensuring the rules are correctly applied and the benefits remain protected during the trial period.
The scheme also requires communication between the claimant and the employer regarding the temporary nature of the trial, though the specific health details remain private.
What the ‘Right to Try’ Scheme Really Means depends entirely on clear DWP communication.
What are the Notification Requirements for Claimants?
Claimants must formally inform the DWP before taking on any new work. This notification should specify the job’s expected hours and rate of pay. Failure to notify could risk the loss of protection.
This formal notification process is what triggers the protection period, ensuring that the claimant’s file is flagged against automatic benefit cessation.
How Should Employers Handle the Scheme?
Employers need to understand that the employee may initially require flexible hours or a reduced workload.
The scheme provides reassurance to the employee that these attempts at work will not jeopardise their long-term financial stability.
Employers should be prepared to potentially see the employee leave the role without penalty if the health condition proves incompatible with the work. Flexibility and understanding are paramount.
The Phased Return Case
Consider Maria, who has Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She wants to try a 10-hour-per-week job. Under previous rules, she feared losing her Housing Benefit.
Now, she informs the DWP. The ‘Right to Try’ guarantees her benefits for a protected period while she determines if her condition allows her to sustain the work.
This protection allows her to try the job without the crippling fear of homelessness if her MS symptoms flare up and she must stop working.
What Are the Potential Pitfalls and Unintended Consequences?
While the intentions of the ‘Right to Try’ scheme are positive, its success hinges entirely on the practical execution by the DWP.
Poor communication, administrative delays, and complex forms could still deter vulnerable claimants. The DWP must ensure seamless operation.
If the bureaucracy is too heavy or the protection is not clearly communicated, the psychological barrier to work will remain intact. Complexity risks negating the policy’s entire purpose.
Will the Scheme Really Increase Employment Rates?
The government hopes the scheme will lead to a measurable increase in employment among disabled people.
However, success also depends on external factors, such as the availability of accessible, flexible jobs offered by employers.
Policy can remove the disincentive, but it cannot create the job opportunities or address workplace discrimination. The scheme is only one part of a larger employment puzzle.
How Can Claimants Access the Best Advice?
Claimants must seek advice from specialist organizations like Citizens Advice or disability charities before starting work. Navigating the interaction between the ‘Right to Try’ and other benefits remains complex.
Relying solely on DWP literature might lead to mistakes. Independent, expert advice ensures the claimant maximizes their protection and understands the fine print.
The Complex Universal Credit Interaction
Take Ahmed, who receives Universal Credit with the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) element.
The ‘Right to Try’ protects the LCWRA element during the trial. However, his total UC payment is still subject to the Universal Credit taper rate based on his earnings.
Understanding this balance protection of the element but reduction of the total payment—is vital to avoid unexpected shortfall. This requires expert financial counselling.
How Does This Policy Align with Broader Welfare Reform?
The ‘Right to Try’ scheme is part of a wider government shift towards encouraging self-sufficiency and reducing long-term welfare dependency.
It recognizes that work is generally beneficial for mental and physical well-being, where health permits.
This policy acknowledges that a rigid, punitive benefits system is counterproductive to achieving its own goals of reducing welfare spending.
What the ‘Right to Try’ Scheme Really Means is a strategic investment in potential.
What Is the Overall Economic Argument for the Scheme?
The economic argument is twofold: reducing the benefits bill long-term by moving people into sustained employment, and increasing the tax revenue and overall GDP contribution from a larger working population.
Bringing more disabled people into the workforce provides a boost to the national economy and helps fill skill gaps in the UK labour market.
What is the Significance of the Protection of PIP?
PIP is not a means-tested benefit; it is designed to cover the extra costs of living with a long-term condition.
Protection of PIP during the trial period is critical because these costs do not vanish simply because a person starts a job.
The most recent DWP data showed that over 40% of people with disabilities who are out of work would like to be in employment. This highlights the enormous untapped potential the scheme aims to unlock.
| Benefit Component | Status During ‘Right to Try’ Period | Reason for Protection |
| Personal Independence Payment (PIP) | Fully Protected (Not Means-Tested) | Extra costs of disability do not disappear upon starting work. |
| Housing Element (UC) | Protected (Subject to Tapering on Earnings) | Prevents immediate risk of losing home or tenancy. |
| LCWRA/Support Group Element (ESA/UC) | Fully Protected | Guarantees the higher rate element is safe while testing work capacity. |
| Free Prescriptions/Dental Care | Often Protected (Ancillary Benefit) | These health entitlements are crucial for maintaining health and ability to work. |
Conclusion: Investing in Potential
What the ‘Right to Try’ Scheme Really Means is a commitment to removing structural fear from the path to employment for disabled individuals.
By securing vital benefits during a trial period, the policy finally acknowledges the complex, often unpredictable reality of working with a disability.
Its success will be measured not just by the cost savings, but by the number of people who successfully transition into sustainable employment and gain independence.
This scheme is an investment in human potential. Are you or someone you know ready to use this safety net to explore employment opportunities? Share your questions and experiences below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the ‘Right to Try’ scheme affect how much I can earn?
While the scheme protects your eligibility for the benefit, any earnings above a certain threshold will still cause your total Universal Credit payment to be reduced by the taper rate. You must understand the taper rate impact.
Can I use the scheme more than once?
Yes, if the first attempt at work fails due to your health condition, you can typically use the ‘Right to Try’ protection again for subsequent job attempts, though this is managed on a case-by-case basis by the DWP.
If I leave the job during the trial, do I have to reapply for benefits?
No. That is the core protection. If you stop working during the protected period, your benefits are reinstated without the need for a new application or lengthy re-assessment process, ensuring immediate financial stability.
Is the scheme automatically applied when I start a job?
No. You must notify the DWP formally before commencing the work to ensure the protected period is officially triggered on your claim. Failure to notify could lead to immediate benefit loss.
Does the scheme apply to self-employment as well as employed work?
Yes, the scheme is designed to cover both employed and self-employed opportunities, provided the claimant notifies the DWP of the planned work activities and estimated earnings upfront.
