Download the app
© 2026. The Purpl Co Limited. All rights reserved.
Download the app
© 2026. The Purpl Co Limited. All rights reserved.
5 min read
Written by
Georgina, Founder of Purpl
Published on
April 12, 2026
Last reviewed: 25 June 2026
Applies to: UK
Written by: Georgina, Founder of Purpl
The UK government has introduced a new policy called the “Right to Try.” It allows disabled people to try work or volunteering without the immediate fear of losing their benefits.
For years, many people felt trapped by the system. Starting work could trigger a reassessment and risk stopping vital support like Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
The Right to Try aims to remove that fear. Starting work no longer automatically triggers a review of your claim. This gives you space to test whether a job is right for your health and your life.
If you are navigating work alongside benefits, our Purpl Disability Benefits and Support Handbook can help you understand how everything connects.
Living with a disability often means your health is unpredictable. You might feel able to work one month, then struggle the next. Until now, the benefits system did not reflect that reality.
Many people avoided trying work because the risk felt too high. If things went wrong, they feared losing everything.
The government says this new rule will remove that barrier and help more people explore employment (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/barriers-to-work-removed-for-disabled-benefit-claimants-as-landmark-legislation-introduced).
Purpl Insight: The biggest barrier to work was not ability – it was fear. This rule finally starts to address that.
The Right to Try introduces a clear safeguard. Trying work or volunteering should not automatically trigger a reassessment of your benefits.
This means:
This removes one of the biggest barriers people have faced for years.
While the Right to Try removes automatic reassessments triggered by starting work, it does not stop all reviews.
If you already have a scheduled review, it will still go ahead as normal. This means your claim can still be reassessed at the usual time, even if you have started working (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/barriers-to-work-removed-for-disabled-benefit-claimants-as-landmark-legislation-introduced).
This is an important detail many people miss. The policy protects you from being reviewed just for trying work, but it does not pause the wider system.
If your health makes it impossible to continue working, the system should allow you to return to your previous level of support more easily.
This removes one of the biggest fears people had when considering employment.
Purpl Tip: Starting work will not trigger a reassessment, but always stay prepared for scheduled reviews and keep your medical evidence up to date.
At the same time, the government has reduced support for many new Universal Credit claimants.
From April 2026, the health element of Universal Credit dropped to around £217.26 per month for many new claimants. This is significantly lower than previous levels (https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/on-universal-credit/check-how-much-universal-credit-youll-get/).
If you already receive this support, your payments are usually protected. But if you are making a new claim, you may start at a much lower level.
There is a limited exception.
Some new claimants with the most severe, long term conditions may still qualify for the higher level of support under the “Severe Conditions Criteria” (https://contact.org.uk/help-for-families/information-advice-services/benefits-financial-help/ongoing-benefit-changes/).
However, this only applies in specific cases, and many people will not meet the criteria.
This creates a more complex system:
For some people, this changes the situation from “safe to try” to “pressure to work.”
These changes could increase financial pressure for disabled people.
Trying work can feel like a big step, even with new protections in place. Taking a few practical steps first can help you stay in control.
Look into schemes like Access to Work, which can help cover:
Apply here: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work
Be realistic about what you need to stay well.
This might include:
Talk things through with:
They can help you decide if the timing is right.
Keep a simple record of how your condition affects you day to day.
This helps if:
Not all workplaces are accessible.
Look for employers who:
Purpl Tip: The Right to Try gives you the option to test work – but you stay in control. If it does not work for your health, you can step back.
No. PIP is based on how your condition affects your daily life, not whether you work. The Right to Try means your job alone should not trigger a reassessment.
The policy is designed for this. If work is not sustainable, you should be able to return to your previous level of support.
Yes. You can volunteer as long as you are not paid. This should not be used as evidence that you can work full time (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/volunteering-and-claiming-benefits).
No. The policy removes one barrier, but it does not fix inaccessible workplaces or lack of adjustments.
The Right to Try is a positive change. It removes the fear of losing benefits just for trying to work, which has held many people back.
You now have more freedom to explore work without immediately risking your financial stability.
However, the wider system is changing at the same time. Lower Universal Credit support for new claimants means the safety net is not as strong as it once was.
At Purpl, we believe this is a step forward – but not the full solution. Real progress means giving people both the confidence to try work and the support to make it sustainable.
Georgina is the Founder of Purpl, a platform dedicated to helping disabled people and those with long term health conditions save money and access support. Living with disability herself, she understands how complex and stressful the system can feel and works to make it clearer and more human.
How to Apply for Access to Work
Asking for Reasonable Adjustments at Work: Tips, Template & Resources
Access to Work Delays: What Disabled Employees and Jobseekers Can Do
How to Apply for PIP and Maximise the Benefits in the UK
Access to Work waiting times reach 37 weeks: what disabled workers need to know