UK proposes ending benefits for some hospital-detained offenders

The Department for Work and Pensions has proposed ending Universal Credit payments for certain serious offenders detained in hospital, with the change requiring parliamentary approval before it can take effect. Regulations laid before Parliament on October 20 would remove entitlement for people detained under specified hospital orders for listed offences. The government expects the measures to take effect early in 2027 if approved. The rules have not yet come into force. The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that about 2,500 offenders already in hospital would be affected, along with approximately 200 people a year in future. It says the change would save tens of millions of pounds annually. The full financial impacts are scheduled to be published in the 2026 budget on October 28. The proposed restrictions apply to certain orders under the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. Listed offences include manslaughter, attempted murder, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and specified assaults. Murder is excluded from the proposal because, according to the department, it carries a mandatory life sentence rather than a...