Serious offenders detained in psychiatric hospitals will no longer be able to claim benefits under regulations being laid before Parliament on Tuesday, GB News reports.
The change ends what ministers call "double provision", under which offenders receiving NHS care could also claim up to £800 a month in universal credit. It covers people held under hospital orders for crimes including manslaughter, attempted murder, rape and serious wounding, and is expected to affect about 2,500 current patients and around 200 more in future, saving tens of millions of pounds a year.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden called the current arrangement a gross unfairness. The families of Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, who were killed by Valdo Calocane in Nottingham in 2023, welcomed the move. The Conservatives said it had taken too long. The rules are due to take effect early next year.
Source: GB News
