Disability benefit reform in Great Britain from the perspective of the United States

In 2008, Great Britain overhauled its disability benefit programme by introducing a new disability determination process called the Work Capability Assessment and a new earnings replacement programme called Employment and Support Allowance. This article examines the British reforms from the perspective of the United States, which may consider changes to its disability benefit programme, the Social Security Disability Insurance programme, in the near future. The article provides an overview of the steps leading to the reform in Great Britain, details how the new programme operates, reviews research on its initial implementation and effects, and identifies lessons for the potential reform of the disability benefit programme in the United States.