These changes feel to me not like they're trying to save money, but rather give more money away. They want more players to get to the $250,000 question and beyond. By lowering the payouts below that level, they've increased the pot odds. Instead of risking $93,000 on question 13 to win an additional $125,000, earning 1.34:1 on your money, you're risking $75,000 to win an additional $150,000, getting 2:1 on your money. At those odds, the risk is much more attractive and more players might be willing to make the bet. Adding a fourth lifeline that only kicks in after question 11 reinforces this theory.
Does anyone have more details on the Switch the Question lifeline? The Variety article requires a subscription, and no other online news source has covered this yet.