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Wales Online
06-07-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
New map shows the areas of Wales most vulnerable to Government DWP benefit reforms
New map shows the areas of Wales most vulnerable to Government DWP benefit reforms Some parts of Wales have twice as many claimants of as average Many people in Blaenau Gwent cite psychiatric disorders as their reason for claiming. Picture shows Ebbw Vale (Image: South Wales Echo ) The areas of Wales with the highest number of people who receive Personal Independent Payments (PIP) are revealed in a new map which shows the areas most vulnerable to any government reform . One part of Wales has more than twice the rate seen across England and Wales. PIP is a a benefit designed to assist with additional costs resulting from long-term disability or ill-health which was established in 2013. Recipients can receive £73.90 a week to help with their living costs at the standard rate and an additional £29.20 if they qualify for mobility help. At the enhanced rate for more severe disabilities, they qualify for £110.40 daily living support and £77.05 in mobility help - totalling £187.45. The UK government had planned to cut the number of people who would qualify for the benefit by making it more difficult to qualify under the points-based system by which people's disability is assessed. However Keir Starmer was forced to back down amid the face of a rebellion by his own MPs. The government was ultimately able to pass its benefits bill by a margin of 75 votes, but only after making last-minute concessions to Labour rebels that left it unrecognisable. It has now promised not alter PIP rules until it had time to consider a review's findings. Deemed a "moral imperative" by the Prime Minister, the reforms were aimed at encouraging capable people to return to work, while reducing the welfare bill by £5bn and boosting employment rates. As of April 2025, data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) revealed that more than 3.7 million people are beneficiaries of PIP across England and Wales, some 8.3% of the population. Article continues below But the distribution is uneven, with certain areas showing far higher concentrations of claimants than others. Wales has a higher proportion of claimants to England with 11.7% of people here receiving the benefit. Wales has some of the highest rates in the UK with four Welsh constituencies in the top ten in England and Wales. In Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, 17.4% of working age adults claim PIP. This is followed by Aberafan Maesteg on 17.4%, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare at 15.9% and Rhondda and Ogmore at 15.7%. Only two areas of England have higher rates of PIP claimants than Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, Liverpool Walton on 18.6% and Easington in the north east of England on 17.8%. The ten constituencies with the highest rate of PIP claimants in England and Wales Liverpool Walton, north west England - 18.6% Easington, north east England - 17.8% Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, Wales - 17.4% Aberafan Maesteg, Wales - 16.9% Knowsley, north west England - 16.8% Blackpool South, north west England - 16.5% Birkenhead, north west England - 16.5% Bootle, north west England - 16.3% Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare, Wales - 15.9% Rhondda and Ogmore, Wales - 15.7% The percentage of PIP claimants in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney is more than twice the average rate in England and Wales. In Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, 34.4% of claimants cite mental health or psychiatric disorders as their reason for claiming. Another 24.5% do so due to general musculoskeletal disease, with an additional 14.4% for regional musculoskeletal disease, 10% for neurological disease, and 4.4% for respiratory disease. According to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics released in May 2024, the employment rate in Blaenau Gwent was 69.4% in the year ending in December 2023. This is a decrease compared with the year ending December 2022 when the local rate was 73.8%. Across Wales in the year ending December 2023, 74.1% of people aged 16 to 64 years were employed. This was higher compared with the previous year, when 73.3% of people were employed. During the year ending in December 2023, the unemployment rate was 4.1% - an increase compared with the year ending December 2022 when the unemployment rate was 2.9%. However the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits was 4.3% in the year leading to March 2023 was 4.3%. This figure remained the same in the following year leading to March 2024. Around 11,500 people or 26.4% of the population aged 16 to 64 years in Blaenau Gwent were "economically inactive" in the year ending December 2023. This compares with around 10,700 people (24.7%) in the year ending December 2022. People are classed as "economically inactive" if they are not in employment but don't meet the criteria for being "unemployed". This means they have not been seeking work within the previous four weeks or were unable to start work within the next two weeks. Article continues below Common reasons include being retired, looking after the home or family or being temporarily or long-term sick and disabled. Economic inactivity in Blaenau Gwent is higher than across Wales and Great Britain. Across Wales, 23.0% of people aged 16 to 64 years were economically inactive during the year ending December 2023, a decrease compared with the year ending December 2022 when 24.4% were economically inactive.
The National
30-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Changes to UK disability cuts will cost billions
Liz Kendall told MPs on Monday that the UK Government would be putting forward a number of changes to its welfare reform bill following a backbench rebellion ahead of a second vote in the Commons. Kendall pointed to 'real concerns' that had been raised regarding the changes and insisted that ministers were 'making positive changes' after over 120 MPs forced ministers into a partial U-turn. MPs are set to vote on the legislation on Tuesday, with 50 Labour backbenchers expected to vote against the Government. Speaking to MPs, Kendall said the Government is 'putting an additional £300 million into employment support for sick and disabled people'. READ MORE: Labour MPs call out Keir Starmer's 'rushed' disability cuts Kendall said 'We will be delivering a total of £600 million for support next year, £800 million the year after, and £1 bn in 2028/29, increasing our total spending on employment support for sick and disabled people to £3.8bn over this Parliament, because disabled people who can work shouldn't wait to have the same rights and chances to work as everybody else. 'And the measures we are announcing today will cost around £2.5bn in 2029/30.' She said 'the overall savings and costings' of the reform package 'will be certified by the OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility) in the normal way'. The Work and Pensions Secretary said that the welfare reforms will now only apply the four-point requirement for Personal Independent Payments (PIP) will only apply to those applying from November 2026, so no existing claimants will lose the benefit. 'Now, some people have said they're concerned it will create a two-tier system, but I would say to the House, including members opposite that our benefits system often protects existing claimants from new rates or new rules, because lives have been built around that support, and it's often very hard for people to adjust,' Kendall said. Kendall also told MPs that the new proposals will mean no existing claimants of the Universal Credit standard allowance and health top-up 'are put into poverty as a result of the changes' in the welfare Bill. (Image: House of Commons) It comes as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) own modelling said that 150,000 people will be pushed into poverty by 2030 as a result of the UK Government's welfare cuts. A review of PIP will also be 'co-produced' with disabled people, Kendall said, adding that the Government had published the terms of reference for the review. 'The review will look at the role of the Pip assessment, including activities, descriptors, and the associated points, to ensure these properly capture the impact of long-term health conditions and disability in the modern world,' she said. 'And it will be co-produced with disabled people, their organisations, clinicians, other experts, and MPs, before reporting to the Secretary of State by autumn next year, and implemented as soon as possible thereafter.' Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said the changes showed a Government in 'chaos' and attempts to quash a rebellion led to 'un-funded U-turns costing billions and welfare plans that are not worth the paper that they are written on' READ MORE: Social Security Scotland is 'shining example of what independence can do' 'Their latest idea is a two-tier welfare system to trap people in a lifetime on benefits and deny them the dignity of work while leaving the taxpayer to pick up the ever-growing bill,' the Tory MP said. Whately said the increasing welfare budget was too high, as she said it will reach £100 billion by 2031. SNP MP Kirsty Blackman pressed Kendall on why the Labour party did not put the welfare cuts in their manifesto. 'Is it perhaps because she realised how deeply unpopular and wrong these changes would be?' Blackman asked. Kendall replied: 'I don't expect her to have read every line of our manifesto, but reforming the benefits system was in our manifesto, and so too is our commitment to tackling child poverty.' Earlier, Scottish Labour MP Johanna Baxter, Paisley and Renfrewshire South, asked Kendall what discussions she had had with the Scottish Government about the impact on Scotland. The Work and Pension Secretary said she hopes 'that the SNP matches our ambition to get more people into work'. Only one Scottish Labour MP, Brian Leishman, Alloa and Grangemouth, has publicly said he will vote against the welfare reforms. It has been widely reported that 50 Labour MPs are set to rebel during the vote on Tuesday.
Daily Mirror
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Wes Streeting slams Sky News host's 'mischief' after he asks 'rubbish' question
Health Secretary Wes Streeting launched a passionate defence of Keir Starmer as he branded 'mischief making' talk about the Prime Minister's position a 'load of old rubbish' Wes Streeting reacted with fury when he was asked if he'd ever want to be Prime Minister and slammed the "mischief making" of the Sky News host. The Health Secretary launched a passionate defence of Keir Starmer as he branded talk about the PM's position a "load of old rubbish". It comes as Mr Starmer faces questions over the direction of his government after a series of U-turns on winter fuel payments and welfare. Asked by Sky News' Trevor Phillips whether he'd ever want the "top job", Mr Streeting hit back firmly: "I know exactly what you're up to, and it's mischief making, and it's a load of rubbish, and I'm not entertaining it." He continued: "The fact is that we have got, in Keir Starmer, a Prime Minister who is delivering real change in our country. Of course, it takes time, and I'm not pretending for a moment that all of the problems in our country have been solved, far from it. "Even on the NHS, where I think we've made real progress in our first year, there is so much more to do. There's not a hint of complacency, but we came in to change the country, and that's what we're doing." Defending his boss, Mr Streeting praised Mr Starmer having brought back Labour from the depths of despair after its catastrophic performance at the 2019 General Election. The Cabinet minister went on: "And the final thing I'd say about Keir is that, as well as being a thoroughly decent person, he did something that no one thought he could do, which was to win the Labour leadership and lead us back from the worst defeat since 1935 (at the 2019 election) to winning that big election victory last year. "He's shown real leadership on the world stage and has gotten credit for the way in which he's tried to bring Europe and the United States together to tackle the world's problems. "He's also showing real leadership at home to reform our public services and to create a fairer, more equal, more just society. That's what this Labour Government is about. We've barely just begun. Change has begun, but the best is still to come." Next weekend will mark a year since Mr Starmer won a landslide election victory. But now, the PM is battling flagging poll ratings, rebellious Labour MPs and the surge of Nigel Farage 's Reform UK. Some Labour MPs have grown uneasy over the direction of the Government, culminating in a major rebellion over welfare cuts. The PM was last week forced into a climbdown over plans to cut Personal Independent Payments to avoid a humiliating defeat in the Commons. He had faced losing a crunch vote on his welfare legislation next week after 126 backbenchers signed a rebel amendment.
Daily Mirror
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Inside Labour's identity crisis as party members and MPs speak their mind
More than two-thirds of Labour members want the party to shift to the left - as Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces calls for a reset of the direction of his Government More than two-thirds of Labour members want the party to shift to the left - as Keir Starmer faces calls for a reset. Polling by LabourList, shared with The Mirror, shows 64.5% of Labour members back a move to the left, with just 1.6% calling for a rightwards shift. Next weekend will mark a year since Keir Starmer won a landslide election victory. But now, the PM is battling flagging poll ratings, rebellious Labour MPs and the surge of Nigel Farage 's Reform UK. After last week's U-turn on welfare cuts, Mr Starmer's former political director Luke Sullivan warned the Government it must 'use this as a moment for a reset'. Some Labour MPs have grown uneasy over the direction of the Government, culminating in a major rebellion over welfare cuts. Keir Starmer was forced into a climbdown over plans to cut Personal Independent Payments to avoid a humiliating defeat in the Commons. He had faced losing a crunch vote on his welfare legislation next week after 126 backbenchers signed a rebel amendment. It came after the PM last month announced a U-turn on cuts to winter fuel payments. The policy sparked a backlash and was blamed for a difficult set of local election results for Labour, while Reform UK took control of a number of English councils. There have been signs that Labour has been spooked by the success of the rightwing outfit. The Home Office has published pictures and video of migrants being deported, sparking criticism from refugee charities. Mr Starmer also came under fire when he said Britain was at risk of becoming an 'island of strangers' in a speech on immigration, which drew comparisons to Enoch Powell's infamously racist Rivers of Blood speech. The PM has since admitted he 'deeply regrets' using the phrase. Labour MP Nadia Whittome said: "While this government has taken some crucial steps towards undoing this, there's a growing sense across the country that the scale of change just isn't matching the urgency of the moment, while other policies, like the proposals to cut disability benefits, feel like a repeat of the austerity era. At a time when the far-right is gaining ground both at home and abroad, Labour must also show bold, principled leadership. We cannot abandon our progressive values in pursuit of Reform voters." One Labour MP, who asked to speak anonymously, told The Mirror: 'Personally, I don't think you can ever out-Reform Reform, or the right, on issues like immigration. That isn't who we are. 'We are an internationalist party and that's what our values should remain rooted in. We're haemorrhaging votes to progressive left-wing parties, not to the right.' They said the series of U-turns over winter fuel cuts and disability benefits showed the Government 'did not have a clear plan'. Criticising the welfare reforms appearing to be born out of a need to save money, the MP continued: 'When you start from a position of wanting to just make cuts, inevitably, you are going to hurt the most vulnerable. 'And that's a political choice, and it was the wrong choice, morally and economically, and it was moving us away from our Labour values: Equality, social justice and fairness. We've just got to remember who we are as a party… We shouldn't be tacking anywhere to the right on any of these issues.' Another Labour MP said party members want the party to return to its 'core values' and just be more 'Labour'. 'The Labour Party was set up in the first place to be a voice for working people, to stand up for equality and social justice, and therefore they won't recognise the party today and some of the decisions it's making,' they said. They said ensuring people had vital support, as opposed to withdrawing it, trying to lift children out of poverty, and trying to clamp down on corporate greed should be at the heart of Labour values. They said 'there are so many positive things' the Government are doing, from renationalising the railway, building more social homes, improving employment rights, or expanding free school meals for kids. 'But when it comes to these crunch issues, they're just missing the point. Not engaging with people that policies are impacting is not how the Labour Party should behave. So I just call on the Labour Party to be more Labour.' But not all Labour MPs agree with party members' plea to move to the left. MP Gurinder Singh Josan said: "When it comes to winning elections, how the voters see things has to be more important than just our members' views. "And recent elections, including the catastrophic 2019 general election defeat under a markedly more left wing leader, shows voters are more often in the centre and are more interested in practical solutions to everyday problems rather than an ideological fixation." Another Labour MP, who also did not want to be named, said moving left was not the solution and the Government must continue to be 'country first, and party second'. 'I'm a big fan of solutions-based politics where you don't always have to be entrenched in a left or right view,' they said. 'It's about what will deliver the change that's needed for the country. So we've got our manifesto, that's what's being voted on, and then in terms of the policy that we push through, it's to deliver that. Left, right, centre is completely irrelevant.' The MP said, immigration issues such as the small boats crisis should be looked at from a humanity, security, economic and infrastructure perspective. 'It's about then finding solutions that some might perceive as being more to the right, but actually it's about delivering them within Labour values, so you're not demonising and creating that horrible rhetoric that we see from some parties,' they added.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK's Starmer offers concessions on welfare cuts to quell Labour revolt
By Andrew MacAskill and Sachin Ravikumar LONDON (Reuters) -Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made concessions to dissenting lawmakers from his Labour Party on planned welfare cuts, two lawmakers said on Thursday, as the British leader tries to avoid a damaging parliamentary rebellion at a vote next week. More than 100 Labour lawmakers opposed Starmer's welfare reforms, arguing the plans failed to provide support for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. Those lawmakers have spearheaded an effort to kill the government's welfare bill at the vote on Tuesday, presenting a potentially major blow to Starmer a year after he won a large majority in parliament. One Labour lawmaker, who did not wish to be named, said Starmer had agreed late on Thursday evening to change the plans so that the cuts only apply to new welfare claimants, with existing recipients of so-called Personal Independent Payments (PIP) remaining unaffected. The lawmaker said he was still undecided whether the changes would convince him to back Starmer's plan at the vote. Starmer's Downing Street office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Any climbdown on welfare by Starmer will be criticised as yet another U-turn from the government following a reversal in cuts to winter fuel payments and the decision to hold an inquiry into grooming gangs. The government has argued that cutting the ballooning welfare budget is necessary to shore up the public finances and get more people into work. Annual spending on incapacity and disability benefits already exceeds the country's defence budget and is set to top 100 billion pounds by 2030, according to official forecasts, up from 65 billion pounds now. Despite Starmer's concessions, one Labour lawmaker, Peter Lamb, said after learning of the changes that he would vote down the bill "alone" if necessary. "To me, it's insufficient when better options have repeatedly been put forward and ignored," Lamb said on X.
