Latest news with #Timms
The National
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Being a journalist at Westminster is all about right place, right time
SOMETIMES you nearly miss the story. During this week's lengthy debate on the welfare bill, I decided that I'd take a break to stretch my legs, get a bit of fresh air and smoke a cigarette. There had been reports that Social Security Minister Stephen Timms was going to scrap much of the welfare bill, which we'd covered in our live blog already. Ministers speak at the beginning and end of debates and the bill was due to go to a vote at around 7pm, so I was expecting Timms to reveal this then. Just before 5.30pm, I got up from my desk, had a fag, had a bit of a natter with two MPs and returned to my desk. Timms (below) had, in my absence, made an intervention in the debate and announced from the despatch box that he was gutting the Government's flagship welfare bill of its most controversial reforms. (Image: UK Parliament) I thought it was rather inconsiderate of him as I had to tear up the story I'd prepared on the cuts to Personal Independence Payments passing. Clearly, the Government had felt less confident about that prospect than I was. Timms is an old hand and seemed to take the absurdity of his position – announcing mid-debate that the bill MPs were voting on had been whittled down to a nub – in his stride. Labour backbenchers' incredulity was summed up ably by Ian Lavery, who, with dollops of Geordie gusto, denounced the Government: 'This is crazy, man! This is outrageous, man! This bill isn't fit for purpose.' The following day at Prime Minister's Questions, I took my usual spot in the press gallery. Out of habit, I sit on the side facing the opposition benches. Labour backbenchers sit below my feet and I can see the backs of the frontbenchers' heads. It was, from where I was sitting (and I use the phrase advisedly), an exceptionally dull PMQs. (Image: House of Commons/PA Wire) After around 20 tedious minutes, the woman sitting beside me gave me an elbow: 'Rachel Reeves is crying.' No she isn't, I thought. Then she showed me the video. We both scuttled around to the other side. She looked rough alright, but at a distance, it was hard to say anything definitively. I messaged my colleagues who quickly ascertained that she was indeed crying. In a moment indicative of my instinctively conspiratorial mind, I googled the pollen count in London that day, in case the Government tried to attribute it to hay fever. Unless she was especially sensitive to mould, thought I, there is no way they are blaming this on allergies. As it turned out, Reeves had been left shattered by the blow to her authority when her £5 billion cuts to welfare were tossed to avoid a Labour mutiny. That, coupled with a telling off from Mr Speaker, seemed to tip her over the edge. Hard to have much sympathy with her in the circumstances. Quite why she or anyone around her thought it was a good idea to have her in front of a TV camera after bursting into tears, we will never really know. But in a roundabout way, it seems to give her position greater certainty. The market reaction proved that traders fear a return to the chopping and changing which characterised the Tory years or the prospect of a more left-wing chancellor; though who that might be is quite beyond me. At dinner on Thursday night, I check my phone in a spare moment to find out that Zarah Sultana has said she is leaving Labour to lead a new left-wing party with Jeremy Corbyn. Having learned the lessons of the previous days, I hit the phones only to find that there was a reception problem affecting exclusively left-wing Labour people. Most curious. The radio silence seemed to confirm reports that Corbyn had been blindsided by the announcement. The moral of the story? Inconclusive, I'm afraid. I don't think any valuable lessons can be taken from the events of this week ... other than being in the right place at the right time. You can get the Worst of Westminster delivered straight to your email inbox every Friday at 6pm for FREE by clicking here.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How the new welfare bill affects PIP and universal credit payments
The government was forced to make another major concession to its welfare bill in a last-ditch attempt to pass it on Tuesday night. With just over an hour before a crunch vote that an under-fire Keir Starmer was in danger of losing, disabilities minister Stephen Timms announced no cuts would be made to PIP until he conducted and concluded a review of the disability benefit. It followed previous concessions to PIP and universal credit announced last week as ministers initially tried to appease Labour rebels. The chaotic changes come some three months after the controversial reforms were first announced by the government and are likely to leave many claimants trying to catch up with what the latest changes mean for them. The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill was introduced by the government in March of this year with the aim of stabilising welfare spending as well as getting more people claiming benefits back into work. Initially, the government proposed £5bn worth of cuts to the health element of universal credit, as well as limiting who would be eligible for PIP. It also proposed axing any kind of disability payments for those under 22. Now, the bill has radically changed following widespread backlash from disabled people, at least 86 charities, and a swell of Labour backbenchers. However, cuts to universal credit still feature. While the health top-up amount was set to be frozen until 2028 and the payments for new claimants halved, the benefit top-up will now be raised in line with inflation. The PIP changes have now been shelved by the government until the disabilities minister, Stephen Timms, conducts a review into the impact of the cuts in 2026. The Timms review is a comprehensive review of the PIP assessment system and is aimed at ensuring the PIP system is fair, supportive, and reflects the realities of modern life. The review will be co-produced with disabled people, organisations representing them, and MPs, with the goal of delivering better experiences and outcomes for disabled people and those with health conditions. The review will be the first comprehensive report into the disability benefit in a decade, and is expected to be published in autumn 2026. Under the government's last-minute concession, PIP claimants will no longer have to score four points or more in a single category of their benefit assessment in order to qualify for the benefit. Now, the implications of the decision — and how the benefit payment works at large — will be reviewed by Timms. The findings of the review are expected late 2026, meaning payments will not be affected until at least this date — if at all. Under the government's initial welfare reform proposal, around 800,000 people were estimated to lose out on the daily living component of PIP by 2029/30. Now, no one will be affected at least until the review takes place and it seems likely the government will struggle to push through similar reforms. Even after a series of concessions, the health top-up element of universal credit will still be frozen — to an extent — for current claimants, and halved for new claimants. However, under one of the concessions the government made last week, it will now rise in line with inflation year-on-year. The freezing of the universal credit health element and reductions for new claimants are expected to impact 2.25 million existing and 730,000 future claimants. The government will save some money overall, but a drastically smaller amount than it first calculated at £5bn. Before the inflation announcement, the government was expected to make over £1.1 billion in net savings by 2029/30 from the combined measures of freezing the universal credit health element for existing claimants and halving it for most new claimants from April 2026. Now, the figure is expected to be lower.
Scottish Sun
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Benefits bill passes – all the Universal Credit and PIP changes YOU need to know
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DISABLED Brits would have faced stricter tests to qualify for support under the original benefits crackdown. They would have needed to score at least four points in one activity like washing, dressing, or preparing food. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Sir Keir Starmer had called the current benefits system unsustainable, indefensible and unfair Credit: SWNS 2 After more fury from the backbenches, the changes were shelved altogether with no date for when - or if - they'll happen Credit: Alamy Currently, people can qualify by scoring eight points across multiple tasks, making it easier to access the benefit. Last week, ministers watered down the policy to apply only to new claimants after more than 120 Labour MPs threatened to revolt. But after more fury from the backbenches, the changes were shelved altogether with no date for when - or if - they'll happen. Disability benefits Any proposed changes to Personal Independence Payments now won't kick in until after a review has taken place. The PIP benefits - the main disability welfare payment for those with a disability - is subject to a review by Welfare Minister Sir Stephen Timms. The benefit payments are in place to help those affected with daily tasks such as mobility. Payments currently start at £1,500 but rise to £9,600 which are paid out even if someone is still working. The daily living rate comes in at £73.90 for the lower rate and £110.40 for the higher rate. Figures show that the mobility rate is worth £29.20 and rises to £77.05 for the higher rate. Ministers have revealed that 1,000 people per day are claiming PIP - which is the equivalent of the size of Leicester every year. Following a major rebellion, those who are now claiming PIP be able to claim the same amount of money. But for new claimants from November 2026, there will be a set of stricter measures set out as the government aims to reduce spending on the benefits and get people back to work. Review by Sir Stephen Timms to delay PIP changes Welfare Minister Stephen Timms has told MPs that any changes to PIP eligibility will come in after his review has been published. The major concession came just 90 minutes before MPs were due to vote. The Timms review is due to report in autumn 2026. His four-point eligibility criteria has been dropped entirely from the legislation. Now, disability groups will work with Timms on his review. Universal Credit More than three million recipients of Universal Credit don't have to find work due to their poor health. A single person who is aged 25 or over can receive the basic level of UC which comes in at £400.14 every month. But that can rise by a further £422.37 due to the incapacity top-up due to a disability or long-term condition - more than doubling the original payment. The new plans mean that anyone up to the age of 22 will not be able to claim. Existing claimants will get £97 per week until the end of the decade. But new claimants will only receive £50 a week in the next financial year. Ministers had tried to freeze the payment for the next four years but a commitment has been made for it to go up with inflation. Employment support package Welfare Secretary Liz Kendall will spend an extra £300 million on employment support she insists is the biggest disability employment support package for a generation. The cash will be spent on trying to get those claiming sickness benefits back into work. A total of £1 billion will be spent in 2028/29.
The National
01-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Commons in 'chaos' as Keir Starmer forced into benefits U-turn
MPs welcomed the Government's climbdown but were left furious at the eleventh-hour concession to shelve cuts to Personal Independence Payments pending the completion of a review. Social Security Minister Stephen Timms took the unusual step of confirming the U-turn, which had been leaked to the media, around an hour and a half before MPs were due to vote. Responding to the announcement, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn (below) said: 'Thought he was going to end the chaos?' (Image: The News Agents) Timms noted that a number of MPs had raised concerns during the debate that Pip changes were scheduled to come in before his review, to be carried out with disability charities and due to report in next autumn, had concluded. He said: 'We have heard those concerns, and that is why I can announce that we are going to remove the clause five from the bill at committee, that we will move straight to the wider review, sometimes referred to as the Timms review, and only make changes to Pip eligibility activities and descriptors following that review. 'The Government is committed to concluding the review by the autumn of next year.' READ MORE: Major disability benefit cuts delayed in concession to Labour rebels It means that the most controversial changes – which would make it much tougher to qualify for the main disability benefit, Pip – have been put on ice. While the move was welcomed by Labour rebels, they continued to express exasperation with the Government. Lead rebel Rachael Maskell, who revived the revolt by tabling a second wrecking amendment after the initial one was withdrawn following a partial climbdown, said: 'The whole bill is now unravelling and is a complete farce.' (Image: Parliament) Labour's Imran Hussain (above) launched a blistering attack on the front bench, saying: 'What is disrespectful and continues to be disrespectful to backbenchers in particular and members on this side, is the way we are piecemeal fed things. Even at this late stage, whilst I welcome the previous concessions and I welcome the concession today, but the reality is this; for months we have been talking about this. Months. 'We could have been engaged in that process, and we approached it in good faith, and again it makes a further mockery of a process that will result in hundreds of thousands of people being pushed into poverty.' The Bradford East MP added: 'The timescale that we have been given already lacks respect that this democratic House should be afforded. But now, this piecemeal of information we are being leaked, frankly we are being asked to rely on the goodwill of ministers.' Labour MP Ian Lavery, the MP for Liverpool West Derby, said the bill was a 'shambles', adding: 'It's being rewritten on the fly. Policies affecting millions and millions of disabled lives are being made up as we go within this chamber within the last couple of hours. 'We're being asked to vote on the bill as legislators, without full impact assessments, without proper scrutiny, without even knowing what the final version will be.'
The National
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Major disability benefit cuts delayed in concession to Labour rebels
Changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) have been delayed after a last-minute compromise was offered to restive Labour MPs. In an unusual move, Social Security Minister Stephen Timms confirmed during the debate on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill that the Government was removing the controversial rule changes for Personal Independence Payment (Pip) claimants. Changes will only be made after he concludes his review, to be carried out with disability charities and expected next autumn, into changing eligibility thresholds. The Government had planned to change the rules with Tuesday's vote so that new Pip claimants can only qualify for the benefit if they score at least a four in one category of the assessments of disability. People will still need to score at least eight points across 10 categories measuring their ability to carry out daily tasks like washing themselves and dressing. But the proposed changes have led to charges that the Government is creating a "two-tier" system, because those currently claiming PIP will keep their benefits while new claimants will be subject to tougher rules. Critics have also said it is unfair that people with difficulties carrying out daily tasks will be disadvantaged because they struggle across the piece rather than particularly in one area. Intervening in the debate, Timms noted that Labour MPs had "raised concerns that the changes to Pip are coming ahead of the conclusions of the review of the assessment that I will be leading". He added: "We have heard those concerns, and that is why I can announce that we are going to remove the clause five from the Bill at committee, that we will move straight to the wider review, sometimes referred to as the Timms review, and only make changes to Pip eligibility activities and descriptors following that review."
