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The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Government sees off backbench rebellion as welfare reforms clear Commons
A proposed benefit cut for future out-of-work claimants has cleared the Commons after Labour ministers saw off a backbench rebellion. The Universal Credit Bill cleared the Commons at third reading, after it received MPs' backing by 336 votes to 242, majority 94. 'If you can work, you should,' social security minister Sir Stephen Timms told MPs before they voted on the welfare reforms. 'If you need help into work, the Government should provide it, and those who can't work must be able to live with dignity. 'Those are the principles underpinning what we're doing.' Work and pensions ministers faced calls to walk away from their universal credit (UC) proposals at the 11th hour, after they shelved plans to reform the separate personal independence payment (Pip) benefit and vowed to only bring in changes following a review. 'When this Bill started its life, the Government was advocating for cuts to Pip claimants and UC health claimants now and in the future. They conceded that now wasn't right, and it was only the future,' Labour MP for Hartlepool Jonathan Brash said. 'Then they conceded it shouldn't be Pip claimants in the future, leaving only UC health claimants in the future. Does (Sir Stephen) understand the anxiety and confusion this has caused people in the disabled community, and would it not be better to pause and wait for the review and do it properly?' Sir Stephen replied: 'No, because reform is urgently needed. We were elected to deliver change and that is what we must do. 'And it's particularly scandalous that the system gives up on young people in such enormous numbers – nearly a million not in employment, education or training.' The minister said the Government wanted to 'get on and tackle the disability employment gap' and added the Bill 'addresses the severe work disincentives in universal credit, it protects those we don't ever expect to work from universal credit reassessment'. As part of the Bill, the basic universal credit standard allowance will rise at least in line with inflation until 2029/30. But the Government has proposed freezing the 'limited capability for work' (LCW) part of the benefit until 2030, which a group of 37 Labour rebels including Mr Brash opposed in a vote. The move was ultimately approved by 335 votes to 135, majority 200. New claimants who sign up for the 'limited capability for work and work-related activity' payment would receive a lower rate than existing claimants after April 2026, unless they meet a set of severe conditions criteria or are terminally ill, which the same rebels also opposed. Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central who was among them, had earlier said: 'No matter what spin, to pass the Bill tonight, this will leave such a stain on our great party, founded on values of equality and justice.' She warned that making changes to universal credit before a wider look at reform was putting 'the cart before the horse, the vote before the review', and branded the Government's decision-making an 'omnishambles'. Ms Maskell pressed her own amendment to a division, which she lost by 334 votes to 149, majority 185. It would have demanded that out-of-work benefit claimants with a 'fluctuating medical condition' who slip out of and then back into their eligibility criteria either side of the changes would receive their existing – not the lower – rate. Marie Tidball said that during the review of Pip, which Sir Stephen was tasked with leading, 'the voices of disabled people must be front and centre'. She proposed putting a series of legal conditions on the so-called Timms review, including that disabled people should be actively involved in the process. The Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge did not move her amendment to a vote, on the basis Sir Stephen could offer 'further assurances that there will be sufficient link between the Timms review recommendations and subsequent legislation on Pip to ensure accountability and that the voices of disabled people are heard'. The minister said he could give her that assurance, and added that 'the outcome of the review will be central to the legislation that follows'. A total 47 Labour MPs voted against the Bill at third reading including Mr Brash, Ms Maskell, Mother of the House and Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP Diane Abbott, and former minister Dawn Butler. The Bill will undergo further scrutiny in the Lords at a later date.
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Wednesday briefing: Has Starmer's welfare reform bill victory left a fractured Labour party in its wake?
Good morning. To his loveless landslide, Keir Starmer can now add a vapid victory. Last night, the government's flagship welfare reform bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons by 335 votes to 260 – a majority of 75. But after last-minute concessions from the government to secure the bill's passage, a set of measures whose intended savings had already fallen from £5bn to £2.5bn a year, now looks like recouping much closer to nothing. The central climbdown, where plans for deep cuts to the personal independence payment (Pip) in the future were shelved, has been celebrated by disabled people and the charities who represent them. They had feared that the support they rely on was about to be ripped away. But it is also a measure of how disastrous the whole process has been for Starmer. Ministers will defend the changes as an important first step this morning – but given the scale of the initial proposals and the insistence that they were essential to save the welfare state for future generations, the last-minute excision of the measures at the very heart of the undertaking looks extraordinary. To get to such a negligible result has come at the cost of significant damage to Starmer's parliamentary authority, and his reputation for competence. So where did No 10 go wrong? And how important will the diluted version of the bill now prove to be? For today's newsletter, I spoke to the Guardian's political editor, Pippa Crerar, about the biggest rebellion the government has faced so far. Here are the headlines. Israel-Gaza war | Donald Trump says that Israel has accepted conditions of a ceasefire after US-Israeli talks and urged Hamas to agree. The US president did not give details of the terms and there is no indication that Hamas will accept them. NHS | Three bosses at the hospital where Lucy Letby worked have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, police have said. The three, who have not been named, were arrested as part of the investigation into the actions of leaders at the Countess of Chester hospital. UK news | The home secretary is coming under increasing pressure to abandon plans to ban Palestine Action, as UN experts and hundreds of lawyers warned that proscribing the group would conflate protest and terrorism. US news | The jury in the high-profile federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs concluded the day without a verdict on Tuesday, unable to come to a decision on one of the five counts. The judge advised the jury to 'keep deliberating'. Extreme heat | Outdoor working has been banned during the hottest parts of the day in more than half of Italy's regions, as an extreme heatwave that has smashed June temperature records in Spain and Portugal continues to grip large swathes of Europe. Downing Street's victory appears to have come at the cost of almost everything it claimed to be working for – and if officials understood they had a fight on their hands over the welfare reforms when they were first tabled in March, they would now concede that they completely misjudged the scale. Over the last 10 days, the internal Labour fight over the measures set out in the bill has put more than 120 MPs on record as prepared to rebel; extracted meaningful concessions that drastically reduce its fiscal impact; and ultimately resulted in a package reduced to the bare bones. To the government's critics on the left and among disabled people, it is a much better piece of legislation as a result. But it is also a kind of zombie bill: looks like the real thing at a distance, but dead behind the eyes when you examine it closely. Quite apart from the policy ramifications, Pippa Crerar said, the political damage – and the sense that a big enough rebellion limits No 10's disciplinary options – will be lasting. 'The whips were warning for a long time that MPs were upset enough to rebel, but that appears to have been dismissed in Downing Street,' Pippa said. 'Now some of them have a taste for it. And it's fair to say that this bill has been hollowed out.' What happened in the vote? At the beginning of the day, it looked like Downing Street was on course to prevail, albeit by a much slimmer margin than it might once have hoped. But the concessions that came later appeared to indicate Keir Starmer became extremely nervous the government would lose. Kiran Stacey and Jessica Elgot have an excellent account of how things changed in the meantime. 'There were a lot of people saying they were going to wait to see what Liz Kendall said at the dispatch box, or that they would be talking to colleagues about their strategy,' Pippa said. Only a couple of hours before the reversal, Kendall was telling MPs that the changes to the Pip system would go ahead as planned. 'This is a humiliation for her,' Pippa added. 'The U-turn was basically stitched up behind her back, and she wasn't aware of it until the last minute. I wouldn't be surprised if she was privately extremely angry.' In the end, 49 Labour MPs still voted against the government, three times the previous largest rebellion. 'I watched much of the Commons debate, and it was clear that MPs were still deeply unhappy,' Pippa said. 'Angela Rayner was leading the discussions with the committee chairs who led the previous rebellion, and they told her they felt MPs were in no mood to accept the offer as it was. Whether, when push came to shove, they would have voted against the government was something Keir Starmer clearly didn't want to test.' How have the concessions changed the bill's impact on disabled people? In response to the threat of rebellion, the government laid out changes to the proposed reforms to the benefit system that will have a significant impact. Here are the most important ones – and here's a useful guide by Kiran Stacey, published before the last-minute additions, if you want more detail. Existing claimants of the personal independence payment (Pip) – the main working-age benefit for people with disabilities, whether they are working or not – will continue to receive the same amount. But, crucially, the government bowed to rebel demands that any changes for future new claimants will not be made before the findings of a review of the Pip assessment criteria conducted by welfare minister Stephen Timms. The process is meant to be 'co-produced' by disabled people and the organisations that represent them. That means it is highly unlikely to propose the kinds of cuts that the government had envisioned. Timms said yesterday that the review is 'not intended to save money'. 'That was the only concession left that could guarantee the vote would go through,' Pippa said. 'It leaves open the possibility that the biggest changes envisioned by the original bill will never actually happen.' Plans to freeze the health-related component of universal credit, the main benefit for people out of work, were reversed for existing claimants, and the amount will now rise in line with inflation. What remains of the UC changes for future claimants is effectively the only major part of the original bill that survives. A £1bn investment in schemes to help disabled and long-term sick people back into work has been brought forward from the end of the parliament to this year. Until the additional last-minute changes on future Pip payments, the government plans were still expected to push 150,000 more people into relative poverty, modelling by the Department for Work and Pensions said – down from the 250,000 thus affected by the original scheme. A new calculation will now be needed, but the number is likely to be far smaller. How does the final bill's fiscal impact compare with the original plan? The initial plan would have reduced the annual increase in welfare spending by about £5bn; with the changes made to secure backbench support before yesterday, the figure was about £2.5bn. The Resolution Foundation says that with yesterday's changes, and given any theoretical savings following the Timms review can not yet be costed, it now amounts to a slight increase in spending by the end of the decade. Rachel Reeves is therefore left with a large hole to fill in her autumn budget – together with the reversal on some of the cuts to winter fuel payments, a total of at least £6bn. 'Growth is slow, she's ruled out borrowing more, and she doesn't want to be seen as an austerity chancellor,' Pippa said. 'And I think she would rather walk than break her fiscal rules. All of that points towards tax rises – it's hard to find anyone in the Treasury who will rule that out.' Reeves is 'more politically astute than she gets credit for,' Pippa added. 'People in the Treasury recognised last week that something would have to be offered to get the bill through. But there is frustration that Keir Starmer makes a decision, and Reeves then has to make it work. And beyond the current debate, there was a suggestion that they intended to come back later this year for more from the welfare budget.' That clearly now looks politically impossible. What happens next? Getting the bill through will be described as a victory by the government – but Starmer's tone to cabinet yesterday told a different story: 'We will learn from our mistakes, but we will not turn on each other.' Even now, the bill's eventual ascent to the status of law is not guaranteed: it still has to go through the committee and report stages, presenting further opportunities for scrutiny, amendment, and painful political confrontation, before coming back to the House of Commons a final time. The best hope for the government now, Pippa said, is that 'the Timms review, alongside disability groups, can come up with reforms that are acceptable to Labour MPs but also make meaningful reforms to the welfare system – I've not met a single MP who doesn't recognise that some degree of reform is needed.' But even in that optimistic view, the truth is that the extent of the disquiet – particularly when No 10 has imposed stern disciplinary measures on rebels in the past – may suggest a broader problem. 'The relationship between the parliamentary Labour party and Downing Street has been damaged,' Pippa said. 'There is a lot of work to do to rebuild those bridges.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion If Starmer wants to avoid similar crises in the future, he may ask who is at fault for this one. Some critics have pointed to Morgan McSweeney, the all-powerful Downing Street chief of staff, who has insisted that MPs are out of touch with the mood of the country on this issue. But while criticisms of McSweeney appear increasingly urgent, Starmer defended him in cabinet yesterday. 'You can't blame it all on one man,' Pippa said. 'He is a lightning rod, but there is a whole operation around him. Ultimately, as ever, the buck stops with the prime minister himself.' While the world's attention was on Iran and Israel during their 12 day war, the IDF attacks in Gaza continued and the humanitarian crisis deteriorated even further. This timeline of what happened in Gaza is essential reading. Aamna Do not bring Anna Karenina to Tenerife, is Daisy Buchanan's first tip in this guide to beach reading, which argues for reading something less strenuous. (Another tip: give yourself permission to ditch a book if you're hating it.) Archie The modern world keeps us home and alone, but Dylan B Jones finds that you don't need complicated tactics or new hobbies or psychological instruction to improve your social life. Aamna The disaster of the welfare bill is only an emblem of a wider problem, writes Rafael Behr – and to have any hope of righting the ship, Keir Starmer must start thinking about the parts of his coalition on the left that have found him so sorely disappointing. Archie I loved this interview by Sundus Abdi on three young Londoners who journeyed to their parents' homelands, redefining the travel vlog along the way. Aamna Tennis | Coco Gauff failed to follow up her French Open triumph, losing 7-6, 6-1 to Dayana Yastremska in the biggest upset of Wimbledon so far. Britain's Jack Draper progressed to the second round after his opponent Sebastián Báez retired with a leg injury with Draper two sets up. Football | The Women's Euro 2025 is finally here. But who's favoured to win, and who'll be top scorer? Guardian sports writers share their tournament predictions. Football | Gonzalo García scored the only goal for Real Madrid against Juventus in the last 16 of the Club World Cup. The result takes Madrid through to the quarter-finals, where they will meet Borussia Dortmund. Keir Starmer's dramatic climbdown on the centrepiece of his welfare bill dominates headlines. The Guardian splashes on 'Welfare bill passes as bruised PM backtracks to avert Labour revolt.' the Mirror goes with 'Welfare Bill fiasco: No winners,' while for the Telegraph it's 'Starmer's benefits bill turns to farce,' and the Express has 'Now it's 'utter capitulation' over PM's welfare bill.' The i Paper leads with 'Labour rebels force Starmer to retreat on benefits cuts again – amid chaos in the Commons' and the FT has 'Starmer guts welfare reform to avert defeat in Commons.' The Sun splashes on 'Buggy useless,' on French police riding in UK-funded buggies to patrol migrant crossing areas, while the Mail has '20,000 this year … and counting' on crossings. The Metro leads with 'Harvey: Dad, I'm scared to go to school' as a court hears what Harvey Willgoose, 15, said before he was fatally stabbed by another pupil in Sheffield. A humiliating day for Keir Starmer in parliament Helen Pidd talks to Kiran Stacey and a host of Labour MPs on a day of high drama in Westminster, as parliament votes on the government's proposed disability cuts. A bit of good news to remind you that the world's not all bad In the Western Ghats of India, a remarkable all-female team is reviving rainforest biodiversity at the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary. While these women don't have degrees in conservation, they're showing the extraordinary things that can be achieved through deep knowledge that is acquired through decades of hard work. These women have turned degraded land into a living sanctuary – a so-called 'Noah's ark' – for thousands of native species, including corpse flowers and carnivorous plants. Their rewilding efforts now protect up to 40% of the region's plant life. 'We're restoring nature's agency to heal itself,' says Suprabha Seshan, who oversees the restoration. 'And then we are supporting certain species by working with nature's agency.' Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday And finally, the Guardian's puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply
The Independent
26-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
If Labour cuts my PIP, I lose everything I have worked for
It's been a horrific few weeks – few months – for disabled people, with the never-ending uncertainty around the Labour government's disability benefit cuts making our community scared for our lives. The government claims their welfare reforms are to help support disabled people into work, but they're ignoring the fact that many disabled people can only work because of the benefits they receive – and I'm one of them. I live with a wide range of conditions including lupus, endometriosis, arthritis, migraines and dyspraxia, the toll these have on my body means that my disability mostly manifests through lack of energy and cognitive function. I would never be able to work a full time job or one with a strict schedule, as I can only work for a few hours at a time before I can't look at a screen anymore. I mostly work from bed as that's where I'm most comfortable. However, I've still managed to build a pretty successful career as a writer. With my limited energy and time, I've also helped shape the Taking the PIP campaign, which has brought together more than 130 well-known disabled people to urge the prime minister to stop the cruel cuts to benefits. But the harsh reality is that if these cuts are approved next week, with a second reading vote on the welfare reform bill, I will lose everything I have. I receive £558 a month in PIP. I also receive Universal Credit, the amount of which changes every month because I have to input my earnings, but is roughly around £400 a month. At a time when I only have the energy to work one or two hours a week, it means that I'm not working myself to the bone in order to be able to afford to live and can still afford my bills. Currently, you have to score 8 points to qualify for the daily living component of PIP. But if the eligibility changes come in, you will also have to score at least 4 points in one activity – these involving your ability to cook and clean, socialise and maintain good hygiene. On my last assessment, the highest I scored on all activities was 2. Due to my depression and neurodivergent conditions, I've made myself ill in the past with bad hygiene. I have to be reminded or pushed to keep myself clean. When I'm in deep depressive episodes, I will go days, or sometimes even weeks, without changing my clothes or washing myself. It's unsafe for me to do certain things in the kitchen as I sometimes lack control of my hands. I enjoy cooking, but often cut or burn myself and struggle to use many kitchen utensils. My cognitive and mental health conditions also mean I put housework at the bottom of the list, and prioritise just keeping myself alive. Only this week, I had to deep-clean my house – with the support of friends – after I discovered a fly infestation. But I make allowances so that I can live a good, independent life. I have apps that remind me to clean and eat, I buy pre-sliced food or mostly rely on ready meals. I live in social housing, in an accessible bungalow, so I can move around it safely without fear that I will put myself in danger. I live five minutes from my parents, who are on hand to help with housework. But if Labour's cuts to PIP go through, I won't be able to afford to continue living my lovely little life. I will be forced to find a job that will push me mentally and physically to breaking point. If I lose my PIP, I genuinely can't guarantee I'll still be here in five years time. And I'm far from the only one. Under Labour plans, more than 3.2 million people will see their benefits cut, pushing around 8,000 people into poverty or even absolute poverty, which is defined by the UN as 'a condition characterised by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. It depends not only on income but also on access to services.' More than 280,000 PIP claimants who are already in work would lose their support – and, as a result, could lose their jobs. In return, just 1-3 per cent of those affected will be able to move into work. While many working people will be affected, those who can't work will also be hard hit. Where I agree with the government is that the welfare system does need reform, but only to make it more compassionate and less inhumane. Starmer says the welfare system 'doesn't work for anyone', and that it's 'counterproductive' and 'works against them getting into work'. It is all well and good the government saying they want to support people into work – but when they're also quietly cutting Access to Work entitlement, their actions don't show it. I hear every single day from scared disabled people who have no idea how they'll survive if these cuts go through. The government can claim this is a cost-cutting measure all they want, but the reality is that the very real cost will be that of disabled people's lives. Is that really a debt politicians want on their hands? * Rachel Charlton-Dailey is a journalist and disability rights campaigner who is part of the 'Taking the PIP' campaign
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The Independent
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Poll of the day: Do you support Keir Starmer's welfare reform plans?
A political storm is brewing over proposed changes to the UK welfare system, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pushes ahead with controversial reforms that would overhaul disability benefit payments. Under the new plans, access to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) would be tightened in a bid to reduce what ministers say is unsustainable growth in the system, which currently sees the equivalent of a city the size of Leicester added in new claims each year. Supporters of the reforms, including Starmer himself, argue that the welfare system is 'broken' and needs urgent change to remain sustainable and to better support people who want to return to work. But critics, including more than 100 Labour MPs and at least a dozen ministers, warn that the changes will disproportionately harm disabled people and the most vulnerable. Independent readers have warned that the cuts will 'break people,' leave carers 'destitute,' and impose a human cost many feel is being ignored. The proposed legislation is expected to face a major rebellion when it goes to a vote in Parliament next week. As the government prepares to make one of the most significant changes to welfare in over a decade, we want to know what you think: should Starmer's welfare reforms go ahead – or do they go too far? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Election law changes win conference committee approval
Over the objection of Democratic lawmakers, House and Senate negotiators reached agreement on bills to require that voters show a photo ID to get an absentee ballot and to allow small towns to not have to lease accessible equipment for voters with disabilities. The approval came a week after advocates for the disabled community maintained both bills would create more hardship for their clients. Currently, anyone can request by mail an absentee ballot application and then mail in their vote to the city or town clerk. The absentee voter must sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that he or she qualifies as a resident and eligible voter in that precinct. Late last month, the House Election Laws Committee attached to a related absentee ballot bill (SB 287) the proposed requirement that a copy of the voter's photo identification card and a notarized signature on the application form would be required to receive an absentee ballot. Chairman Ross Berry, R-Weare, said some town clerks have concluded that absentee voters do not have to prove their identity. 'We want to close up this loophole because the registration process and the voting process should be similar to what someone needs to do to vote by absentee,' Berry said. Critics warn of potential federal violation Senate Democratic Leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka of Portsmouth said that creates an unfair burden on those who can't get to the polls. 'These are further ways to make it harder to vote,' Perkins Kwoka said. 'I think this has been rushed through.' The accessible voting bill (HB 613) will allow a small town or ward to not have to acquire the accessible equipment for those with disabilities if no resident in the community asks for it within 60 days of an election. 'The reality is if someone needs the machine, it will be there. If they don't, the community won't have to afford the cost,' Berry said. Rep. Connie Lane, D-Concord, maintained as written this bill could violate both the federal Voting Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. 'This is a law we are supposed to be abiding by,' Lane said. If the House and Senate Democrats refuse to sign the final agreement, Speaker Sherman Packard and Senate President Sharon Carson, both R-Londonderry, will name Republican replacements to achieve a required unanimous vote of the conference committee. What's Next: The full House and Senate will make up or down votes on these two bills when they next meet on June 26. Prospects: If lawmakers endorse these as is expected, all signs point to Gov. Kelly Ayotte signing them into law. klandrigan@
