Labour benefits cuts latest: Starmer braces for major rebellion over crunch welfare bill vote today

Jonathan Reynolds urged Labour MPs to back welfare reforms amid a looming rebellion, insisting the Government is in a “stronger position” than it was last week after making concessions over its plans.

Asked what the consequences would be for backbenchers rejecting the Bill, the Business Secretary told Sky News there had been a “positive conversation with colleagues about what they want from this process”.

He said everyone wants the most vulnerable to be protected and “I think we have worked with people in order to provide that”.

“I’d ask them to support the Government on that basis, because clearly what we’ve got here is something which is better than the existing system,” he said.

Asked whether MPs would lose the whip for voting against the Government, he said he was “not aware of anything like that” but “those issues are for the chief whip”.

The government is facing accusations that their new welfare reforms will create a tiered system among the disabled community.

In the Commons yesterday, welfare and pensions minister Liz Kendall was asked a number of times whether the reforms would create a “two-tiered system”.

The changes would see existing claimants continue to receive their current allowance, while new claimants would be subject to the tighter eligibility.

Meanwhile, a Government review taking the views of disabled people into account will launch, with the possibility of further changes as a result of its proposals.

Jonathan Reynolds has rejected suggestions Government welfare reforms would create a “three-tier” system, saying it is “entirely normal” for existing entitlements to be “grandfathered”.

Asked about the suggestions, the Business Secretary told Sky News: “I’ve seen these claims, I don’t accept this.

“It’s entirely normal for when we have significant changes to the welfare state, existing entitlements to be grandfathered.

“There are people in the UK getting severe disablement allowance. That closed to new entrants in 2001. So this is quite common.”

Jonathan Reynolds said the Government’s welfare proposals are “far better than what we have at the minute”.

The Business Secretary told Times Radio: “I think first of all we have to confront difficult issues, that’s part of what this Government was elected to do.

“I do agree this is a difficult issue but I think if you avoid difficult issues you end up in a much worse position. We’ve seen this incredible rise in the money we spend on Pip – it’s doubled in five years. I don’t think that’s substantially reduced poverty, by the way.”

He added: “If you look at where we are today we have a set of proposals which are far better than what we have at the minute, have genuine co-production at the heart of that in terms of the Timms review that’s going to take this forward and some really important things.

“We’ve protected the most vulnerable people through not having people with severe health conditions reassessed, having a right to try, reforming access to work for disabled people.

“This overall package is better and does make sure we’re spending money in the right way.”

One of the major reasons some Labour MPs will be rebelling against the bill is due to the government’s own assessment on how it will impact poverty in the UK.

Around 150,000 people will be pushed into poverty by 2030 as a result of the Government’s welfare cuts – despite the bill being softened.

The figure is down from the 250,000 extra people estimated to have been left in relative poverty after housing costs under the original proposals.

Modelling published by the Department for Work and Pensions said the estimate does not include any “potential positive impact” from extra funding and measures to support people with disabilities and long-term health conditions into work.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced last week that changes to the personal independence payment (Pip) will only apply to new claimants from November 2026, and ministers also rowed back on plans to cut the health-related element of Universal Credit after 126 Labour MPs signed an amendment that would have effectively killed the Government’s Bill.

Keir Starmer is still facing a damaging rebellion after ministers admitted that 150,000 people will still be pushed into poverty by benefits reforms.

With the prime minister’s authority on the line, his work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall unveiled amended benefits reforms yesterday in a bid to persuade Labour backbenchers not to vote down the bill.

More than 130 Labour backbenchers had signed an amendment that would have effectively killed the legislation – but ministers were hoping a last-minute pledge to protect current personal independence payments (Pip) and other changes would end the rebellion.

The crunch vote will take place later today.

Follow The Independent’s live blog for the latest updates.

The work and pensions secretary is hoping the changes will quell a Labour rebellion. Here are the concessions she has announced:

• Confirming no existing claimants of personal independence payments (Pip) or the health-related element of universal credit will lost them
• Publishing terms of the review into Pip.
• Investing £300m of employment support for disabled people.
• Ensuring benefits rise in line with inflation.

Charlotte Gill, of the MS Society, has criticised the government’s welfare reform bill ahead of tomorrow’s Commons vote.

She said: “We’re appalled that the government are choosing to rush through this reckless and harmful bill. It’s outrageous that MPs are being asked to vote for dramatic welfare changes, without having time to properly scrutinise their impact. By the government’s own admission these catastrophic cuts will still push at least 150,000 more people into poverty.”

Ms Gill added that personal independence payment (Pip) is essential for many people living with multiple sclerosis.

“MS is a debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable condition which gets worse over time. Pip is a lifeline not a luxury for many people with MS,” she said.

“We all need reassurance that this vital support will be there for us whether we need it today, tomorrow or in a couple of years. We urge MPs to use their power to prevent a disaster. The only way to protect disability benefits is to halt this bill immediately.”

A key architect of the welfare rebellion has said the government’s concessions do not go far enough ahead of the vote, suggesting that there could still be a significant rebellion on Tuesday.

It comes after the government announced that existing PIP claimants would not be impacted by the cuts.

Debbie Abrahams, who was part of the team negotiating with Downing Street last week, said she “absolutely recognises the significance of these concessions” but warned that some disabled people with long term conditions will still “be affected by the changes that are currently in the bill”.

Asked whether she will vote against the bill on Tuesday, Ms Abrahams told ITV: “We’ll have to wait and see.

“The actual offer that was put to one of the negotiating team was not actually what we thought we had negotiated on Wednesday and Thursday and there are some issues around that

“We absolutely recognise these are good concessions but we’re not quite there yet.”