Future of Keir Starmer's welfare reforms to be decided by MPs

STV News

9 hours ago

The future of Keir Starmer's welfare reforms are set to be decided on Tuesday when MPs will vote on the Prime Minister's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill.
Despite a significant U-turn last week, a Labour rebellion against the measures is still a possibility.
Starmer was forced to yield to political pressure from within his own party after 126 Labour backbenchers signed their names to an amendment to halt the welfare reform legislation in its tracks last week.
Among the rebels were nine Scottish Labour MPs.
The Prime Minister's welfare reforms originally proposed to cut Universal Credit health top-ups for new claims from April 2026, and scrap the Work Capability Assessment (WCA).
The reforms also vowed to review Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments and 'focus PIP on those with higher needs', while consulting on plans to delay access to the health top-up in Universal Credit until claimants turn 22.
The cuts to Universal Credit would have directly impacted benefit claimants in Scotland, while the other changes would have impacted the amount of money coming to Social Security Scotland for devolved benefits, like Adult Disability Payments, which replaced PIP for Scots.
The Scottish Government would have been responsible for making decisions about welfare and disability benefits based on its budget.
However, Labour rebels argued the plans were rushed and would push vulnerable disabled people into poverty.
After originally doubling down on the reforms, Starmer's government was forced to back-track ahead of Tuesday's crucial vote.
Under the concessions, work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said PIP claimants will continue to receive the benefits they currently get, as will recipients of the health element of Universal Credit.
She said the planned benefit cuts will only hit future claimants.
Campaigners have accused the latest proposals of creating a two-tier benefits system, and official government analysis released on Monday showed the reforms will still push 150,000 people into relative poverty across the UK, rather than the 250,000 first suggested.
The U-turn will also leave UK chancellor Rachel Reeves scrambling to find £3bn due to the last minute U-turn.
The concessions are believed to have won over the majority of the 120-odd MPs who had signed a wrecking amendment, but dozens of Labour MPs will still refuse to back the reforms on principle.
The reforms will be put to a vote on Tuesday around noon. The House of Commons proceedings will be broadcast from the chamber.
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