'A lot of people' to get DWP benefit cuts with 13-week rule coming
Dr Simon Opher, a GP and Labour MP for Stroud, said the protections were 'not very much really'
A Labour MP has bluntly downplayed the Government's tactics to calm a revolt over welfare reductions, branding them as "not very much really". Dr Simon Opher, a GP and the MP for Stroud, told the BBC he's set to defy the party line in an impending vote, revealing that "a number of colleagues are in the same situation".
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is expected to enforce "non-negotiable" safeguards into the Welfare Reform Bill, such as assuring those removed from personal independence payments (Pip) will continue receiving support for an extended period of 13 weeks.
On BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday, Dr Opher highlighted the reality behind the changes: "It's a slight delay in the disability cuts – it's 13 weeks rather than four weeks – so it's something, but not very much really.
"And it doesn't change the basic fact that they're... planning to cut disability payment to quite a lot of people really. So not terribly impressed, but it's something at least."
The Government has encountered criticism from members of its own party regarding the proposed reforms intended to diminish the figure of working age people receiving sickness benefits.
Only last month, a group of Labour MPs beseeched the Prime Minister to halt and re-evaluate the impending reductions, labelling the plans as "impossible to support".
Asked about his stance on the upcoming vote in the Commons, Dr Opher told the programme: "I am going to rebel. And this comes hard to me, I've never actually voted against the Government and I know a number of colleagues in the same situation. So I just urge the Government really to just consider parts of this again."
A Green Paper had initially introduced suggestions for a "transitional protection for those who are no longer eligible for Pip", yet the recent disclosures from the Government have now confirmed the duration as 13 weeks.
Ms Kendall had previously told The Guardian: "When we set out our reforms we promised to protect those most in need, particularly those who can never work.
"I know from my 15 years as a constituency MP how important this is. It is something I take seriously and will never compromise on.
"That is why we are putting additional protections on the face of the Bill to support the most vulnerable and help people affected by the changes.
"These protections will be written into law, a clear sign they are non-negotiable."
The Government's own impact assessment released with the reform cautions that due to the alterations, approximately 250,000 individuals, which includes around 50,000 children throughout England, Scotland, and Wales might end up experiencing relative poverty post housing costs.
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