Committee of MPs urge Starmer to pause disability cuts amid poverty fears in letter seen by ITV News
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is being advised to urgently pause the Government's plans to cut disability and health benefits by Parliament's work and pensions committee, ITV News can reveal.
The cross-party group, chaired by Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, has expedited the conclusions of a report into the reforms - and has said they should not go ahead without a comprehensive impact assessment.
The politicians say that disabled people must also be consulted before MPs are asked to vote on the reforms.
After hearing from a series of experts, the group warns of possible unintended consequences.
The letter warns: "The legislative changes might not incentivise work as the Government hopes, but rather push people deeper into poverty, worsen health, especially in more deprived areas, and move people further away from the labour market."
Abrahams told ITV News that she understood the financial strain facing the Government, and the need to reform welfare to support disabled people into work.
But she also cited expert evidence that cutting benefits could increase the risk of suicides.
On Personal Independence Payment (PIP) cuts the letter reads: "We urge the Government to delay its plans to amend the eligibility criteria for the daily living component of PIP and engage disabled people and their organisations in order to co-produce proposals for a new PIP, as part of the PIP review.
"Most importantly, we need to guarantee that those who need PIP will not lose out. At that point, it should publish and properly consult on its proposals more widely."
It comes as Starmer hinted a government U-turn on pensioner's winter fuel payments on Wednesday, after saying in the Commons he wants to "ensure more pensioners are eligible".
In the Government's Spring Statement on March 27, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced cuts to welfare, including changes to PIP and universal credit, along with £500 million of cuts to incapacity benefit.
Backlash has been building amongst Labour MPs over these reforms, specifically over PIP - a benefit designed to help with the cost of disability.
Last week, ITV News revealed senior figures in Government have accepted concessions may need to be made to halt a large-scale rebellion of Labour MPs in a parliamentary vote on the controversial welfare reforms.
Dozens of MPs have made it clear they are prepared to vote against the changes.
The Government's own figures that suggest the cuts will push 250,000 people into relative poverty, including about 50,000 children.
MPs are also pressing ministers to set out details about a promise to provide a disability "premium" to the most severely disabled.
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