Politics LIVE: Keir Starmer faces major Labour rebellion in crunch vote today
Sir Keir Starmer is braced for a major Labour rebellion as he faces a crunch vote on welfare cuts today. The Prime Minister made a series of concessions to measures aimed at slashing the benefits bill in a bid to avert his first Commons defeat.
But he could still face a significant revolt as Labour backbenchers have said the U-turn on the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill does not go far enough. 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 that existing universal credit recipients will have their incomes protected in real terms.
The embarrassing climbdown came after 126 Labour MPs signed an amendment that would have effectively killed the Government's Bill.
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In March, reforms to the welfare system - aimed at encouraging more people off sickness benefits and into work - were announced.
The overhaul included restricting access to the main disability benefit known as Pip (personal independence payment) and the sickness-related element of universal credit (UC).
But the changes to Pip will now only apply to new claims from November 2026, while all existing universal credit recipients will have their incomes protected in real terms.
Around 150,000 people will be pushed into poverty by 2030 as a result of the Government's welfare cuts despite Sir Keir Starmer being forced into a partial U-turn.
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.
The Government's U-turn on welfare cuts will cost taxpayers around £2.5 billion by 2030, the Work and Pensions Secretary told MPs yesterday.
Liz Kendall said the costs and savings of the Government's revised package would be confirmed by the Office for Budget Responsibility at the budget in the autumn.
But her statement to MPs on Monday suggested the measures would save less than half the £4.8 billion the Government had expected from its initial proposals.
Sir Keir Starmer continues to face the prospect of a major rebellion over his welfare cuts despite making concessions to Labour MPs.
The Prime Minister is hoping that his partial U-turn will be enough to win over backbenchers when MPs vote on welfare changes later.
The concessions included protecting people claiming personal independence payment (Pip) from changes due to come into effect in November 2026, and rowing back plans to cut the health-related element of universal credit.
But backbench anger has continued to simmer, with a statement from Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall laying out the concessions on Monday receiving a negative response.
Some 126 Labour MPs had previously signed a "reasoned amendment" proposed by Treasury Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier that would have stopped the legislation if approved.
express.co.uk
