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I think enough Tories will back the reforms to get them over the line, even if Labour MP's did rebel in large numbers. This will be even worse for Labour as they will have had to rely on Conservative votes to impose destitution on disabled people.
This is going to be a horrific social experiment that destroys Labour when the consequences start making the news.
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Reeves rules out disability benefit cuts U-turn but says rules may be tweaked
Chancellor says criteria for getting personal independence payment are being reviewed
Rachel Reeves has ruled out a U-turn on disability benefit cuts but said she was “taking into account” representations from Labour MPs, and could tweak the qualification rules for the benefits.
The chancellor said “the welfare system is not working today” and the changes the government was making were needed because 1,000 people a day were newly claiming disability benefits.
Reeves said the spending plans she set out on Wednesday were all fully costed, but refused to rule out further tax rises in the budget this autumn in an “uncertain world”.
Pressed on whether she would change her mind on disability benefit cuts, she said: “No, we’re not going to be changing that. It is important that we reform the way the welfare state works, so that there is a welfare state there for people.”
“We are the only developed country where the number of people in the labour market is lower than it was before Covid, the number of economically inactive people of working age is rising.”
But the chancellor indicated that ministers could review the changes they were planning to make to the rules for qualifying for personal independence payments (Pips).
Reeves told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “We are reviewing the criteria to get Pips and of course we’ll take into account those representations. We’ve already announced that we are reviewing the criteria for accessing personal independence payments.
“Even with these changes we will substantially be increasing the amount of money we are paying in sickness and disability benefits during the course of this parliament.”
In March, Labour announced plans to save £5bn a year by overhauling the welfare system, including by cutting personal independence payments for disabled people. The proposals triggered alarm among Labour MPs, and ministers have been considering tweaks before a vote expected later this month.
Under the government’s planned changes, claimants would not qualify for Pips unless they scored a minimum of four points on a single daily living activity. Assessments score the difficulty from 0 to 12 that claimants face in a range of living activities such as preparing and eating food, communicating, washing and getting dressed.
Reeves also indicated that the government was open to lifting the two-child benefit cap, saying that it was among “a range of ways in which we can lift children out of poverty”.
Speaking the morning after the spending review, Reeves denied the characterisation that she was a “Klarna chancellor” who was setting out plans to “buy now, pay later”.
“I don’t accept that at all. The idea that yesterday I racked up a bill that I’m going to need to pay for in the future, that’s just not right. Last year, I had to increase taxes. I have now allocated that money in the spending review on health, security and economic growth, but everything yesterday was fully costed and fully funded from the budget last year.”
Reeves said none of the plans she outlined on Wednesday would require tax rises. However, she repeatedly refused to rule out tax rises in the autumn budget and insisted that “the world is very uncertain at the moment”.
“I think it would be very risky for a chancellor to try and write future budgets in a world as uncertain as ours,” she told LBC radio. But she added: “I won’t have to repeat a budget like the one that I did last year.”
Pressed on whether the government’s spending plans assumed that councils would raise council tax by 5%, Reeves said this was a cap set by the Conservatives and councils could choose to raise tax by less.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/12/reeves-rules-out-disability-benefit-cuts-u-turn-but-says-rules-may-be-tweaked
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I hope it destroys labour they should not be in power, MPs meant to look after the people not put cruel cuts and months of torment on people with disabilities
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Thankyou for explaining after they been pushed through can they be legally challenged if it's not watered down
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i thought i remember you saying you did not vote at the general election i cant see a few thousand people saying we will not vote for you at the next election if we dont get our way will sway many politicians to be honest
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I agree that's the right word torment how many poor people acted on this been such a rough time and still not over keep emailing hope your OK
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Thank you, I'm ok hope you are to, will keep up the fight
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I didn't because of starmer but still had hope they would do the right thing yes I hope so emailed loads on name and shame saying that we will vote them out telling green lib dems tories if they vote against cuts we will vote them in cat and mouse game my passion for labour was Corbyn time
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We will have you seen the email addresses on DPAC page for echr they give two email addresses to write and tell them how we are being treated also I emailed Mel stride think be a good idea if we all did after he said cuts cruel I thanked him and said if goes against cuts I vote tories ....if you know what I mean 😏
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So if they scrap the two child limit it will be paid for with cuts to the disabled. Though their argument is they need to stop sick and disabled people claiming pip etc yet by scrapping the two child limit they’ll have no control over how many children people will have and that bill will increase. Just discrimination against us . They’re spending money all over the place to bribe the public and MPs to accept leaving us destitute.
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Posting this from Benefits & Work Site (News) - 12 June 2025.
News
Prepare for Labour to try to force cuts through parliament
Published: 12 June 2025
The Politico website has claimed that a bill to cut disability benefits will be introduced to parliament next week, allowing the first vote to take place as early as 30 June.
Whilst we have no way of knowing if this is correct, Labour are definitely running out of time if they want the bill to have completed all its commons stages by the start of the Summer recess on 22 July.
So this seems a good point at which to look at how Labour may try to rush the bill through parliament with minimum scrutiny and how campaigners can be prepared for this.
First readingThe forthcoming bill has to go through several stages before it becomes law.
The initial step is the first reading, which simply involves the bill’s title being read out in the commons. It is usually published immediately afterwards, so we will get our first look at the details.
The bill will very probably only introduce the changes to universal credit (UC) payment rates for new claims, due to take effect from 6 April 2026, and the 4-point rule for personal independence payment (PIP) due to start in November 2026.
Second readingThe second reading is where the bill is debated by the whole House of Commons and a vote takes place. The second reading doesn’t usually happen until at least two weekends have elapsed after the first reading.
So, if Labour publish the bill anywhere between Monday 16 and Friday 20 June, the second reading could take place as early as Monday 30 June.
The bill could be voted down at this stage if enough Labour MPs rebel and opposition parties unite against it.
If not, it will carry on to the committee stage.
Meanwhile, Labour whips will be targeting any rebels they think they can bully or bribe into supporting the government and also leaning on anyone they think might be at risk of going over to the rebels.
Bear in mind that some Labour MPs may be thinking of rebelling but are waiting until the third reading, in order to give the government a chance to make its case before finally deciding. So even if this first vote is won by the government, all is not lost.
Committee stageThe committee stage can be a lengthy affair.
A “public bill committee” of 17 MPs take evidence from the public and from experts, before debating and selecting amendments to be put before the whole House. The make up of the committee reflects that of the House, so there would be a Labour majority.
After a public bill committee there is a report stage for the whole house to look at what has been done in committee and vote on amendments.
Straight after the report stage, the bill goes to its third reading and a vote.
However, in this case, the suspicion is that Labour will opt for a “committee of the whole house”. This means that all MPs get to take part in the discussion of amendments and vote on them. But, no evidence from the public or experts is allowed and the whole process will be completed in a single day.
There is also no report stage, so the bill goes straight to its third reading after committee.
So a committee of the whole house is an effective way to rush a bill through and prevent MPs hearing from disability charities, think tanks, disabled people’s organisations and claimants themselves.
Third readingOnce the bill has completed its report stage, if there is one, a third reading takes place.
This is the final opportunity for MPs to either pass or reject the bill. No further amendments are allowed, so MPs must either accept the whole bill or reject it all.
Depending on how the proceedings have gone, some rebels may decide to back down and support the government or some loyalists may decide that they have not been convinced by the government and will now join the rebels.
House of LordsOrdinarily, after the third reading, the bill would go to the House of Lords where amendments may be made and the bill is then passed back to the Commons, who can either accept or reject them. The bill may then go back and forth between the two houses until agreement is reached. This can take many months.
The House of Lords is made up of:
- 286 Conservative
- 212 Labour
- 181 crossbench
- 77 Liberal Democrat
Plus around 90 non-affiliated peers, bishops and smaller parties.
So, Labour does not have a majority in the Lords and, if the Conservatives decide to oppose the bill, the Lords could delay its passage for a considerable period, whilst pressuring the Commons to accept amendments.
However, there is a strong possibility that Labour will try to have this bill certified as a money bill.
If Labour succeed in doing so, then the House of Lords can hold up the bill for a maximum of a month and pass amendments. But the government can simply ignore the amendments and, at the end of the one month period, the bill is sent for Royal Assent and becomes law. So, in most cases, the Lords do not suggest amendments to a money bill and it passes without opposition.
Getting certified as a money billUltimately, it isn’t up to Labour to decide if a bill can be certified as a money bill. This is a decision for the Speaker of the House, advised by officials.
And the Speaker won’t give a ruling until the bill has completed the committee and, if there is one, report stage. This is because amendments to the bill could change its nature and mean that it could no longer be certified as a money bill.
The introduction of the 4-point rule for PIP can probably be passed off as being solely about public finance, as its primary aim is to reduce the cost of disability benefits.
But there is certainly an argument that the changes to UC are primarily about social policy rather than money, because the aim is to reduce the alleged “perverse incentive” for people to claim benefits rather than work. It’s not a money-saving provision: it simply moves cash from disabled claimants to those who are capable of work, in order to effect “behavioural change”.
Whatever the Speaker decides, however, that is the end of the matter and there is no way of challenging the decision, even in court.
What Labour hopesLabour is very much hoping that the bill will pass all its Commons stages before the Summer recess starts on 22 July.
But they will also be hoping that it will be able to bypass effective scrutiny from the House of Lords, otherwise the process may drag on into the Autumn, when the Office for Budget responsibility will publish its assessment of how many disabled claimants are likely to find work.
What can campaigners do?A great deal depends on what happens over the next few weeks and campaigners should be ready to begin another round of emails, letters and protests at very short notice.
Once we know what is in the bill, people will want to contact their MP and tell them how they hope they will vote.
It will still also be worth contacting local councillors and asking them to speak urgently to their MP.
And anything that can be got into local media and social media encouraging people to contact their MPs has to be worth doing.
In addition, if you have any connection with disability charities, right now is the time to urge them to prepare a mail (or email) shot to MPs. Because there is a real chance the process will be over very quickly, without them having any opportunity to give evidence at committee stage.
Finally, it will definitely be worth sending messages of support and encouragement to MPs who vote against the bill at second reading, if it does go on to committee stage, because they will be getting a lot of flak from some quarters. And if your MP voted in favour of the bill, it will still be worth politely trying to persuade them to change their mind, as they may well be wavering.
Please note:we are very far from being experts on parliamentary procedure, so if you spot any errors in this article, please do contact us and we will correct them.0 -
Keep emailing mps saying if they vote this in we will make it our mission to vote them all out systematically say labour will never get in again let's ne to the point now
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II've Emailed my mp again saying you vote this we will vote you out everybody if you haven't do the same don't br scared have your say tell your mps remind them we keep them in thier seats not ministers
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My MP's say they are voting against the proposals. Though I have been on X saying to MP's if they vote this through they will lose their seat at the next GE.
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Will get emailing them as well the more the better 🤞
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To Danny123
You reminded me that I’ve still got an open account with The Principality B. Society. I’ve had it for about 40 years, but there’s only about £1.60 in there. Surely they won’t think I’m a big time fraudster 🤓
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I wish some people would stop reporting that the government is putting reforms through as a money bill. It was only said on one website (politico) and absoluelty no evidence of it being from a reputable source, just more conjecture and hearsay. Try to google it, tell me what you find online about it being true, is it on benefits and work, Scope, DNS or other sites…….NO. Stop scaremongering, I had enough of this nonsense yesterday, it frightens people on here, I understand people are worried but clicking on links, especially media sites, Youtube videos (not all of them) is not helpful, unless you have 100% proof it's true, don't post it or i'll report ti straight to Scope.
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Tuesday I had a complete meltdown in rage and rants over this, it's taken a real toll is the worry, anger, the tears, sleepless nights.
I've edited my comment in the wake of Charlie's reply, unless the news is verified fact, take things with a pinch of salt.
There are people on youtube who post videos to bait you so the people can make ad revenue money.
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Well said, one member in particular keeps mentioning it.
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