Disability Benefit Cuts - Take action before July 9th.
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Crunch time
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For anyone who can't access the article:
Ministers have made another concession to their flagship welfare bill, over an amendment tabled by the Labour MP Marie Tidball in an attempt to enshrine safeguards for disabled people.
Tidball’s amendment called for a series of protections, including that future changes to the personal independence payment (Pip) be co-produced with disabled people and experts; that the government commit to a clear summer consultation before new eligibility rules for Pip are applied to new claimants; and that measurable targets be set to close the disability employment gap.
Ministers had already scrapped a proposal to tighten Pip rules for existing claimants, removing the clause entirely from the bill last week to avoid a major rebellion. It also delayed changes for new claimants until after a review led by Stephen Timms, the minister for social security and disability, concludes later this year.
Speaking at the end of a debate on the report stage of the bill, which was called the universal credit and personal independence payment bill, but has now been renamed the universal credit bill, Timms said the government would accept much of Tidball’s amendment, calling it a “helpful checklist” for changes.
This included, he said, Tidball’s suggestion in her amendment that his review work with a “disability co-production taskforce”, which would have a majority of representatives who either had a disability or were representatives from disabled people’s groups.
Any conclusions on the review would be based on “consensus”, he said, adding: “The outcome of the review will be central to the legislation that follows.”
However, Timms said he would not accept Tidball’s proposal for a 12-month timetable for the review, saying he did not want to “rush” a process scheduled to end in autumn 2026.
It marks the second time in just over a week that the government has been forced to make big revisions to its controversial legislation, after a week of chaos in the Commons that left Keir Starmer’s authority bruised, forcing him to abandon a central plank of the bill.
Alongside Tidball’s proposals, several backbench Labour MPs – including Rachael Maskell – have tabled their own amendments, with Maskell’s arguing that someone who has slipped out of and then back into the LCWRA eligibility criteria either side of April 2026 should still be able to claim the higher rate.
The UN organisation for disabled people’s rights on Tuesday asked the UK government for details about the impact of its welfare bill, expressing its concerns about potential adverse effects in a rare intervention.
The UN committee said it had received “credible information” that the welfare changes would “deepen the signs of regression”, and sought information on “any measures to address the foreseeable risk of increasing poverty rates amongst persons with disabilities if cuts are approved”.
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Its def mixed by sounds of it
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jasminehoop thank you for the link, will def read when I have watched this😊
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Back in the Commons, and we've had a series of votes on the reforms the government wanted to implement in the welfare system.
They've managed to get the legislation through this step - next heading to the Lords - but they have still had some opposition from their own party.
Some 37 Labour MPs voted against the government on one set of changes, alongside a handful of former Labour MPs who have been kicked out or left the parliamentary party.
They, alongside the SNP, Lib Dems and other parties - but not the Tories - voted against the government.
But Starmer's team still got their plans through by 332 votes to 135 on the big vote.
Other amendments - from the likes of the Greens and Tories - were defeated by a greater margin.
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Rachel maskell bill did it go through? My brain frazzled with all this
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The reason loads of them haven't come back in is because they saw how many voted aye and know it has passed.
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17.59 parliament tv Stephen Timms, DWP disability minister on the severe conditions criteria
"The severe conditions criteria in the bill exactly reflects how the functional tests are applied at present. That is in guidance. It’s being moved in this bill into legislation. It does take account of Parkinson’s. It does take account of MS. Because people need to meet the descriptors reliably, safely, repeatedly and in a reasonable time frame. And so I can give a very firm assurance to those who are concerned about how the severe conditions criteria will work for those on fluctuating conditions.
"The word constantly here refers, as I said in my intervention earlier, to the functional criteria needing to apply at all times, not to somebody’s symptoms."
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Anybody know if it definitely went through as a money bill?
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Is it good or bad that it’s been voted to get a 3rd hearing
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David, thank you for the statement. It might just be me and it probably is, but sometimes I believe these things are just a play on words. I really don't want to sound negative but I have deep reservations about the descriptors as it is and especially where those descriptors are given a value by assessors who are often times not even qualified to do assessments, let alone consider safely, reliably, in a timely manner etc.
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That was the third reading. Money bill or not, it now passes to the Lords. Although if it actually is a money bill, there's no guarantee that any objections from the Lords will be listened to.
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apples its just progressing as they normally do, I think to the House of Lords next but could be wrong. Oh and I know nothing about money bills sorry.
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How do we find out if it is a money bill ? Is there an announcement ?
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So are the pip changes going to affect existing claims or is everyone new and existing going to be affected.
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I have just read that the resulting bill has been treated as a money bill where it relates to the universal credit bill. I believe Zipz put a document up earlier that explains in detail.
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The Bill has cleared all stages through the Commons. The third reading is over. The government won, despite concessions.
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Just talking about you and here you appear 😊
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So as a money bill does that mean the Lords will have no say?
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They do but the Government don't have to listen to objections which is a shame and we think we live in a democracy.
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