Labour benefits cuts latest: Rebels urge Starmer to ‘think again’ as PM tries to quell party mutiny

Keir Starmer is still facing a damaging rebellion after ministers admitted that 150,000 people will still be pushed into poverty by benefits reforms.

With the prime minister’s authority on the line, his work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall unveiled amended benefits reforms yesterday in a bid to persuade Labour backbenchers not to vote down the bill.

More than 130 Labour backbenchers had signed an amendment that would have effectively killed the legislation – but ministers were hoping a last-minute pledge to protect current personal independence payments (Pip) and other changes would end the rebellion.

The crunch vote will take place later today.

Follow The Independent’s live blog for the latest updates.

The work and pensions secretary is hoping the changes will quell a Labour rebellion. Here are the concessions she has announced:

• Confirming no existing claimants of personal independence payments (Pip) or the health-related element of universal credit will lost them
• Publishing terms of the review into Pip.
• Investing £300m of employment support for disabled people.
• Ensuring benefits rise in line with inflation.

Charlotte Gill, of the MS Society, has criticised the government’s welfare reform bill ahead of tomorrow’s Commons vote.

She said: “We’re appalled that the government are choosing to rush through this reckless and harmful bill. It’s outrageous that MPs are being asked to vote for dramatic welfare changes, without having time to properly scrutinise their impact. By the government’s own admission these catastrophic cuts will still push at least 150,000 more people into poverty.”

Ms Gill added that personal independence payment (Pip) is essential for many people living with multiple sclerosis.

“MS is a debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable condition which gets worse over time. Pip is a lifeline not a luxury for many people with MS,” she said.

“We all need reassurance that this vital support will be there for us whether we need it today, tomorrow or in a couple of years. We urge MPs to use their power to prevent a disaster. The only way to protect disability benefits is to halt this bill immediately.”

A key architect of the welfare rebellion has said the government’s concessions do not go far enough ahead of the vote, suggesting that there could still be a significant rebellion on Tuesday.

It comes after the government announced that existing PIP claimants would not be impacted by the cuts.

Debbie Abrahams, who was part of the team negotiating with Downing Street last week, said she “absolutely recognises the significance of these concessions” but warned that some disabled people with long term conditions will still “be affected by the changes that are currently in the bill”.

Asked whether she will vote against the bill on Tuesday, Ms Abrahams told ITV: “We’ll have to wait and see.

“The actual offer that was put to one of the negotiating team was not actually what we thought we had negotiated on Wednesday and Thursday and there are some issues around that

“We absolutely recognise these are good concessions but we’re not quite there yet.”

An economic think tank has warned that the government’s assessment of how many people will be plunged into poverty by Sir Keir Starmer’s benefit cuts by 100,000.

The government said on Monday that its welfare reforms will push an additional 150,000 people into poverty.

But the New Economics Foundation (NEF) said the cuts being made by the prime minister are being understated, with the impact assessment offsetting the impact of not proceeding with the previous Conservative government’s plans.

The impact of the actual changes being pursued by Labour are likely to actually see around 250,000 people pushed into poverty, NEF’s head of social policy Tom Pollard said.

James Cleverly has said the prime minister is allowing backbenchers to “boss him around”.

The former home secretary also accused Starmer of “running away”.

in a post on X, Mr Cleverly said: “Having bravely run away, Starmer is now being told to bravely run away some more.

“He really is the master of 3d chess, he’s got his backbenchers exactly where he wants them; bossing him around.”

He also shared tomorrow’s front page from The Independent:

The Mayor of London has said he still opposes the Government’s watered-down welfare Bill as it drives people into poverty and removes safety nets.

Sir Sadiq Khan said: “I think it drives too many people into poverty. It leads to a situation where those who need a safety net don’t have one.

“But also, I’ve met too many Londoners who have dignity, who do work, who through no fault of their own, need support from the state, and they’re really worried they’ll lose that.”

He said that the Government’s concessions had not yet gone “far enough” to address concerns among MPs opposing the Bill.

Sir Sadiq added: “I welcome the movement from the Government. They’ve not yet gone far enough to address the concerns we have.

“I’m hoping today and tomorrow they take further steps to address the concerns that many of us have.

“It is really important to involve disabled people, to involve disabled groups when you’re dealing with legislation that will have a huge impact on them.”