MPs voted in Parliament yesterday on the federal government’s controversial proposals for welfare reforms.
Keir Starmer’s authorities received the vote after two main u-turns, however some MPs stay sad with the end result.
FactCheck takes a glance.
What was the advantages vote about?
The vote was on the federal government’s welfare invoice, which proposes to make modifications to Private Independence Fee (PIP) – for individuals who have a long-term bodily or psychological well being situation – and Common Credit score (UC), which is a month-to-month profit for these on a low revenue.
The federal government proposed tightening the evaluation for the every day residing ingredient of PIP and decreasing the top-up funds for these on UC who even have a restricted capability to work due to a incapacity or long run situation.
You possibly can learn extra concerning the particulars of the proposal right here.
What concessions had already been made earlier than the vote?
The federal government initially wished modifications to use to each present and new claimants, however it u-turned on this on 27 June, saying they might now solely apply to individuals who make a declare after November 2026.
This was an try to steer potential rebels to alter their minds after a minimum of 127 Labour MPs signed an modification to offer them the chance to vote on a proposal to reject the federal government’s plans.
However even after the primary u-turn, which some rebels, resembling Dame Meg Hillier, thought was“optimistic”, different Labour MPs remained unconvinced. Nadia Whittome informed Channel 4 Information she was “nervous” as “any of us might turn into disabled at any level in our lives”.
With simply 90 minutes to go earlier than yesterday’s vote, the federal government made a second u-turn in a bid to steer dozens of backbenchers who had been nonetheless holding out, after 39 Labour MPs signed a recent modification calling for welfare cuts to be stopped.
Disabilities minister Stephen Timms informed the Commons that modifications to eligibility for PIP would solely be made after the evaluation he’s finishing up on the profit is accomplished.
Some Labour MPs had raised issues that the evaluation could be revealed in autumn 2026, which is similar time that modifications to PIP eligibility had been to come back into place, so the findings wouldn’t have been taken into consideration.
What number of Labour MPs rebelled on the vote?
Greater than 100 Labour MPs had been initially anticipated to insurgent in opposition to the federal government’s welfare reform plans as a consequence of issues the plans would push individuals into poverty, amongst different causes.
And, despite the fact that the welfare invoice received the vote, Keir Starmer nonetheless ended up with 49 rebels voting in opposition to him.
Philip Cowley, professor of politics at Queen Mary College London, defined that 16 votes is the biggest backbench rebel Sir Keir had beforehand as far as prime minister, which occurred through the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure invoice.
And it was larger than the one Tony Blair’s authorities skilled in its first 12 months, when 47 voted in opposition to him over the lone guardian profit.
Will the reforms get monetary savings?
The federal government initially hoped to avoid wasting £5.5 billion by the top of this parliament, however after the primary u-turn the Institute for Monetary Research (IFS) mentioned the revised bundle would save solely £2.5 billion.
And now, after the second u-turn, deputy director of the IFS, Helen Miller, mentioned: “With out reform to Private Independence Fee, the watered down invoice just isn’t anticipated to ship any financial savings over the subsequent 4 years. It is because over this era the forecast financial savings from decreasing the UC well being ingredient for brand new claimants (£1.7 billion in 2029–30) will likely be roughly offset by the price of rising the UC commonplace allowance.”
She added that the federal government “is successfully returning to the drafting board”.
After the results of the vote, work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall mentioned it was “actually vital we handed this invoice” and that the federal government wanted to “make modifications” as a result of “too many individuals have been written off, are left to a life on advantages, when being in good work is so vital”.
Throughout right now’s (2 July) Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir defended the welfare reforms and informed the Commons will probably be “higher for people, higher for the taxpayer and higher for the financial system”.
(Picture credit score: Andy Rain/EPA/Shutterstock)
