Labour rebels offered eleventh hour concession on welfare cuts

The government has offered an eleventh hour concession to limit the scale of a Labour revolt over welfare reforms.

Under the terms set out by a work and pensions minister in the House of Commons, changes to restrict eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment (Pip) will be delayed until after a review of the disability benefit instead of coming into force in November 2026 as set out in the bill.

Sir Stephen Timms, the disability minister, told MPs: “Others across the House during this debate have raised concerns that the changes to Pip are coming ahead of the conclusions of the review of the assessment that I will be leading.

“We’ve heard those concerns and that is why I can announce that we are going to remove the Clause V from the Bill at committee, that we will move straight to the wider review, sometimes referred to as the Timms Review and only make changes to Pip eligibility activity and descriptors following that review.”

After Sir Stephen’s intervention, Labour MP Andy McDonald used a point of order to ask what MPs are now voting on.

He said: “We’ve just heard that a pivotal part of this bill is not going to be effective, so I ask the question: what are we supposed to be voting on tonight?

“Is it the bill as drawn or another bill? I’m confused.”

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