Labour benefits cuts latest: 150,000 more Britons to be dragged into poverty despite Starmer’s welfare U-turn

The Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

Downing Street has defended Sir Keir Starmer’s benefit cuts despite government modelling showing they will drive 150,000 people into poverty.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “A No 10 spokesman said: “The broken welfare system we inherited is failing people every single day.

“It traps millions, it tells them the only way to get help is to declare they’ll never work again and then abandons them.

“No help, no opportunity, no dignity and we can’t accept that.

“For too long, meaningful reform to a failing system has been ducked.”

The Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

The government has said its assessment that 150,000 adults will be driven into poverty by its benefit cuts does not include any “potential positive impact” from a simultaneous drive to get people back into work.

One of the key arguments being made by ministers in support of Labour’s welfare reforms is the “moral case” for getting more people off benefits and into work.

But there has been no assessment of the impact of its back to work drive, and so MPs are left weighing up whether to take the government at its word and trust that the plans will pay off.

The Independent’s political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

The government has admitted that Sir Keir Starmer’s benefit cuts will still push 150,000 people into relative poverty, despite the prime minister watering down the measures.

An assessment of the impact of the welfare reforms says 150,000 additional working-age adults will face relative poverty because of the cuts.

A previous assessment, before Sir Keir was forced to U-turn on some of the changes, said 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, would face poverty as a result of the measures.

Details of the government’s review of the Pip assessment is due to be published in the next few minutes.

The review, led by disabilities minister Sir Stephen Timms and “co-produced” with disabled people, will outline the terms of reference for the review.

The government are also expected to share the draft amendment to the bill which will enact the change to Pip.

MPs who have indicated they will rebel against the reforms have been told to wait and assess the review before making up their mind.

The coming days are vital for Sir Keir Starmer’s government, as it desperately tries to quell a rebellion against its welfare reforms.

On Monday, the government will publish details of a review of the Pip assessment, to be led by disabilities minister Sir Stephen Timms and “co-produced” with disabled people.

On Monday afternoon, at around 3:30pm, the work and pensions secretary will deliver a statement in the Commons to explain concessions made to the bill.

On Tuesday, the second reading debate on the bill will begin at 12:30pm. The session will begin with the Speaker announcing any amendments.

At 7pm, voting will begin in the Commons.

The Tory shadow work and pensions minister has branded Labour’s welfare bill “pathetic” after government concessions.

Danny Kruger said the measures are now a “damp squib” after the prime minister U-turned amid a Labour rebellions.

“We would like to vote for benefit reform, we really need it, we have an unsustainable rise, particularly in disability benefits… the Government isn’t bringing forward reform,” he told Sky News.

“They were bringing forward some limited cuts which we thought were pretty crude but we were prepared to support them if there was genuine reform alongside.

“Now they have just abandoned most of those cuts so we will see what they come up with today, we are getting more detail, the debates tomorrow, we will make our mind up about how we vote.

“But what we really do insist on, they have had 14 years to get ready for government, they have had a year in office, and now at the end of that they have got this pathetic damp squib of a Bill that achieves absolutely nothing.”

As work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall prepares to outline the government’s concessions in parliament on Monday, Sir Keir was said to be preparing further last-minute concessions to rebels.

Labour whips have reportedly urged potential rebels to await the details of a review into personal independence payments (Pip), led by disability minister Sir Stephen Timms, before rebelling against the government.

Health secretary Wes Streeting on Sunday hinted further changes to the bill could be made. “There is a review on Pip and we’ve got to listen,” he told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

Domestic violence charity Refuge and the Women’s Budget Group (WBG) have issued a stark warning over the welfaire reforms, saying that in the long term, the cuts will make it difficult for those at risk to flee abusive relationships.

Their analysis, seen by The Independent, shows that women who are future claimants will be disproportionately affected by stricter eligibility rules for PIP.

Currently, 52 per cent of female PIP claimants don’t score four points in any one activity compared to 39 per cent of male claimants. This is likely due to the higher prevalence of musculoskeletal conditions and arthritis among women, conditions which are less likely to score four points in one indicator.

Andy Burnham has piled more pressure on Sir Keir Starmer as he urged MPs to vote down his welfare bill.

The Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester called the planned cuts “unfair” at a panel event at Glastonbury on Sunday.

He said: “What’s been announced is half a U-turn, a 50 per cent U-turn. In my view I’d hope that MPs vote against the whole Bill when it comes before Parliament.”