UK Starmer Faces Revolt as Disability Benefit Cuts Spark Outrage Across Political Spectrum

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Starmer Faces Revolt as Disability Benefit Cuts Spark Outrage Across Political Spectrum

 

Sir Keir Starmer is facing the most significant internal revolt of his leadership following the release of sweeping welfare reform proposals that critics have called “horrendous,” “harmful,” and “a disaster.” The controversial legislation aims to slash disability benefits, a move that has triggered widespread condemnation from MPs, charities, and campaigners who warn it will drive disabled people into deeper poverty.

 

The reforms, presented under the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, propose tightening eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP)—the primary disability benefit—as well as reducing the sickness-related element of Universal Credit and delaying access for claimants until the age of 22. An estimated 800,000 people could lose access to PIP, and according to the Department for Work and Pensions’ own figures, an additional 250,000 individuals—including 50,000 children—could be pushed into relative poverty.

 

In a bid to soften the impact, the government plans to include a 13-week transition period for existing claimants. This temporary support is meant to apply to those affected by changes to the daily living component of PIP, including those who would lose access to Carer’s Allowance or the carer’s element of Universal Credit.

 

But that gesture has done little to quell outrage. Labour MP Brian Leishman said he would vote against what he called “horrendous reforms,” adding, “I think a 13-week transition period is an insult to disabled people. The government should speak to disability organisations to actually hear about the lived experiences of what it is like for sick and disabled people.”

 

His stance was echoed by fellow Labour MP Nadia Whittome, who warned, “It is clear that this Bill is not making positive reforms to welfare but cutting the income disabled people need to survive. Many people will lose thousands of pounds a year and be plunged into poverty.”

 

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also condemned the bill, calling it a “double whammy” against vulnerable families. “It will hit disabled people who can’t work with these cuts, and the loved ones who care for them will also lose out,” he said. “The Conservatives left an enormous welfare bill and we need to get it down, but the government’s plans risk backfiring by making it harder for disabled people and their carers to work.”

 

At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Angela Rayner, speaking on behalf of Starmer, declined to confirm whether Labour MPs who vote against the bill will face disciplinary action. When asked by SNP MP Pete Wishart if the whip would be removed from rebels, she shifted the focus, stating, “We’re absolutely committed to ending child poverty. We’ve already introduced free school meals. We’re already supporting families. We’ve given a living wage rise to over millions of workers that need it. We’re getting on the job.”

 

Charities have also voiced alarm. James Watson-O’Neill, CEO of disability charity Sense, warned, “Many disabled people already find themselves in debt because current benefits don’t stretch far enough. Cutting support further at a time when the cost of living remains high is not only unjust — it is cruel.”

Mental health charity Mind called the proposals “harmful in the extreme.” Minesh Patel, policy director, said, “Struggling with your mental health is not a choice, but it is a political choice to attempt to fix the public finances by cutting the incomes of disabled people. We urge MPs to oppose these measures and call on the UK government to recognise the devastating impact these cuts will have on disabled people and to rethink their plans.”

 

Yet Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall defended the reforms as necessary to safeguard the future of the welfare system. “Unless we reform it, more people will be denied opportunities, and it may not be there for those who need it,” she said. “This legislation represents a new social contract and marks the moment we take the road of compassion, opportunity and dignity.”

 

But the Trussell Trust warned the legislation “does almost nothing to ease the concerns of hundreds of the thousands of disabled people who fear that their social security support will be ripped from them.” Helen Barnard, the charity’s policy director, added, “It is easy to see why so many MPs have voiced concerns about the damage this bill will do. What has been published today offers little for MPs deeply concerned about the impact of these cuts on their constituents.”

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Independent  2025-06-20

 

 

[Anthony mellows]

Far too many using the mental health excuse to get benefits.

How they sort out genuine claimants from the others, who are just having a bad time, as we all do sometimes, is not easy.I had depression once, and it's not nice.