Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he did not address the Labour rebellion over welfare reforms sooner, citing his focus on international affairs as the reason. The prime minister said he had been preoccupied with the G7 and Nato summits, as well as rising tensions in the Middle East, which diverted his attention until late last week. His government has since offered key concessions to avert what would have been his first major defeat in the House of Commons.
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The proposed Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (Pip) Bill, due for its first vote on Tuesday (1 July), faced an internal revolt, with 126 Labour backbenchers backing an amendment to block its progress. Among the measures introduced to calm dissent are assurances that current Pip recipients will retain their benefits and that future changes will involve disabled people in shaping new reforms. Starmer told The Sunday Times: “Getting it right is more important than ploughing on with a package which doesn’t necessarily achieve the desired outcome.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the revised package had strengthened the government’s position ahead of the vote. He expressed optimism about securing enough support, though acknowledged the need to remain responsive. Despite this, critics like Nadia Whittome argued the changes fall short, warning that £3 billion in welfare cuts could still push many into poverty. Meanwhile, Dame Meg Hillier described the revised proposals as “a good deal” that delivers “massive changes” to protect vulnerable individuals.
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The bill originally aimed to tighten Pip eligibility rules, potentially removing benefits from up to 800,000 new claimants from November 2025. For Universal Credit, 2.25 million current recipients of the health element were expected to be affected. However, the government now pledges full income protection for current and qualifying future claimants. The legislation is also linked to a £1 billion support package intended to help people with health conditions re-enter the workforce through personalised employment and health programmes.
