PMQs live: Labour minister refuses to rule out more welfare cuts as Tories criticise ‘rushed’ reforms – UK Times

There is no replacing the income that will be lost from the welfare reforms, but it can be helpful to ensure you are claiming all the support you are entitled to.

My colleague Albert Toth explores some of the other support available for those who are concerned about the cuts:

Sir Keir Starmer’s proposed benefit cuts have sparked debate among Independent readers.

A poll found 68 per cent oppose the changes, fearing they harm disabled and chronically ill individuals.

Many argued the reforms ignore fluctuating conditions, making rigid assessments unfair.

However, a minority supported the changes, citing welfare system overuse.

Human rights charity Amnesty UK has condemned the government’s “hastily applied financial penalty”, saying the welfare reforms will “cause more harm”.

Jen Clark, Economic and Social Rights Lead, at Amnesty UK, said: “There can be no other way to view today’s decision but as a hastily applied financial penalty applied only to people in need that will cause more harm and is a violation of human rights.”

She criticised Sir Keir Starmer’s proposed reforms, adding his “safety net is full of holes”, and called for “total reform.”

Ms Clark added: “The voices dominating this issue should not be from politicians, but from the millions of people who live the daily reality of a devastating domino effect as their access to housing crumbles, secure healthcare is swept away, and the most basic essentials slip out of reach.

 “A fiscal problem is not going away by raiding the pockets of people who are struggling the most. Abandoning some of the most vulnerable in our society cannot be a solution to prop up the economy.  Surely the priorities should always be to house, feed and clothe people and make sure they have what they need to survive. The Government has the choice to end poverty, but today they have made the political choice to worsen it.”

UK government ministers have been accused of showing a “disrespect” for devolution over the announced benefits overhaul.

Scottish social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville – who controls the devolved benefits agency in Scotland – was unable to tell reporters how much the £5 billion cut to social security for disabled people in England would strip from Scotland’s budget.

The decision will not directly impact those receiving the adult disability payment – Scotland’s answer to the personal independence payment – but is likely to result in reduced funding for Social Security Scotland.

Ms Somerville, however, did say she worries the impact could be “really quite severe”.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday, SNP Scotland Office spokesman Stephen Gethins hit out at the lack of engagement with the Scottish Government.

“Firstly, it talks to the disrespect for devolution,” he said.

“They should have been engaging with Scottish ministers.”

Mr Gethins added that the Government in Scotland will now be looking for ways to mitigate the impact of the cuts.

• Leading think tank the Fraser of Allander Institute said Scotland could lose between £90 million and £115 million for every £1 billion cut from the Westminster budget.

A minister has said he is satisfied that Labour has done enough to safeguard people who are poor and vulnerable amid the welfare cuts.

Minister for social security and disability, Sir Stephen Timms, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We’ll deal with the big discouragement to work that’s been created by changes in the benefits system over the last 15 years with quite a big financial prize for being declared incapable of ever working.

“We’re going to fix that and instead support people on a pathway back into work, and we’re going to look at personal independence payments (Pip) and make sure that that’s financially sustainable for the long-term.”

Put to him that some Labour MPs were “horrified” by the changes to Pips, he said: “There are people arguing that we should have made further cuts, other people concerned about the changes that we have made.”

Asked if it is correct that some people could lose more than half of their universal credit payments as well as their disabilities benefit, he said: “It depends on the circumstances – I mean, it is true at the moment that there is a universal credit health premium, which is worth more than the standard allowance of universal credit.

“We’re dealing with that in these changes for the first time since it was created, we’re going to be increasing the standard allowance in universal credit beyond the rate of inflation – that will be a very important step in increasing the income of people on universal credit.”

Pensions minister Torsten Bell has hit back at left-wing critics of government benefit cuts, accusing them of “defending a Tory benefit system”.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Mr Bell, former chief executive of the left-leaning Resolution Foundation think tank, said the welfare cuts involved “tough choices” but were about “keeping a system that does help those with the most significant needs”.

Read the full report from our political correspondent Archie Mitchell:

Employers have “got a lot of heavy lifting to do” after the welfare cuts, a Labour MP has said.

Rachael Maskell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s got to be a partnership between the disabled person, the state and employers, so employers have got a lot of heavy lifting to do in this.

“However, it can’t be at the expense of disabled people, pushing them into work when they just simply will not be able to sustain that work, or indeed could end up in a capability procedure, or bullied out of work.

“So we’ve got to make this work for disabled people, and we’ve got no detail as to the employer’s responsibility within this, we’re just hearing about the money.”

The shadow chancellor has claimed the government “rushed” into welfare reforms after Rachel Reeves “killed the economy”.

Speaking to Sky News, Mel Stride said: “We’re going to have to look more closely at the details on that. Although let’s be clear, this has been rushed.

“There was no mention even in the Labour Party manifesto, for example, about changes to the payment benefit.

“Labour has voted shy on welfare because it’s deeply divisive within their own ranks.”

Mr Stride also claimed the reason why Labour “rushed” the reforms was because chancellor Ms Reeves “killed the economy standard with a budget last October”.

“Now [Ms Reeves] needs to find some money for our emergency budget next Wednesday,” he added.

• Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver the government’s spring statement on 26 March.

Action for Children’s CEO, Paul Carberry said: “Whilst we welcome the investment in personalised employment support and the ‘right to try’ guarantee, today’s plans to cut the welfare bill fly directly in the face of the government’s ambition to reduce child poverty.

“Instead of turning the tide on rising poverty levels, it risks plunging more families and children into crisis.

“Action for Children’s Sick and tired report revealed the stark financial, practical and emotional hardships faced by families relying on incapacity benefits to survive, whilst balancing ill-health, caring responsibilities or disabilities.

“Our new analysis shows there are around 900,000 children in families receiving incapacity benefits under Universal Credit 2, and we know that half of these parents also receive PIP.

“This is vital extra income that parents rely on to meet the cost of food, clothing and other essentials for their children.”