Sir Keir Starmer’s watered down welfare invoice has handed its ultimate stage within the Commons, after one other concession was made to MPs.
The Common Credit score and Private Independence Funds Invoice handed by 336 votes to 242 on Wednesday evening – a majority of 94.
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In a bid to thwart additional opposition to the invoice following final week’s climbdown, the federal government stated it might not attempt to introduce any extra reforms to non-public independence funds (PIP) till a overview by work and pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms on the evaluation course of has concluded.
Sir Stephen stated he wished to complete his overview by subsequent autumn, however that the federal government wouldn’t agree to finish the overview in 12 months as some MPs wished.
Marie Tidball, the Labour MP who had known as for the 12-month restrict, later signalled she was proud of the federal government’s compromise.
Ministers additionally agreed to her calls to have a majority of the taskforce PIP to be disabled or from incapacity organisations, and for the end result of the overview to come back earlier than any PIP modifications. It would even be voted on by MPs.
A complete of 47 Labour MPs have rebelled towards the federal government to vote towards its welfare reforms.
Mom of the Home Diane Abbott, former minister Daybreak Butler, Andy McDonald, Stella Creasy and Jonathan Brash had been amongst these within the “no” foyer.
In the meantime, MPs rejected a separate modification by Inexperienced MP Sian Berry, which known as for the essential fee of common credit score to extend by 4.8% above inflation annually till 2030.
A complete of 39 Labour MPs voted for scrapping the clauses that halved Common Credit score for brand new claimants – the one main reduce left within the invoice after the federal government made its concessions.
The passing of the invoice will come as a reduction to Sir Keir Starmer, who final week was pressured right into a humiliating climbdown over his flagship welfare package deal within the face of serious opposition from his personal MPs.
Previous to the vote final Tuesday, the federal government provided vital concessions together with exempting present private independence cost claimants (PIP) from stricter new standards and solely freezing and reducing the common credit score well being top-up for brand new purposes.
Because the vote final week unfolded, it provided additional confessions amid issues the invoice might be voted down – notably, that modifications in eligibility for PIP wouldn’t happen till a overview he’s finishing up into the profit is printed in autumn 2026.
They ended up voting for just one a part of the plan: a reduce to Common Credit score (UC) illness advantages for brand new claimants from £97 per week to £50 from 2026/7.
A complete of 49 Labour MPs voted towards the invoice – the most important rise up in a primary minister’s first yr in workplace since 47 MPs voted towards Tony Blair’s Lone Guardian profit in 1997, based on Professor Phil Cowley from Queen Mary College.
