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108 Labour rebels sign amendment to kill PIP cuts bill

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108 Labour rebels have signed an amendment to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill which, if it secured a majority, would kill the bill.

The amendment was published on the Parliament website this morning.  It declines to give a second reading to the PIP cuts bill, giving a devastating set of reasons for this, including:

  • its provisions have not been subject to a formal consultation with disabled people, or co-produced with them, or their carers;
  • because the Office for Budget Responsibility is not due to publish its analysis of the employment impact of these reforms until the autumn of 2025;
  • because the majority of the additional employment support funding will not be in place until the end of the decade;
  • because the Government’s own impact assessment estimates that 250,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result of these provisions, including 50,000 children;
  • because the Government has not published an assessment of the impact of these reforms on health or care needs.

The amendment is signed by at least 11 Commons committee chairs, including:

  • Dame Meg Hillier. Treasury select committee
  • Debbie Abrahams. Work and Pensions select committee
  • Helen Hayes. Education select committee
  • Sarah Owen. Women and Equalities select committee
  • Florence Eshalomi. Housing, Communities and Local Government committee
  • Paulette Hamilton. Health and Social Care select committee
  • Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi. Defence select committee
  • Cat Smith Procedure committee
  • Ruth Cadbury. Transport select committee
  • Patricia Ferguson. Scottish Affairs committee
  • Ruth Jones. Welsh Affairs select committee

The amendment would need to be selected by the Speaker in order for it to be voted on.  If it was passed it would mean no vote would take place on the bill itself and it could not proceed further.

But, even if it is not selected, it gives a clear indication of the minimum number of Labour MPs considering voting against the government bill.  A minimum of 83 Labour MPs would need to vote against the bill for it to fail, but only if every opposition MP joined them.

However, according to the BBC, the Conservatives have now indicated that they are yet to decide whether to support the bill, with Kemi Badenoch saying she did not want to alert Labour to her plans before the bill was voted on.

This raises the possibility that the Labour leadership could get the bill through by relying on Conservative votes.  Whether ministers would be prepared to risk the fracturing of the party such a move would cause is another matter.  

There has not yet been any reaction to the amendment from the Labour leadership, but this is unquestionably a massive blow to their plans to cut benefits and suggests that their attempts to bully MPs to vote for the Green Paper reforms have backfired spectacularly.  With so many committee chairs signing the amendment, and the probability that non-cabinet ministers are waiting in the wings to resign if necessary, disciplining the rebels seems to be out of the question.

Full alphabetical list of Labour MPs who have signed the amendment

If your MP is on the list below, you might want to send them an email thanking them for their support.  And if they aren't on the list, perhaps drop them an email and ask them to consider signing, for all the reasons listed in the amendment.

Abbott, Ms Diane

Abrahams, Debbie

Al-Hassan, Sadik

Allin-Khan, Dr Rosena

Arthur, Dr Scott

Baker, Richard

Bance, Antonia

Barker, Paula

Barron, Lee

Beavers, Lorraine

Begum, Apsana

Betts, Mr Clive

Billington, Ms Polly

Bishop, Matt

Blake, Olivia

Brash, Mr Jonathan

Burgon, Richard

Butler, Dawn

Byrne, Ian

Cadbury, Ruth

Coleman, Ben

Collinge, Lizzi

Cooper, Andrew

Cooper, Dr Beccy

Craft, Jen

Creasy, Ms Stella

Davies, Paul

De Cordova, Marsha

Dixon, Anna

Duncan-Jordan, Neil

Eccles, Cat

Edwards, Lauren

Efford, Clive

Ellis, Maya

Entwistle, Kirith

Eshalomi, Florence 

Fenton-Glynn, Josh

Ferguson, Patricia

Foxcroft, Vicky

Francis, Daniel

Furniss, Gill

Gardner, Dr Allison

Gilbert, Tracy

Hack, Amanda

Haigh, Louise

Hall, Sarah

Hamilton,  Paulette

Hamilton, Fabian

Hayes,  Helen

Hillier, Dame Meg 

Hinchliff, Chris

Hume, Alison

Hurley, Patrick

Hussain, Imran

Jermy, Terry

Jogee, Adam

Johnson, Kim

Jones, Lillian

Jones, Ruth

Kelly Foy, Mary

Lamb, Peter

Lavery, Ian

Leishman, Brian

Lewell, Emma

Lewis, Clive

Long Bailey, Rebecca

Maskell, Rachael

McDonald, Andy

McDonnell, John

McKenna, Kevin

Midgley, Anneliese

Mishra, Navendu

Mohamed, Abtisam

Morris, Grahame

Naish, James

Naismith, Connor

Niblett, Samantha

Nichols, Charlotte

Onn, Melanie

Opher, Dr Simon

Osamor, Kate

Osborne, Kate

Owen, Sarah 

Paffey, Darren

Pitcher, Lee

Platt, Jo

Quigley, Mr Richard

Qureshi, Yasmin

Ribeiro-Addy, Bell

Riddell-Carpenter, Jenny

Rimmer, Ms Marie

Rushworth, Sam

Smith, Cat

Stainbank, Euan

Stewart, Elaine

Sullivan, Kirsteen

Tanmanjeet, Mr

Trickett, Jon

Tufnell, Henry

Turner, Laurence

Vaughan, Tony

Webb, Chris

Western, Matt

Whittome, Nadia

Williams, David

Witherden, Steve

Yang, Yuan

Yasin, Mohammad

Full text of the amendment

That this House, whilst noting the need for the reform of the social security system, and agreeing with the Government’s principles for providing support to people into work and protecting people who cannot work, declines to give a Second Reading to the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill because its provisions have not been subject to a formal consultation with disabled people, or co-produced with them, or their carers; because the Office for Budget Responsibility is not due to publish its analysis of the employment impact of these reforms until the autumn of 2025; because the majority of the additional employment support funding will not be in place until the end of the decade; because the Government’s own impact assessment estimates that 250,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result of these provisions, including 50,000 children; because the Government has not published an assessment of the impact of these reforms on health or care needs; because the Government is still awaiting the findings of the Minister for Social Security and Disability’s review into the assessment for Personal Independence Payment and Sir Charlie Mayfield’s independent review into the role of employers and government in boosting the employment of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    SevenBees
    · 3 hours ago
    my email to my MP, you can copy and paste:

    I recently reviewed the list of MPs who have signed the amendment to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Bill, and I was disappointed not to see your name among them. I am writing to draw your attention to critical findings from a joint briefing by ten leading charities, all of whom strongly oppose this bill.
    The charities behind this briefing include:
    Scope
    Trussell Trust
    Mind
    Citizens Advice
    Sense
    Joseph Rowntree Foundation
    New Economics Foundation
    Child Poverty Action Group
    Z2K
    Turn2us
    Key Findings from the Briefing:
    Spending on Benefits Has Not Increased
    The UK spends roughly 5% of GDP on working-age benefits—the same as in 2015—with no projected increase by 2030.
    Cuts to Universal Credit have offset rising claims for health and disability support.
    Comparable Spending to Other Nations
    The UK’s spending on disability benefits is similar to or lower than countries like France, Australia, and New Zealand, even with recent increases in claims.
    Devastating Impact of the Bill
    Over 3.2 million disabled people will lose support.
    300,000–400,000 people will be pushed into poverty.
    440,000 disabled households will face severe hardship, likely needing food banks.
    Flawed Employment Support Assumptions
    Even with additional employment support, only 1–3% of those affected (32,000–96,000 people) are expected to find work.
    Public Opposition
    83% of the public are aware of the planned cuts.
    58% oppose them, while only 32% support the changes.
    A Broken Promise to Disabled People
    Last April, the Conservative government allowed the right-wing media to escalate attacks on disabled claimants, with some outlets labeling us "parasites"—a narrative that persists. While their proposals (such as replacing cash with vouchers or requiring secondary care diagnoses for PIP) were harsh, they at least maintained some form of support.
    Now, the Labour government is proposing something even worse: removing support entirely (cash or vouchers) for hundreds of thousands of people—a move the Conservatives wouldn’t have dared.
    We Are Not Numbers—We Are Lives
    For disabled people, financial support is a lifeline. With soaring living costs and unaffordable housing, these cuts are a death sentence for many. Taking £5 billion from disabled Britons won’t "fix" the economy—it reveals this government’s moral failure.
    My Appeal to You
    I urge you to stand with disabled constituents by:
    Publicly opposing this bill.
    Supporting amendments to protect PIP and Universal Credit.
    Challenging the narrative that disabled people are a burden.
    This is about justice, not charity. Will you fight for us?
    Yours sincerely,
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Moose
    · 3 hours ago
    It sounds like the penny is finally beginning to drop for MPs. The U turn on the  pensioners heating keeps being referred to, but…. that single payment loss is minute compared to how much the disabled will lose EVERY month.

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Ivan
    · 3 hours ago
    I suspect the vote may be close. However, regardless of what the opposition decide (probably largely in favour of these cuts), we've a chance if all Labour MPs of conscience who disagree with the proposed changes actually vote against them. But if more than a few merely abstain due to Starmer's bullying & threats, then I'm not so sure of the outcome? Possibly, it'll go disastrously for us. Let's hope ALL those who oppose this do the right thing!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    john
    · 4 hours ago
    Kemi Badenoch is offering to support Starmer's welfare cuts if he works with the Tories. The Tories want bigger cuts to disability benefits, in particular they want those with mental health conditions targeted more, and mobility component targeted as well as daily living component. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Ginny52
      · 2 hours ago
      @john A real race to the bottom 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      wibblum
      · 2 hours ago
      @john Starmer and his vile sidekicks effectively ARE the tories now.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Claire
      · 3 hours ago
      @john Starmer and Co will be in big trouble if they with a huge majority are seen to bow down to the Tories.The party will be ripped apart and could very well be a confidence issue.Of course Kemi Badenoch wants to target even more cuts,that's what started all this vitreol against disabled.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Neil Cook
      · 3 hours ago
      @john Starmer said even the Tories don't know that they're doing right now
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    YogiBear
    · 4 hours ago
    Kemi Badenoch: "The Government is in a mess, their MPs are in open rebellion. If Keir Starmer wants our support, he needs to meet three conditions that align with our core Conservative principles.

    "The first condition is that the welfare budget is too high, it needs to come down. This bill does not do that.

    "The second condition is that we need to get people back into work. Unemployment is rising, jobs are disappearing, and even the government’s own impact assessments say that the package in this bill will not get people back to work.

    "The third is that we want to see no new tax rises in the autumn. We can’t have new tax rises to pay for the increases in welfare and other government spending.

    "We are acting in the national interest to make the changes the country needs. And if Keir Starmer wants us to help him get this bill through, then he must commit to these three conditions at the dispatch box."
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Marc
      · 1 hours ago
      @tintack The public bargaining is morally repugnant but yes, what Badenoch is doing is making 3 demands she knows can't be met, especially regarding tax rises. Meanwhile Starmer has just gone to the Tories, cap in hand, while his own party is in open mutiny regarding the policy.

      He's toast.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      rookie
      · 3 hours ago
      @YogiBear
      @YogiBear

      Our Labour prime minister "needs to meet three conditions that align with ... core Conservative principles." to get his policies through.

      That's where we are.

      "You be us and we'll support you"

      This could be a case of mutual self destruct.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 3 hours ago
      @YogiBear It sounds to me that this means the Tories will still vote against it, because the government have already said they're not going to make any more changes and Badenoch is saying the bill doesn't meet the Tories' demands. And even if Starmer did try to make changes to do a deal with the Tories the firestorm that would set off in the Labour party would be visible from space.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Wayne
    · 5 hours ago
    Will it still pass all the votes stage's looks like they r still moving forward with the bill 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Dee
    · 5 hours ago
    Sadiq Khan joins growing Labour rebellion against disability benefit cuts just announced by the guardian 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      rookie
      · 3 hours ago
      @Dee @Dee About time. Where's he been?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Dez
    · 5 hours ago
    I'm noticing that the rhetoric on social media towards benefit claimants has been getting nastier in light of this being announced. 

    Imagine being so outraged that there's a real chance that these proposals won't go ahead and you won't be able to cheer on the government stamping on the faces of disabled people. All because you're under some misguided notion that it'll prevent a tax rise (which Reeves appears to be considering anyway, even with the savings from these proposals already lodged). 

    I'm honestly at the point now where I'm rooting for the government to lose this vote just to see these individuals squirm. No other real reason. Especially when their outrage over the WFA being somewhat U-turned was very performative and wasn't nowhere near as consistent.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Dee
      · 3 hours ago
      @Dez It always amazes me how sure these people are their health will be perfect forever and will never need disability benefits. Maybe it's fine for them to claim nobody else. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Bob
    · 6 hours ago
    My local MP (Paul Foster MP, South Ribble) has just emailed me in response to me asking him to assure me how he would vote on the bill, to tell me that he has joined the signatories of this amendment. So this isn't a full list of all those who are currently signed on, and I expect even more will add their names in the next day or two. May be worth emailing your local mp if they aren't already on the list, to assure them of your support if they join the amendment.

    The government have royally messed up with how they have handled these so-called reforms, and they know it, they just don't want to back down as, after the winter fuel debacle, they would look even weaker than they already do. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Neil Cook
      · 5 hours ago
      @Bob No point emailing mine at all. Alison McGovern......go figure 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Slb
    · 6 hours ago
    There is now talk that the vote will be treated as a confidence issue.  No idea if that will happen, but desperation isn't a good look.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Matt
      · 2 hours ago
      @Jonno The Tories would currently be wiped out by Reform 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jonno
      · 4 hours ago
      @Slb Aren't the Conservatives more likely to vote against if it's a vote of confidence.?

      If that's the case Starmer is playing a dangerous game. 

      Would the Tories even want a GE in any case? 



    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Marc
      · 5 hours ago
      @Slb Labour HQ leaked the story to the media in a blind panic that it's now a confidence vote on Starmer, saw that this was nothing more than adding fuel to the fire given how the numbers then increased, so they retracted the pitiful threat.

      It's painful at just how incompetent these ghouls are.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 5 hours ago
      @Slb It would be a crazy move. If it still falls then the government looks absurd, and even if they got it through that way the level of animosity between the leadership and a large chunk of the the rest of the party would be off the charts.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    MrFibro
    · 6 hours ago
    Jess Phillip's not on this list then.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Kevin.
      · 4 hours ago
      @MrFibro And yet before the election she was saying she’d defend disability benefits and that a member of her family relied on them.  Isn’t amazing how she has now backed the cuts. It’s ok for her and her family though, they will be looked after as they are in government. She should be ashamed of herself as should any politician who backs them. 

      Kudos to those who have stood up and been counted. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 5 hours ago
      @MrFibro I think she's a minister - we'll have to see if she's one of the ministers apparently considering their positions.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Leprechaun
    · 7 hours ago
    Free Gear Kier keeps bleating on about the moral case behind the cuts. How can it be right to take away vital support from the sick, disabled and kids.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    T
    · 7 hours ago
    It's good to see my local MP is against the changes .
     I can't feel the joy about these changes possibly not happening though, I know I should but I can't.  Labour will make changes one way or another, more likely now due to rebals it will be watered down, which will be a good thing, well better than their original plans. 
    But labour are doomed, there's no way on this planet that they will ever get back into power in four years time meaning another horrific party will be in power and we will all be back to square one with panic , worry, fear etc because their changes especially reform will be horrendous too, if not worse..
        After all we have been through these past few years, our lives have been engulfed in fear that healthy People would never understand, we've took years and years of crap, abuse and blame for everything,,, then that all got worse lately with the Tories planed changes then labour betrayed us in a unimaginable way. We had the whole nation turn against us thanks to the MPs and news station and hate campaigns online.. 
     This can never happen to us again, we need protection, and stability, we need to know our futures will be safe, not fear what each day will bring, fear what changes will we hear next. 
     It's time these MPs make the laws change to protect us from being treated like vermin , to stop making us live in constant uncertainty, we deserve to be treated humainly too, they need to make the laws change to stop these new parties coming in and ruining our lives more.  
    Labour had the opportunity to help us but done us over, next party that comes in will probably get rid of pip, make a new benefit,, the wca will never go, just get changed for the worst. 
    It's time this stops happening to us again and again.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Slb
    · 7 hours ago
    Is anyone a constituent of Andrew Lewin?  On Politics Live this morning he seemed so close to signing the amendment.  I tried sending an X post to him, but he doesn't use the site much.  Your email might persuade him.  This is what I wrote in the post:

    #politicslive. 
    @Andrew_Lewin_, we understand that you are thinking hard about disability benefits, but note that those who lose PIP will also lose LCWRA UC when the work capability assessment is scrapped. That's £9000+ a year loss of income. It doesn't matter if there is a transitional protection or not. That loss of income will hit people eventually and with the same effect.

    Also the "9 out of 10 will keep their benefit in 2029" is a smokescreen. The reason why that is the case is that most won't have been reassessed by that point, and others will be in the process of reassessment with no decision yet made. That's why the line is 9 out of 10 by 2029. After that, 87% of people on daily living PIP will lose the benefit as they don't get 4 points in a single category.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    shadowpony
    · 8 hours ago
    just sent my mp a copy by email of the multi charity breifing into what would happen if the cuts went ahead. not my first email to him on this subject.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Lana
      · 6 hours ago
      @shadowpony I've sent mine so many i think his team has me put me on 'send to spam' 🤣

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Cathedral city
    · 8 hours ago
    Breaking news in the Mirror, Starmer says he will press ahead with the cuts regardless because he states, ' the system will collapse otherwise.,'
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    David H
    · 8 hours ago
    I guess most of them don’t care about losing the whip, or getting deselected, since it is very unlikely they will be MP’s in the next parliament. I just hope that opposition parties do their job and kill this bill!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      john
      · 6 hours ago
      @David H The Tories and Reform think Labour's planned cuts to disability benefits do not go far enough. They want bigger cuts. If Starmer tries to do a deal to get their votes things will get worse. The Tories want to target those with mental health problems more, and want to target mobility component. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Slb
    · 8 hours ago
    As of 1pm, there were 123 signatures.  Plus there's the ministers who will resign and vote against if the Bill goes forward.  There were rumblings on Politics Live that the govt would just bring it back unchanged in the autumn, wrapping it up in the budget, and count it as a confidence issue, but I have a feeling Reeves might not be in post at that point.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      tintack
      · 6 hours ago
      @Slb
      "There were rumblings on Politics Live that the govt would just bring it back unchanged in the autumn, wrapping it up in the budget, and count it as a confidence issue"

      If they tried that it would cause mayhem in the party. Doubling down hasn't got them anywhere so far, in fact it seems to have fuelled the rebellion rather than quashing it. To try a tactic so blatantly dirty and underhand as wrapping it up in the budget would inflame anger even further. They could then lose their own budget, and even if they got it through the festering animosity on the backbenches would be hugely toxic and on a scale that would do deep and lasting damage.  
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Nige60
    · 8 hours ago
    Hi folks. its 120 now, but arrogantly, KS says he will press ahead. At 120, if they all do as they say they will, this is very much enough to certainly force a reconsideration of policy and the green paper.    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c04dn3v616yo
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Ginny
    · 8 hours ago
    Every time I say the Nazis did this I get moderated out but it is absolutely true.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Barneyboy
      · 3 hours ago
      @Ginny Ginny what you are saying is true.  Are it macht frei( work sets up free). 
      This is nothing different what is going on now the harrassment and targeting of the disabled as second class citizens and it’s really let those that are likely to display disability hate crimes the green light that’s it’s ok to do so. When they see the government doing it then it must be ok. Starmer is now that desperate is he going to get into bed with the tories. This is a leadership contest whether his
      Bill passes or not and I think he is gone
      Either way. His only escape is to
      Rip the wretched bit of paper up and bin it. And even he does that we will never forget what his intent was. 

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