The Universal Credit Bill has completed its passage through he House of Lords in a single session, with an amendment critical of the impact of the legislation heavily defeated

Because it was certified as a “money bill, the Lords have no power to prevent the Universal Credit Bill becoming law, or even to make changes to it.

However, an amendment to the bill was voted on which, whilst accepting that it should have its second reading, also “regrets the impact of the Bill, particularly with regard to age discrimination, the impact on people with high levels of need and mental health conditions, and the overall impact on rates and severity of poverty among people with disabilities, and notes the human rights concerns expressed by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”

Had the amendment succeeded, it would have been a rebuke to the Commons for creating such an unfair law.

In the event, however, the amendment was defeated with just 17 votes in favour and 120 against.  Those in favour were mainly LibDems, with a few crossbench peers.  116 Labour MPs voted against, along with three Conservatives and a bishop.

You can see a full breakdown of the votes here.

The bill completed has now completed its second reading, committee stage, report stage and third reading in the Lords and just awaits royal assent before it becomes an act.

Update:  You can now download the Hansard record of the debate from this page.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 2 days ago
    So the next issue for UC is what happens in 2028/29 when the Work Capability Assessment is abolished, along with LCW and LCWRA status. And the new system is the Timms PIP assessment system with PIP daily living giving eligibility for UC health and UC health severe conditions criteria.

    Will the government maintain protection for existing claimants as is? With their UC standard allowance + LCWRA/health element combined going up by inflation. Or will they risk a backbench rebellion by instead just giving transitional protection for legacy LCWRA premium recipients who are not placed in the severe conditions criteria group? As their benefits under the new system would be lower.

    What is going to happen to those receiving UC LCWRA who are not receiving PIP daily living? Will the new Timms PIP assessment expand eligibility? UC LCWRA awards are technically ongoing (no end date), so will they be honoured as a legacy benefit or at least given UC transitional protection? Or will they see a cut in their benefits?

    For those on UC health, what is going to happen as far as conditionality and sanctions?

    What conditionality group will those with ongoing/indefinite PIP daily living awards be placed in? UC health or UC severe conditions criteria health. They will, in theory, never be reassessed for PIP, so will never have a new Timms PIP assessment. Or is some work coach going to decide their fate at a support conversation?

    How often are the support conversations going to be? Will they just be every time PIP is awarded/re-awarded? Or will they be the same frequency for everyone, and how often would that be?

    How soon does the government plan on reviewing the conditionality requirements for those on UC health? The government has said it will consider increasing conditionality beyond support conversations for those on UC health if too few move towards and into work.

    For those not on UC health, what is going to happen as far as conditionality and sanctions?

    How much interaction with the DWP are they going to be required to have? What activities could they be mandated to undertake? Are the ill and disabled really going to be at the mercy of DWP work coaches discretion? As to what the work coach thinks they can and cannot do and if they should be recommended for a benefits sanction. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @John I really can't think that far ahead because I don't know if I will still be here. But you have raised very good points. It's all very stressful.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 2 days ago
    So come April 2026 or next assessment off to the scrap heap to die then. Which kendal and Reeves would love, one more of there list....

    Perhaps they could put a pay freeze on there fat extortionate wages. 😂😂😂😂
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @GLB They claim more in expenses for one meal than we get to live on in a week, it's disgusting.  These people are not working class, they're so out of touch it's unreal. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @GLB Existing claimants are not affected. Being reassessed and re-awarded does not affect your status as an existing claimant. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 3 days ago
    Does this mean we're finished?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @James Sorry to sound so pessimistic but I'm so scared of all this
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @Neil Cook We are not finished. We have to now wait for the Timms review and what secondary regulations come out which will have to be fought tooth and nail in the courts and during the so called consultations and woe they try to ignore the disabled people again!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 3 days ago
    "the amendment was defeated with just 17 votes in favour and 120 against. Those in favour were mainly LibDems, with a few crossbench peers. 116 Labour MPs voted against, along with three Conservatives and a bishop."

    Big Daddy Starmer obviously threatened those labour mps with cuts to the summer holiday ice cream. All whip or no whippy.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @rtbcpart2 Starmer the harmer has harmed the children, old, and the sick and disabled in his first year in power so I am sure he will end up doing a lot more harm to others in due course. Lets see what he intends to "change" next for the worse!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @rtbcpart2 The Lib Dems are also shockingly 2 faced - taking into account Edd Davy's Programmes about him and his disabled Son and for the Dsabled People- he was Crusading for all the the Disabled, poor and vulnerable  ? - i Really cant think of a word to describe the lot of em - its unreal - yet played out in front of our own eyes 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @rtbcpart2 Maybe they're just choosing their battles?  It might be wishful thinking, but what's the point in voting against the party if it makes no difference?  The lords had no power to change this. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @James Snoozing @James. That's the danger of snoozing - I think the rebel mps who eventually voted with the government at 2nd reading were caught napping. We're going to have to keep them alert to the Trojan temptations of this Timms review.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @rtbcpart2 and where are the rest of the members of the house of lords? there are over a thousand of them! Tsk! Tsk!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 3 days ago
    Well that's it then.😔. I feel like every draining effort has been for nothing. Although I knew this was going to happen it's still a massive blow.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 3 days ago
      @Cuckoo21 It is a blow, @Cuckoo21, but our efforts really haven't been for nothing. The bill was massively weakened, and we've made it very difficult for the government to rush through damaging cuts in future. @John mentions Jesus, well he rose again, remember, and it's up to us to keep the good fight going, in our own interests and for the sake of new claimants who might be affected, so that we guard as many as we can against being included in new legislation.

      It is tragic that many will suffer, but the measures passed are complicated to implement and there are exceptions to be fought for. The more we can frustrate the government's intentions the more we can restrict them.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 3 days ago
    The Bishop who voted against the amendment needs to read up on the teachings of a guy called Jesus. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @keepingitreal Thanks for explaining as it seemed unthinkable. But it was the amendment not the whole lot,but the way everything is going it's not hard to believe as some parties are being run like a dictatorship and forgetting the word party as in opinions together not following 1 leader
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @MariW
      "Perhaps next time the Bishop of Newcastle preaches, there will be a large cohort of disabled people in the congregation."

      No, they will all have been cured of their afflictions by St. Stephen and the Blessed Liz, who will redefine their illnesses and disabilities out of existence. It will be a wondrous spectacle, recorded in scripture as the MIracle of the Shameless Grifters. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @MariW They're corrupt the lot of them
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @Fiona @Fiona The amendment was, to put it simply, on our side. Voting for it was to go against the government. It's not you, it's confusing.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 days ago
      @MariW Mariw

      Personally I think says all you need to know about religion, take up the causes that make you look good, I hope you can sleep well at night I expect you can.  I sometimes wonder if we should ban religion.

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