A written transcript and a video of yesterday’s Westminster Hall debate on PIP cuts are now available.

The debate was opened by Diane Abbot, who began by telling MPs:

“I am proud to have secured this debate today, and to be able to stand up for the disabled in the light of the catastrophic effects that the proposed cut to personal independence payments will have on them. This is the week after the council elections and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election proved disastrous for at least two major parties. The issue on everyone’s lips, and the cause of much of the disaffection, was welfare cuts, and specifically cuts to personal independence payments.”

Richard Burgon reminded MPs that:

“Harold Wilson once said:  ‘The Labour party is a moral crusade, or it is nothing.’

“We need to be clear, as millions of people outside this place are clear, that to try to balance the books on the backs of the poor and disabled is fundamentally immoral and un-Labour. The Prime Minister and the Government need not to plough ahead apace with this immoral, appalling plan, but instead to drop it now. Let us be clear: someone who needs assistance to cut up their own food and wash and dress themselves would currently get a personal independence payment, but they could lose it thanks to the Government’s proposals. That is completely appalling.”

Rachel Maskell spoke movingly, saying:

“After 14 years of battling, here we are, with ‘Pathways to Work’, taking away money, agency, dignity, independence and the essence of life itself. I fear, like many do, that people will take their lives, once again crushed by a system that fails to believe and points the finger rather than offering the hand, turning hope to despair. Poverty, dependency and harm—if not physical, most definitely psychological—await.

“Colleagues, we are better than this. Let us vow to stop such pernicious cuts and rewrite the story with the voices, experiences and hope of disabled people. Even if tech, task, time and place can be accommodated, work is not always the answer. We do not even have the diagnosis, understanding of the evidence, or answers from Charlie Mayfield’s report. I will vote against these cuts because I am Labour and because disabled people matter.”

Disability minister Stephen Timms defended the cuts and, once again, repeated the very dubious claim that people above state pension age “will not be affected at all”.

You can read the transcript of the debate here.

You can watch a video of the debate here

Comments

Write comments...
or post as a guest
People in conversation:
Loading comment... The comment will be refreshed after 00:00.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 3 hours ago
    I’ve been invited by Carers Uk to an MP drop in event. Good of them to give me the opportunity. I’m not going to hold back my opinions. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 3 hours ago
    Well, I'm not at all religious & given that, it follows that I couldn't be a religious hypocrite....unlike some.
    I did a Google search on Disability Minister Sir Stephen Timms and chanced upon this:


    It's worth listening to!

    I then hit the "Get Involved" tab & selected "Pray" - how enlightening:

    We are asked to pray for the following (amongst other things):

    Pray for your MP: that they will make wise decisions for the good of their constituents and that they will be able to cope with the stresses and strains of public office. Why not write to your MP to let them know that you are praying for them?

    Pray for the work of the House of Commons and the House of Lords: that good and just decisions will be made and that the tone of debate is measured and constructive.

    Pray for integrity, truth and compassion throughout Government.

    That last one just cracked me up!

    By the way - that is a further tab, next to "Pray" called "Give".

    I did not press this!!!

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 hours ago
      @Yorkie Bard Well said 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 hours ago
      @Yorkie Bard I have just sent this email to the man

      Sir Stephen Timms,

      I have just discovered that you are a member of Christians in Parliament group and have seen the group's website's recommendation that I should:
      Pray for your MP: that they will make wise decisions for the good of their constituents and that they will be able to cope with the stresses and strains of public office. Why not write to your MP to let them know that you are praying for them?
      So Sir Stephen, I am writing to tell you that I am praying for you.

      The website also suggests that I should:
      Pray for integrity, truth and compassion throughout Government.
      Sir Stephen, I am really. really praying for this.

      The only trouble is that I have, unlike you, no religion, so I can only offer up a sort of Humanitarian prayer.

      The Labour Government has truly lost it's way with regard to integrity, truth and compassion given that it has chosen to attack vulnerable disabled people who are currently in receipt of PIP.

      PIP is not an out of work benefit - I could seek work tomorrow, if my condition allowed, and still receive PIP. The proposed changes will not help people into work at all.

      Your Government is fast becoming adept at using smoke and mirrors - I despair!

      In the words of Dave Allen,

      "Goodnight and may your God go with you"
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 hours ago
    Sorry, here"s the link

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002bv3c

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 hours ago
      @Frances The disabled person arguing that work is the answer and that welfare is a trap is very naive in her belief that the government will remove barriers to work for disabled people. the government is disingenuous in their purported intentions - their only goal is to placate the public and clear the way to sweep the rug from under disabled people
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 hours ago
    This on radio 4 has comments on the "trapped on benefits" refrain, and other benefit misconceptions.

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 hours ago
    Liz Kendall has gone quiet, hasn't she? I don't think she's quite behind what she's been told to deliver. When she gave the big cuts speech she looked as if the pm and deputy behind her were holding her pet hostage.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 hours ago
    I think the message is slowly getting out to the public. There is an article in the telegraph saying that the cuts will mostly affect the elderly with arthritis. Sorry it’s behind a paywall so I couldn’t post the link here.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 6 hours ago
    Rachel Reeves today told broadcasters that even Labour backbenchers knew that the system inherited from the Tories was not working.

    'They know that the system needs reform. We do need to reform how the welfare system works if we're going to grow our economy,' she said.

    'But crucially, if we're going to lift people out of poverty and give more people the chance to fulfil their potential, the focus has got to be on supporting people into work.

    'Of course, if you can't work the welfare state must always be there for you, and with this Government it will be.

    'But there are many people that are trapped on benefits that are desperate to work, that have been cut out of opportunity for too long. That will change under this Government.'

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 6 hours ago
    Via a scope comment - "On DPAC they posted from the Times a graph showing who’s voting for and against. According to this all Tory’s voting against and 5 reform for." 

    So I was wrong, Reform are really NOT and never will be friends of disabled people. 

    Rotten party and people think they're an alternative? To what? Farage will never stray away from his Thatcherism and people will be disappointed if or when they come into Government. The poor will get poorer, that trumps border controls.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 hours ago
      @Dave Dee My post should have read:

      @Dave Dee, if it's right about the tories voting against though, that's surprising good news isn't it? Can it be true?

      Bizarre that it seems to have passed by the Reform party voting for, just how they got their council election votes. "Ooh look, lots of people have voted against Labour, let's support what they want to do"

      I'm confused.

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 hours ago
      @Dave Dee @Dave Dee, if it's right about the tories voting against though, that's surprising good news isn't it? Can it be true?

      Bizarre that it seems to have passed by the Reform party voting for, just how they got their council election votes.  "Ooh look, lots of people have v

      I'm confused.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 6 hours ago
    Reeves and Starmer are framing it as a moral crusade to make people more poverty stricken, it's bizarre and sinister.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 hours ago
      @Dave Dee It is very sinister. Don’t understand their mentality at all.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 7 hours ago
    "There are many people that are trapped on benefits that are desperate to work, that have been cut out of opportunity for too long."  Rachel Reeves.

    Then, why not invite such "many people" to come forward to benefit from your purported support and leave the rest of claimants in peace?

    Hypocrisy at its finest. 

    We're not being fooled, as we refuse to accept such a claim as genuine.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 hours ago
      @Anon Yes 35 years I worked for HMRC as it is now. They ruined any prospects of my being employed again. I can’t function on a daily basis with normal tasks because of how I was treated. I try as I might can’t stop the thoughts every day. The way they treat people is exactly like the government are treating disabled people widely now with the cuts contemptuously and dismissively. They are callous and uncaring think everyone is a workshy shirker even their own. The lower down the pile you are the worse you are viewed. They will come a cropper at some point in this green paper process. But before this they will have caused an awful lot of pain and distress and possibly death in some cases. The nasty amongst them hopefully will get some karma one day. I’ll never forget what they did to me and one day I will catch them out. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 5 hours ago
      @Scorpion I was one of those people. Then I got employed by the DWP, who turned me into an unemployable disabled person.

      Can't make this sh*t up.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 10 hours ago
      @sara Hear, hear Sara. Feeling a bit weighed down by it all today but I’m going to run with your positivity 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 20 hours ago
      @Gingin More will come forward to oppose now that mps are going public,  the issue has higher profile and various impacts on different groups of claimants are coming to light, which is what we needed.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    mr tortoise face will not change his hard shell.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    Do MPs chose which debates they want to attend?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 10 hours ago
      @Lily Yes they do, says alot doesn't it
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    I hope the Labour top brass can realise that whilst benefit reforms are needed the direction they're going into is going to cost them dearly at the next election. 

    I don't think they care but they will care when they lose their seats at the next election, unfortunately Reform will most likely win those seats and they just parrot the Telegraph and the Daily Mail on disability benefits. If Reform would actively support disabled people I would think that would give them a massive boost to win the next election.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    I still think that by linking pip to " pathways to work" they would need to change the entire benefit,as pip has nothing to do with work.Surely legislation is needed to do this,not just a vote from MPs.At 63 , still 4 years from pension,no pathway to work would help me and the millions just the same.We are still disabled and changing the system to work against us purposely is discrimination.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 6 hours ago
      @Claire So true and I still can't help but think regardless of a back bench revolt and our shouts this will go through 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @Claire And  if they get their way on going ahead the discrimination point can be made legally. Because it is discrimination. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    Watched it last night and seems to me that Stephen timms totally discarded the MPS worries about these changes me personally think these changes will be put on hold and further discussion needed on these proposals that’s just my opinion 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    When watching this, my husband noted that at the end the Chairwoman could be overheard saying ‘that was spicy!’

    It was really good to hear the MPs voicing their opposition so passionately.