The Labour government has got its severely weakened welfare bill through its third reading without further defeats, after the major concessions made before and during the second reading. 

The bill passed its third reading by 336 votes to 242.

47 Labour MPs voted against the bill at third reading, 333 Labour MPs voted in favour, along with 3 independents. 

This compares with the second reading, where 49 Labour MPs voted against. 

Readers will be well aware of the dramatic scenes during the second reading of what was then the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment bill, when Labour was forced to abandon the PIP 4-point rule entirely in order to avoid defeat.

There were no such scenes on this occasion.  The chamber was largely empty as the amendments were debated, only filling up for the votes. All the government amendments to the bill, including the promise to remove clause 5, the 4-point rule clause, were agreed.

Every non-government amendment failed, except for one relating to co-production of the Timms review, which was withdrawn after concessions from the government – see Timms review below.

Bill title

The short title of the bill has been changed from the “Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill” to the “Universal Credit Bill”, reflecting the fact that the bill no longer has anything to do with PIP.

PIP

Personal independence payment (PIP) is no longer affected by the bill in any way, either for existing claimants or new claimants.  The 4-point rule has been entirely abandoned.

There will be no changes to PIP until after the Timms review has been completed, currently expected to be in Autumn 2026.

Universal Credit

New universal credit (UC) health element claimants from April 2026 will have their UC health element almost halved and frozen.

Existing UC LCWRA claimants will not be affected by the cut or the freeze. New claimants who meet the severe conditions criteria or who are terminally ill will also be protected from the cut and the freeze.

The standard rate of UC will rise by 4.5% above inflation by 2029/30.

Severe conditions criteria

There have been no changes to the extremely hard to meet severe conditions criteria as set out in the bill.  These will come into force for new claims in April 2026 and will decide whether claimants receive the higher rate of the UC health element and whether they are subject to reassessment..

Timms did seek to reassure MPs claiming: 

"The severe conditions criteria in the bill exactly reflects how the functional tests are applied at present.  That is in guidance. It’s being moved in this bill into legislation.  It does take account of Parkinson’s.  It does take account of MS.  Because people need to meet the descriptors reliably, safely, repeatedly and in a reasonable time frame.  And so I can give a very firm assurance to those who are concerned about how the severe conditions criteria will work for those on fluctuating conditions.

"The word constantly here refers, as I said in my intervention earlier, to the functional criteria needing to apply at all times, not to somebody’s symptoms."

We consider this reassurance to be disingenuous.  We’ll be writing more about this in the near future.

Timms review

The Timms review is not part of the bill.  However, Labour MP Dr Marie Tidball sought to insert a new clause into the bill relating to co-production of the review.  Dr Tidball did not put forward the clause for a vote after receiving reassurances from Timms at the end of the debate. 

Timms called the new clause a “helpful checklist”  and said that the government would "closely consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities in carrying out the review."

He also said "I accept the proposal in section 4 of her new clause for a group to co-produce the review. Not so much to provide independent oversight as to lead and deliver it . . . I agree with her that the majority of group member need to be disabled people or representatives of disabled people's organisations and that they need to be provided with adequate support, including towards their cost of travel and taking part. . .  The outcome of the review will be central to the legislation that follows"

The Timms review is still expected to report in Autumn 2026.

Everything else

The bill only covers those three issues.  Every other proposal, such as the abolition of the WCA, the proposal to amalgamate contributory ESA and JSA into a single time limited contributory benefit  and not paying 18-21 year old PIP recipients the health element of UC is not affected by last night’s vote.  They will all require separate legislation of their own.

What happens next

At the time of writing we do not know if the bill has been certified as a money bill.  If it has not, then it will go to the Lords who can put forward amendments in the normal way.

If it is a money bill, it will still go to the House of Lords, but this is a formality.  In theory, the Lords can suggest amendments but, because it is a money bill, the government are free to simply ignore them.  After one month the bill as currently written will become law.

The changes in the bill, however, will not come into force until April 2026.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 38 minutes ago
    When are the pip amendments likely to commence after Timms Review 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 52 minutes ago
    When are the pip amendments likely to come into play after the Timms review.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 hours ago
    I am confused I thought they were able to abolish the WCA without a vote the way it had been worded? There is so much uncertainty about many aspects I hope significant risk is still supported as a route to the Health Element as I believe the Tories tried to abolish that and it was taken to judicial review 
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    · 1 hours ago
    If someone already gets lwcra what is going to happen will they lose it thanks 
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    · 2 hours ago
    Anybody else feel that not only have the government won, but also the media.
    The journalists could have done so much more to help us, by printing the truth about the goverments plans for the disabled. But instead (the majority) chose to do everything they could to paint us as scroungers, liars and fraudsters, not forgetting (according to them) that we are the reason for the abysmal state of our countries financial situation. (Of course, nothing to do with Reeves)
    Yet today, nothing/very little, reported in the news about the result of the vote yesterday and the devastating impact it will have, particularly for future claimants.
    Already we are classed as old news and not worthy of a mention. Something to be forgotten about.
    Those journalists that attacked us, should be ashamed of themselves.

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 3 hours ago
    I'm still confused about Esa CB and the amalgamation Iv been on this for years and am 63 yrs old now I don't get severe D premium or any top up of IR I just get flat rate how will this be handled?... confused 
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      · 36 minutes ago
      @rainy They currently plan is those just on Contributions based ESA continue to get it at least as long as the benefit continues to exist.

      They plan to abolish contributions based ESA/New Style ESA in 2028 and replace it with a new time limited 6 or 12 months contributions based unemployment benefit paid at the same rate. It is unknown if existing claimants will be affected or if they will get to keep ESA as a legacy benefit. Worse case scenario the new Unemployment benefit opens for claims in April 2028 and ESA is closed to new claims in April 2028 and existing ESA claims then end after the new 6 or 12 months time limit so October 2028 or April 2029, or in the unlikely event the government can be bothered to go through the rigmarole they get migrated from ESA to the new Unemployment benefit and then after 6 or 12 months on the new Unemployment benefit lose it due to the time limit. I expect anyone getting near the time limit would get a letter telling them their benefit is going to end and inviting them to claim UC if eligible.

      In 2029 you will presumably be state pension age and currently ESA claims are ended at state pension age anyway unless a joint claim where the other member of the couple is below state pension age. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 57 minutes ago
      @rainy I have had the same thing from migration from IR ESA. I am now on CB based New Style ESA and also get UC and the protection for the loss of the disability premium. What this means is you will get one UC payment plus the top up and you will get two new style esa payments. I know in fact you will get 3 payments a month on average. New style ESA every 2 weeks and UC top up every month. So much for the whole rational of having one monthly payment which as it turns out will be 3. Hope this helps 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 hours ago
      @rainy Do you qualify for UC? If so you might qualify for an alternative benefit one the proposed Unemployment Insurance Benefit has reached it's time limit. There doesn't appear to be a proposed alternative for claimants not on UC. Legislation for this change has not moved beyond Green Paper stage.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 4 hours ago
    Thank you for all your hard work and for making things easier to understand. Much appreciated.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 4 hours ago
    I do not think there are victorious faces on the Back Benches. I think people on the Government Benches are absolutely heartsick, no matter what side of this debate they are on. They wish that those on the Government Front Bench had not put this forward and that they were not in the position of having to pick a side, because it should never, ever have come down to a Labour Government choosing to make cuts on older people, children in poverty and disabled people as their first matter of business.
    Kirsty Blackman

    Bill Debate 9 July (2.30pm)
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 4 hours ago
    Thank you B&W for the update on the 3rd reading and what is going to happen next. I do hope it is not certified as a money bill and that the Lords can make further amendments to the bill. The fight for new applicants goes on for UC and the discussions and consultations for  the Timms review is the next goal post for the disabled community to follow up on so that it is hopefully a more positive thing then most fear at the moment. There is still another bill to be fought for the younger people below the age of 22 which I think is grossly unfair. We are fighting politicians who are more interested in giving tax cuts for the rich then making this a more equal society specially for the sick, disabled, and unemployed in the country so my recommendation to everyone is to register to vote, even for postal voting, and change this government away from the right to a progressive force such as the Greens and LibDems. In as far as the Tories are concerned they are worse than Labour so both these parties should not be supported anymore as they have become anti people. One last word. Disabled people and sick people and unemployed are the working class and they all belong to the families of people who work and pay taxes so the powers that be need to be reminded of this as it is unfair and indeed evil to try and divide them up into neat little slots to attack everyone.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 4 hours ago
    Just read this re: Conservatives Helen Whately withdrawing some of their own measures-  link https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/now/post/63727

    Shadow Secretary of State withdraws amendments to welfare reform bill that proposed limiting benefit awards for people with mild depression, anxiety or ADHD

    With the new welfare reform bill due to be considered at Committee stage and Third Reading in the House of Commons tomorrow, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately had added amendments to yesterday's amendment paper that would:

    preclude a person being a severe conditions claimant for universal credit solely by reference to a lifelong diagnosis of mild depression, anxiety or ADHD (amendment 49); and
    make a person ineligible for a PIP assessment if their mental condition which caused them to apply is mild depression, anxiety or ADHD (amendment 56).
    However, the updated amendment paper issued today confirms that amendments 49 and 56 have been withdrawn.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 4 hours ago
    My main takeaway is that since the general election we have all been at the mercy of Timms and will continue to be so.

    Timms is according to the House of Commons and the media a highly respected and trusted MP who cares about disabled people and the welfare system. An expert with a great in depth understanding of disability welfare benefits and years of experience as a DWP minister, then as the chair of the DWP select committee and now again a DWP minister. A safe pair of hands to make the disability benefits system better and sustainable.

    Or from my perspective.
    Timms an arrogant prejudiced man who dismisses and wilfully ignores all evidence contrary to his preconceived opinions. Is callous in nature and incompetent. Who despite it being his remit for years has a limited and faulty understanding of the welfare system, how it functions, its history, the reason various benefits and premiums were created and their effects on people's lives. And despite listening to their plight for years has a prejudice view towards people on welfare and disabled people in general. Only seeing a small group that fits his preconceived ideas of severely disabled as truly genuinely deserving of unconditional support. And has a rose tinted view of the DWP and its staff as heroes doing their best. A man who views welfare as overly easy to claim and overly generous, a social evil that indulges idleness and creates dependence, abandons people to the scrap heap and is unfair on hard working taxpayers. Who believes that cutting eligibility and benefit amounts for incapacity/disability benefits and increasing interaction with the DWP are good things And will free people from dependency and lead them to lives with the dignity of work, better health, self respect and the pride of contributing to society, and that they will thank him and sing his praises for his tough love. And this will be his legacy. Saint Timms saviour of disabled people who were told they could not work when in fact they can, its a miracle.

    The idea that the man as I perceive him is going to be swayed from his long held preconceived opinions by talking to disabled people and their organizations from now to Autumn 2026. Is in my opinion ludicrous. The result of the TImms review is a foregone conclusion which is why he was given the job. The opinions of disabled people and their organizations simply do not matter as can be seen from their lack of involvement in the creation of the Pathways to Work green paper, and the Universal Credit and Personal Independence bill. The only opinions that matter are the politicians and their man Timm's.  
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 40 minutes ago
      @John He'll be in a cosy job in the house of lords by end of it.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 hours ago
      @John You've perfectly captured his ghoulishness and the utter, damning hypocrisy of his 'vision.'
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 hours ago
      @John Beautifully put. How could an honest appraisal of that fiend be anything other than scathing? Solidarity ✊
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 4 hours ago
    The can has been kicked down the road. Bury your money you'll need it later.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 hours ago
    So are all the measures in the 'Everything Else' list going to be put into other bills and through the same shambolic process?

    Better keep up with the weetabix!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 hours ago
    Am I right in saying that amendments 33 and 34 regards Private Doctors both failed?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 hours ago
    Thanks for the update and all your hard work over the last few months. It has been invaluable.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 hours ago
    Hi Everyone 

    Even though there are obviously deeply disappointing and upsetting aspects to this bill I do hope we can celebrate the fact that we did stop government in its tracks and some important concessions have been made.  

    We have been made to feel too powerless for too long and this campaign has proven we can have important effects on those that can too easily abuse and take our challenging lives and our important needs and opinions for granted.  

    I'm sure a long way still to go but thanks to everyone who contributed really grateful for your input.  
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 37 minutes ago
      @HL Yes HL thanks perhaps we do deserve to have Bob Dylan playing and the planned party (previous posts...) with the margaritas and gin and for others like me a cup of tea!   Still a long way to go but we have made some progress.


    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 3 hours ago
      @Frances Ah... thanks Frances much appreciated and for all you have been doing too.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 3 hours ago
      @CaroA @CaroA - Thank you for your uplifting message.
      I agree, all of us joining together has made a difference.
      Disabled people - carers - all the organisations - many MPs.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 4 hours ago
      @CaroA Thanks to you, @CaroA, for the poetry and song, and those mega lists! Time for a blast of Bobby, wouldn't you say - to get us ready for the next rounds?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 hours ago
    So if you are currently an income related esa claiment (Support group) waiting to be migrated to UC and it dosent happen until After April 2026,let's just say, will you be treated as an existing claiment or new.? 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 3 hours ago
      @sara @sara Yes everyone is meant to be migrated by that date but with this government there might be a ploy to purposely deny us the protection. I'm just wary. Thanks. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 4 hours ago
      @The Dogmother Given that noone is supposed to be worse off because of migration, and with transitional protection, I'd say existing. Isn't everybody supposed to have migrated by then, anyway, though?
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