AS many as 100 Labour MPs have signed a letter warning Keir Starmer that they will not support sweeping cuts to disability benefits, according to reports.
Though the true number of MPs to have backed the letter sent to Labour’s chief whip has not been made public, the text of their grievances with government policy was obtained by Good Morning Britain and published on Monday.
The letter warns Labour ministers that a significant group of MPs who are not “consistent rebels” have major misgivings about plans to cut back both Personal Independence Payments (Pip) – an in-work benefit that helps people to cover the extra costs involved with living with a disability – and the health component of Universal Credit to the tune of £5 billion per year.
It states that these two proposed areas of change are “a cause of significant concern”, going on: “The limited impact assessment of the changes produced ahead of the Spring Statement notes that the proposals for Pip eligibility will mean that people who have a lower level of functional disability broadly spread over multiple categories will lose access to support.
“It further estimates the measures will lead to an additional 250,000 people in both relative and absolute poverty, 50,000 of whom will be children, and that 370,000 disabled people currently claiming Pip will lose out, alongside 430,000 future claimants.”
The MPs warn that the changes are “sufficiently high risk” that they should not go forward unless there is an extended consultation on the Pip changes to “allow disabled people and their advocates the time to meaningfully engage with the proposals, and follow the principle of ‘nothing about us, without us’”.
The MPs conclude: “Whilst these activities are undertaken, the bill should be delayed such that it may reflect the findings. We regret that we are unable to support a bill before this has taken place.
“We hope that you [the chief whip] will recognise that we have taken this course of action through you and with respect to the unique role you hold in Government.
“We hope that you will be able to utilise your position to communicate our views to the relevant ministers, and that we will be able to move forward with a set of reforms that reflect our values and attract broad support.”
Last week, initial reports said the letter had been signed by 40 MPs, which later climbed to more than 80. ITV has reported that there could be as many as 100 Labour parliamentarians supporting the letter.
Last month, it was reported that a swathe of Labour MPs including high-profile Cabinet ministers risk losing their seats over welfare cuts.
Nearly 200 Labour MPs have a majority smaller than the number of Pip claimants in their constituencies – many in northern English “red wall” seats, The Guardian reported.
Julia Modern, the co-chair of Disability Poverty Campaign Group, said that disabled people stood to lose as much as £10,000, or around 60% of their income and risked plunging 350,000 people into poverty.
She added: “We urge Labour backbenchers to do the right thing: to speak up and say they will not vote for such cruel and badly thought-through cuts.”
