Government scales back welfare reforms to protect existing claimants

The government is to scale back its planned welfare reforms, so existing claimants don’t lose their benefits.

Ministers had wanted to change who could qualify for certain disability and sickness benefits, such as personal independence payments (PIP) and the health element of universal credit.

But the new concessions will mean existing PIP claimants and people who currently get the health top-up on universal credit won’t lose them.

Instead, the proposed changes will only apply to new claimants in the future.

Relief and reassurance for existing claimants

The changes have been welcomed by Dame Meg Hillier, the chair of the Treasury select committee who put forward an amendment to block the government’s welfare bill, which was backed by more than 120 Labour MPs.

“It is an offer that makes a huge change to disabled people,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“That’s what’s really at the core of this. 

“It’s about supporting vulnerable people.

“Compared to where we were on Monday, we now have over 300,000 people reassured who can wake up this morning and feel less concerned about their future.”

Benefits reforms are ‘fair and sustainable’

The government had wanted to reduce the welfare budget by £5bn by 2030, as it believes costs are “spiralling at an unsustainable rate”.

However, it says it has made the concessions after listening to colleagues who agreed that reform is needed, but were “worried about the impact of the pace of change” on current benefit claimants.

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said: “Taken together, it is a fair package that will preserve the social security system for those who need it by putting it on a sustainable footing, support people back into work, protect those who cannot work and reduce anxiety for those currently in the system.”

MPs are set to vote on the revised welfare bill in parliament on Tuesday.