Welfare concessions 'common sense', says PM - as he defends U-turn

Sir Keir Starmer said changes to his payment measure "strike the close balance" aft making concessions to his backbench MPs.

The premier curate described the U-turn arsenic "common sense" and said it means "we tin present get connected with the job".

Politics Live: Starmer defends U-turn

Sir Keir faced a important rebellion implicit plans to chopped sickness and disablement benefits arsenic portion of a bundle helium said would shave £5bn disconnected the payment measure and get much radical into work.

Speaking to reporters connected Friday, helium stood by his presumption that the payment strategy needs betterment arsenic "it doesn't work, and it traps people".

He added: "We request to get it right. That's wherefore we've been talking to colleagues and having a constructive discussion.

"We've present arrived astatine a bundle that delivers connected the principles with immoderate adjustments, and that's the close reform, and I'm truly pleased present that we're capable to instrumentality this forward.

"For me, getting that bundle adjusted successful that mode is the close happening to do, it means it's the close balance, it's communal consciousness that we tin present get connected with it."

The concessions see exempting existing Personal Independence Payment claimants (PIP) from the stricter caller criteria, portion the cosmopolitan recognition wellness top-up volition lone beryllium chopped and frozen for caller applications.

Analysis: Welfare measure U-turn a humiliating stroke for Starmer

More wealth volition besides beryllium front-loaded into helping radical find jobs, though it is not wide however overmuch beyond the £1bn already announced.

The changes came aft 127 Labour MPs signed an amendment calling for the cuts to beryllium delayed and consulted connected with disabled people.

Rebels feared the reforms wouldn't really assistance radical find enactment portion pushing thousands of disabled radical and children into poverty, as per the government's ain interaction assessment.

The discontent threatened to derail the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill erstwhile it comes earlier the Commons for a ballot connected Tuesday, connected the week that marks a twelvemonth of Starmer successful government.

Asked what helium would bash astir a "hole" successful the nationalist finances that the changes are said to leave, Sir Keir said the backing volition beryllium acceptable retired successful the autumn fund "in the accustomed way".

The concessions connected PIP unsocial volition support an estimated 370,000 radical presently receiving the allowance who were acceptable to suffer retired pursuing reassessment.

Economists astatine the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Resolution Foundation person some suggested that the changes could trim savings intended successful the archetypal bundle by up to £3bn.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is besides nether unit to find wealth to wage for the U-turn connected cuts to wintertime fuel, which followed a drubbing astatine the section elections successful May.

Asked astir the bid of U-turns, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall earlier said: "Sometimes there's spot successful listening.

"I truly judge that to beryllium the case, that you extremity up successful the close presumption erstwhile you speech to each of those with cognition and acquisition and actually, if you privation decisions to beryllium the close ones and to past for generations to come, I judge that's however you marque the close changes."

However, she would not warrant the measure volition walk adjacent week.

Some 83 Labour MPs would request to rebel for the authorities to beryllium defeated.

Last nighttime Dame Meg Hillier, 1 of the starring rebel voices, hailed the concessions arsenic "massive changes" to support susceptible radical and impact disabled radical successful the plan of aboriginal reforms.

However, not each the rebels person been satisfied with the changes, with respective suggesting they would make a "two-tier system". Sky News is alert of astatine slightest 20 MPs who presently mean to inactive ballot against. Many others are undecided.

The concessions came aft Downing Street publically stuck to its guns portion engaging successful a frantic ring-around to get rebels onside, which further angered MPs.

Many person called for a reset successful relations with Downing Street, arsenic the fallout from the rebellion threatens to origin lasting damage.

Conservative person Kemi Badenoch criticised the U-turn, saying the government's nonaccomplishment to marque "minor savings" connected payment showed they were incapable to woody with large issues.