Labour MPs Fight £7 Billion Welfare Cuts, Urge Delay on Disability Benefit Changes
May 8, 2025
The proposed changes have generated widespread anxiety among disabled individuals and their families, prompting MPs to advocate for a delay until at least autumn 2025 for further evaluation of the impacts.
The MPs emphasized the need for a reassessment of the cuts' impact on employment, health, and demand for health and social care services before any final decisions are made.
The letter from 42 backbenchers urges ministers to postpone decisions until comprehensive assessments of the cuts' impact are available and to engage in meaningful dialogue with disabled groups.
Former Cabinet minister Louise Haigh highlighted that the removal of winter fuel payments and welfare cuts are critical issues for voters, echoing calls for a policy shift from various party members.
More than 40 Labour MPs have called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to pause cuts to disability benefits, labeling the plans as 'impossible to support'.
Labour MPs are raising alarms over proposed welfare cuts totaling over £7 billion, which they argue represent a significant attack on the welfare state and will adversely affect over 3 million disadvantaged individuals.
A parliamentary vote on the proposed cuts is anticipated in June, with several MPs expressing concerns that they are being asked to approve these measures without fully understanding their implications.
Concerns are particularly focused on changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIPs), which could save the government about £5 billion annually but would severely tighten eligibility, impacting around 800,000 individuals.
In addition to PIP cuts, there are plans to reduce the sickness-related element of Universal Credit, further exacerbating the challenges faced by vulnerable populations.
Critics argue that while the government acknowledges issues within the benefits system, the proposed cuts will not create jobs but instead lead to greater hardship.
Despite mounting pressure from within the party, Downing Street has firmly ruled out reinstating winter fuel payments, insisting on maintaining their current policy direction.
Recent local election losses for Labour, including a narrow defeat in Runcorn and Helsby by-election, have intensified calls for a reassessment of current policies.
Summary based on 5 sources
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Sources

The Guardian • May 8, 2025
Disability benefit cuts impossible to support, 42 Labour MPs tell Starmer
The Independent • May 8, 2025
More than 40 Labour MPs say welfare cuts ‘impossible to support’ - NewsBreak
Oxford Mail • May 8, 2025
More than 40 Labour MPs say welfare cuts ‘impossible to support’
Reading Chronicle • May 8, 2025
More than 40 Labour MPs say welfare cuts ‘impossible to support’