Labour welfare cuts ignite fury as Keir Starmer’s bold reforms spark backlash and fears of betrayal among MPs

LONDON – Keir Starmer has thrown down the gauntlet with the most radical welfare overhaul in a generation. On Tuesday, his government revealed sweeping changes to Britain’s social security system, aiming to slash £5 billion from the budget by 2030. With disability support and health-related benefits facing severe restrictions, the Labour leader now faces a backlash from his own MPs and voters who feel blindsided.

For weeks, Starmer’s team battled behind closed doors to finalise these reforms, acutely aware that they were wading into treacherous waters. His ministers repeatedly cited alarming statistics—one in ten working-age Britons now rely on sickness or disability benefits, and the welfare bill could hit £70 billion by the next election. The prime minister insists the system is broken, trapping too many people in long-term unemployment. But for Labour MPs who railed against Conservative austerity, this dramatic shift feels like a bitter pill to swallow.

Under the new plans, the controversial ‘work capability assessment’—a key test for disability-related benefits—will be scrapped by 2028/29. Instead, the government will determine eligibility based on the assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), a separate disability benefit. Ministers argue that this streamlined approach will remove unnecessary bureaucracy, but critics fear it will push thousands into financial ruin.

Adding to the concerns, health and disability top-ups under Universal Credit will be frozen until the decade’s end and halved for new claimants from April 2026. Worse still, the government is considering banning under-22s from receiving these top-ups entirely, a move that has already sparked outrage among advocacy groups.

In an attempt to soften the blow, ministers promise that Universal Credit’s standard allowance will rise above inflation, increasing from £91 per week in 2024/25 to £98 per week in 2026/27. However, this offer does little to console those who stand to lose both their PIP qualification and the additional support it provides under Universal Credit.

Starmer’s welfare vision arrives against the backdrop of a fragile economy. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is gearing up to deliver her spring economic statement, in which she will outline how Labour plans to keep the books balanced. But the pressure is mounting. Many within the party fear these cuts will alienate the very voters Labour worked so hard to win over in the last election.

Labour MPs now face an agonising decision. Do they fall in line behind Starmer’s vision of a reformed, ‘fairer’ welfare system? Or do they rebel against measures that some see as an echo of Conservative austerity?

For Starmer, this is the moment of truth. He has made his move. Now, the country watches to see if his party—and the British public—will stand by him.