"Top Labour dissenter supports welfare bill despite ongoing rebellion"

Downing Street has "listened" and "fulfilled" the pledges it made regarding adjustments to the welfare bill, according to Meg Hillier, one of the leading critics of the legislation, who confirmed she would support the bill in Tuesday’s vote.

The Treasury committee chair, who initially proposed an amendment that would have blocked the government’s welfare reforms, gave her backing despite ongoing opposition from many MPs.

Hillier indicated she did not share the view of Debbie Abrahams, the work and pensions committee chair, who claimed on Monday that the government had failed to uphold its commitment to a timely review of disability benefits, which was supposed to involve disabled people in its development.

"While I haven’t always been pleased with how No. 10 has communicated with MPs, on this occasion they acted sincerely: they listened, proposed changes, and followed through," Hillier said, confirming her support for the bill.

She highlighted the key compromise secured: existing claimants of universal credit and personal independence payments (PIP) would not be impacted by the changes. "The most important outcome is that over 300,000 disabled people retain their support and feel more secure about their future. That’s both fair and the correct decision," Hillier said.

Her amendment, previously endorsed by 126 Labour MPs before the government altered its stance, will no longer proceed.

A separate amendment opposing the bill has been introduced by Labour MP Rachael Maskell, backed by 138 disability organizations.

So far, 39 Labour MPs have supported the amendment, with many more expected to abstain. Although dozens of MPs may vote against the bill, the rebellion is unlikely to reach the 83 votes required to defeat the government.

Maskell noted that the number of signatories would be lower than the number voting against the bill. "Yesterday, many told me, ‘I’m not signing the amendment, but I will vote against the bill,’" she told BBC Breakfast.

On Monday, 86 disability and human rights groups, including Scope, Mind, the Trussell Trust, Sense, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Oxfam, issued a joint statement calling on MPs to reject the bill despite safeguards for current claimants.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds stated on Tuesday that proceeding with the reforms now, rather than delaying for the review, was the right choice. "Ensuring changes focus on future claimants rather than altering existing entitlements is a reasonable approach," he told Sky News.

"There’s a pressing need for reform. If people believe governments avoid tough decisions, spend heavily on ineffective outcomes without public backing, and miss the opportunity to fix the system, it erodes trust," he added.

Alongside the assurance that reforms would only affect new claimants, the government committed to an independent review.