Of the 336 MPs who voted for the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, 333 were Labour MPs, only 49 Labour MPs voted against.
The Bill passed, subject to review. It has only been delayed in its full implementation. It should never have been voted for on any terms by the majority of Labour MPs. It will create a two-tier system; existing claimants getting access to PIP, but future claimants being denied.
This is a huge cut, similar to the 2017 cut of Child Tax Credit being limited to two children for each family. The health element of Universal Credit looks like being cut much soon.
People under 22 years of age were being focused on to be cut from this. Even before this Bill was passed welfare budget cuts were passed by Conservative governments from 2010.
The new Labour government continued the roll out of Universal Credit, which was always a cut of benefits. It abolishes separate benefits by phasing them out. Disabled people, of working age, depend on PIP as essential support. PIP is the gateway for getting more income under Universal Credit, as Pension Credit is for pensioners. Using one gateway to access essential support acts as a deliberate cut.
Many single State pensioners are caught by a rise of £s a week, it goes over the limit for Pension Credit; thousands of £s a year is lost to them. Couple State pensioners can not only lose Pension Credit, but Housing benefit and Council Tax Exemption too.
Before this Bill there was hardship, sometimes resulting in deaths. NATO expansion and the proxy war in Ukraine caused high energy bills.
At the recent NATO meeting Keir Starmer promised 5% of GDP on Defence by 2035. Twelve new F35 nuclear capable planes were bought from the USA, costing £1 billion. Hundreds of Storm Shadow long range Missiles have been sent to Ukraine, costing £2 million each. The new Trident nuclear weapons and Submarines will cost an estimated £205 billion.
We can afford welfare not warfare.
Welfare is being cut to finance the warfare.
The Socialist Labour Party has been campaigning for a peaceful future since before this century.
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Kathrine Jones, Vice President, Socialist Labour Party.