Benefit Bill Update

30 June 2025

Since the announcement of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, there has been a lot of media attention on the criticism from disabled people and the organisations that serve them as well as ‘rebel’ MPs who are against the bill. To read more about the bill proposed and what it means, please see our previous article below:

Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, announced on Friday 27 June 2025 that there would be ‘concessions’ on the bill in response to the concerns raised. The main change offered is that the rules around PIP eligibility will only apply to new applicants and not to those who are already in receipt of PIP. This means that there will be two systems for PIP, an old system where people who have the benefit now will be re-assessed under those rules and a new system where new people claiming PIP will be subject to the additional eligibility requirement. This means that it will be harder for new claimants to get PIP in the future.

Many charities and organisations have responded to these concessions with their ongoing concerns:

“These supposed ‘concessions’ to the cuts bill are just a desperate attempt to rush through a disastrous piece of legislation. By pushing the cuts onto future claimants, the government are betraying the next generation of disabled people. Why should someone who needs support to wash in 2025 be entitled to PIP, but not someone who has the same needs in 2035?”
“If the bill passes in its revised form, it will still push more people into poverty and worsen people’s health. We urge MPs to use their power to stop this impending disaster. The bill must be stopped in its tracks.”
Charles Gillies, Senior Policy Officer at the MS Society and Policy Co-Chair of the Disability Benefits Consortium

Amnesty International UK called the revisions to the welfare bill “nothing more than a superficial attempt to get MPs to vote through this cruel and harmful legislation”.

Today, NRAS co-signed a letter in conjunction with the Trussell Trust asking the Government to withdraw the bill and to start a genuine dialogue with disabled people to shape any changes to benefits.

More than 120 MPs signed a ‘reasoned amendment’ objecting to the bill. A reasoned amendment is a formal document in Parliament where concerns are raised about the terms of the bill and this is signed by one or more MPs. This particular reasoned amendment calls for the Bill to be stopped completely. 

It is important to remember that this bill is currently a proposed piece of law and is not yet in force. There is a possibility that further changes could be made in the House of Commons with Members of Parliament. On Tuesday 1 July 2025, the first vote will happen and a week later the Committee stage will be held in the House of Commons. We will update you with any information we have about the bill and the proposed changes.

We are still encouraging all our beneficiaries to write to your MP to emphasise how these changes will affect you.

NRAS are part of the consortium of charities, Disability Benefits Consortium, who are adamantly against the bill and are calling for MPs to vote against it. NRAS have provided a response to the Government’s Green Paper, “Pathways to Work”, to strongly oppose the proposed cuts and to ensure that people living with disabilities are supported and not made to feel as though they are a burden on our society.

We will continue to call for these proposed benefit cuts to be scrapped and will keep all our members updated with any news.