Steven Swinford, Political Editor at The Times has posted breaking news to X.
Steen Swinford posted:
BREAKING
The government has delayed the implementation of the welfare reforms
They were due to come into effect in November 2026
They will now come into effect after the conclusion of a review by Stephen Timms, the welfare minister
The four-point rule - the subject of so much contention - has been entirely removed from the legislation
It's a massive, massive u-turn
The government has effectively abandoned its flagship welfare reform - the overhaul of PIP disability benefits - entirely
After so much political pain, all the arguments that this was a moral and economic necessity, it's gone. Just like that
The only conclusion you can reach is that whips believed that the government was going to lose the vote
Leaves Rachel Reeves with another £5billion to find in the Autumn budget, on top of the £1.5billion from the u-turn on winter fuel payments
https://twitter.com/Steven_Swinford/status/1940084812871618606
