Welfare reforms risk leaving stain on Labour, MP warns

A LABOUR MP who led a rebellion against the Government's benefits plan has labelled it an “omnishambles”, which she warned could leave disabled people worse off.

- Rachael Maskell

Maskell said pressing ahead with the welfare reform Bill risked leaving “such a stain” on her party, as she urged ministers to scrap a proposed change to the out-of-work element of universal credit.

Ministers have proposed increasing the universal credit standard allowance at least in line with inflation until 2029/30.

But the Government has proposed freezing the “limited capability for work” (LCW) part of the benefit until 2030, and new claimants who sign up for the “limited capability for work and work-related activity” payment will receive a lower rate than existing claimants after April 2026, unless they meet a set of severe conditions criteria or are terminally ill.