KEIR Starmer was confronted on his social security cuts as one of his own MPs told the Prime Minister the changes made her constituents feel “physically sick” and “full of panic”.
Appearing before Westminster’s Liaison Committee, which convenes the chairs of select committees, Labour’s Sarah Owen asked Starmer about the anxiety benefit cuts were causing.
The chair of the Women and Equalities Committee raised concerns that people who were profoundly disabled to the point they might never be able to work numbered around 730,000 and would be £3000 “worse off”.
She said: “I want to ask you right now about how people are feeling about this. It’s not often something we talk about in politics. But I think it is important because it’s fair to say that your proposed changes to welfare reform have caused quite a bit of stress, I think; particularly among people with disabilities and their families
“I’m sure many members have had similar things but just some samples of things that have come into my inbox: ‘I am beyond stressed with anticipation of losing money. I have £700 to live on this month.’
"Another one: ‘The proposed cuts to disability benefits have left me feeling full of panic about the future and extremely let down.’ And the last one: ‘I feel so sick, physically sick. The whole process is horrid, please represent me.’
“Prime Minister, what would you say to them?”
Starmer said that discussion of “values” was “really important”, adding: “Standing back from the technicalities of any changes, the guiding principles are really important which is, those people that do need support and protection should get support and protection.
"Those that want to bridge into work should be supported by the government to bridge into work.”
The Prime Minister went on to argue that the “pretty well, all of the rules” made it “harder” for people on benefits to get into work.
Owen said: “Prime Minister, my question was specifically about the people that are very unlikely to ever be able to work: the most severely disabled, of which in future, they will be £3000 worse off.”
Starmer said: “It’s also important for people who have disabilities which mean they can never work that they’re not constantly reassessed, because certainly that’s something I’ve picked up on as a constant cause of anxiety and that’s why I personally think we should be doing more protection, a premium for those that are in the most severe category, who are never going to be able to work and also relieve them of the pressure of being reassessed when we know that the reassessment isn’t going to make any material difference.”
Elsewhere, the Prime Minister insisted that “dignity and respect” were his guiding principles in “everything I’ve done as a lawyer and as a politician”.
He added: “Dignity is probably the most important word in my dictionary.”
Starmer made the comments addressing the row around Chancellor Rachel Reeves and top Treasury minister Darren Jones comparing benefits to pocket money for children.
He said that ministers “occasionally don’t get it quite right” with language after he was questioned about language which “demonises” benefits claimants.
