Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill: Second Reading

Tuesday, 1 July 2025 · Division No. 248 · Commons

335Ayes

–

260Noes

Passed

49 MPs did not vote

rightGovernment wonPro Welfare Cuts(Yes)Pro Disability Benefit Protection(No)Fiscal Responsibility(Yes)Pro Welfare Expansion(No)

Voting Yes means

Support allowing the welfare reform bill to proceed, backing the government's plan to tighten eligibility for disability and incapacity benefits to reduce spending and encourage employment

Voting No means

Oppose the bill proceeding, arguing the cuts to disability benefits are harmful to vulnerable people and that the reforms go too far in restricting access to PIP and Universal Credit health components

What happened: The House of Commons voted on the Second Reading of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on 1 July 2025, passing it by 335 votes to 260. A Second Reading is the first full debate on a bill's general principles, and a vote in favour allows it to proceed to detailed scrutiny in committee. The government backed the bill, and it passed with a majority of 75.

Why it matters: The bill sets out reforms to Universal Credit (UC) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the two largest working-age benefit programmes in Britain. UC supports people on low incomes or out of work, while PIP provides financial help to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. The passage of this Second Reading means the government's proposed changes to both systems will now be examined in detail by a committee of MPs. These reforms will directly affect millions of claimants across the country, making it one of the most significant pieces of welfare legislation in recent years.

The politics: The vote revealed significant division within the Labour Party, with 299 Labour MPs and 36 Labour and Co-operative MPs voting in favour, but 47 Labour MPs and 3 Labour and Co-operative MPs voting against. Every Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Scottish National Party, Reform UK, Plaid Cymru and Green MP voted in opposition, as did the Democratic Unionist Party, forming an unusual cross-party bloc against the bill. The scale of Labour dissent on a government bill at Second Reading is notable, suggesting substantial internal concern about specific elements of the reforms, particularly among MPs worried about the impact of proposed PIP and UC changes on disabled people and low-income households.