Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill: Second Reading
335Ayes
260Noes
Carried · majority 75 · Government won49 did not vote
644 Members · Aye 335 · No 260 · DNV 49 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 1 July 2025 to give the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill its Second Reading, passing by 335 votes to 260. A Second Reading is the first substantive vote on a bill, approving its general principles and allowing it to proceed to detailed scrutiny in committee. The result means the legislation advances through Parliament. The bill makes significant changes to Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the main benefit for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions. Changes to eligibility criteria and assessments mean some current or future claimants could receive reduced support or become ineligible. The practical effect on individuals depends on the bill's detailed provisions, which the committee stage will examine more closely. The government's Labour MPs provided the votes to pass the bill, with 298 Labour and 36 Labour and Co-operative MPs voting in favour. However, 50 Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs voted against, representing a notable internal rebellion. Every other party with members in the division lobbied against the bill. The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Reform UK, Plaid Cymru, Greens, and Democratic Unionists all voted no, creating an unusual cross-party opposition that nonetheless fell short of defeating the government.
Voting Aye meant
Support the government's proposed reforms to Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment, including changes to eligibility and assessment criteria for disability benefits.
Voting No meant
Oppose the bill's reforms to disability benefits, likely arguing they will cut support for vulnerable people or that the changes are insufficiently evidenced.
Each row is one party. The stacked bar gives the within-party split of Aye / No / Absent; the columns on the right give the raw counts. The whip column shows the published party position — “Free vote” means the whip was formally removed for this division.
Party
Whip
Aye / No / Abs
Aye
No
Abs
Labour Party
Whipped Aye
298
47
16
Conservative and Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
98
18
Liberal Democrats
Whipped No
0
69
2
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped Aye
36
3
3
Independent
—
3
10
0
Scottish National Party
Whipped No
0
9
0
Reform UK
Whipped No
0
7
1
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped No
0
4
1
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped No
0
4
0
Plaid Cymru
Whipped No
0
4
0
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
2
0
Your Party
—
0
2
0
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
1
0
Restore Britain
—
0
1
0
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
0
1
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
0
1
0
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
Defended the Bill as essential welfare reform to fix a broken system, protect those with severe conditions, and increase employment support to £1 billion annually; acknowledged concerns and made concessions to protect existing PIP claimants.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (3,079 words) →
Opposed the Bill as a rushed, incoherent attempt to plug the Chancellor's fiscal hole; argued welfare spending is spiralling unsustainably and the Bill will not achieve meaningful reform or get people into work.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (3,060 words) →
Moved a reasoned amendment backed by 138 disabled people's organisations, arguing the Bill lacks proper consultation, co-production, and evidence; warned it will push 150,000 into poverty and cause harm to vulnerable constituents.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,642 words) →
Supported the reasoned amendment, criticising the Bill's two-tier approach as unjust and unBritish; called for proper consultation and co-design with disabled groups before proceeding.Liberal Democrat · Voted no · Read full speech (918 words) →
Acknowledged positive measures but expressed serious concerns about harm to newly disabled people and the predetermined four-point PIP criterion; urged the Government to remove the four-point reference and delay UC LCWRA changes.Labour · Voted aye · Read full speech (1,428 words) →
Strongly opposed the Bill, warning that voting for it will push 150,000 into poverty and damage the Labour brand; cited the failure of the 2015 Welfare Reform Bill and warned constituents will not forgive support for rushed harmful legislation.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (940 words) →
Opposed the Bill as tinkering that saves only 1% of welfare spending and lacks a coherent reform strategy; argued the Government should pause and design a proper multi-stage assessment process.Conservative · Voted no · Read full speech (1,112 words) →
Opposed the Bill, voicing constituent concerns about rushed changes without consultation; warned it will increase poverty, worsen mental health, and undermine employment prospects for disabled people.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (1,531 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0