Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill Committee: Amendment 12

Parliament voted on Amendment 12 to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on 9 July 2025, during the bill's committee stage on the floor of the House of Commons. The amendment, which sought to introduce more generous or protective provisions for disability benefits and Universal Credit claimants, was defeated by a substantial margin of 370 votes to 105.

The vote has direct practical consequences for disabled people and those receiving welfare support. The amendment would have placed additional protections or expanded entitlements into the bill, but its defeat means the government's original welfare reform plans remain intact. The outcome affects a large number of people who rely on Personal Independence Payment and Universal Credit, and the result signals that the government retains firm control over the bill's direction at this stage of its passage.

The division revealed a near-complete split between the governing Labour Party and almost every other party in the Commons. All 326 Labour MPs and all 41 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted opposed the amendment, while the Liberal Democrats provided the largest block of support with 65 votes in favour. The Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, the Greens, the Democratic Unionist Party, and even Reform UK all voted for the amendment. Eight Labour MPs broke with their party's whip to support it, representing a notable but small rebellion on a welfare measure affecting some of the most vulnerable constituents.