Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill Committee: Amendment 45

Wednesday, 9 July 2025 · Division No. 262 · Commons

175Ayes

–

401Noes

Defeated

76 MPs did not vote

leftGovernment defeatedPro Disability Benefits Protection(Yes)Anti Welfare Cuts(Yes)Pro Welfare Reform Review(No)Pro Work Incentives(No)

Voting Yes means

Support Amendment 45, pushing for stronger protections or conditions on welfare reform changes, reflecting concern that the government's approach to PIP and Universal Credit reform is inadequate or harmful to disabled claimants

Voting No means

Oppose Amendment 45, backing the government's approach of removing PIP changes from the Bill and conducting a separate wider review before making reforms to disability benefits

What happened: On 9 July 2025, the House of Commons voted on Amendment 45 to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill during its Committee Stage (the detailed line-by-line scrutiny phase). The amendment, which sought to modify the government's proposed welfare reforms, was defeated by 401 votes to 175. This was one of several divisions held on the same day as the Bill was examined in detail.

Why it matters: The amendment would have altered the government's plans to reform Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the main disability benefit for working-age adults. The government's Bill is intended to reshape how these benefits are assessed and awarded, with changes that critics argue will reduce support for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. The defeat of Amendment 45 means the government's preferred approach to this section of the legislation remains intact, keeping its welfare reform programme on track as written.

The politics: The vote produced a clear cross-party opposition to the amendment, with Labour and Labour and Co-operative Party MPs voting unanimously against (380 in total), while Conservatives (95), Liberal Democrats (65), and smaller parties including Reform UK, the DUP, and several independents voted in favour of the amendment. Plaid Cymru, the Green Party, and the SDLP backed the government by voting no. There were no Labour rebels recorded in this division, in contrast to some other welfare votes where dissent has emerged. This amendment attracted notably higher opposition support than others on the same day, with 175 ayes compared to 149 for Amendment 38 and 130 for New Clause 8.