Labour’s PIP U-turn is too little, too late

Sarah Rees and Mark Hooper,  Plaid Cymru Senedd candidates for Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan (Pen-y-Bont Bro Morgannwg constituency)

The UK Labour Government has announced a U-turn on welfare reforms—agreeing to protect current PIP claimants and freeze Universal Credit health payments in direct response to pressure from over 120 MPs and campaigners.

But this concession still carves out a two-tier system by only safeguarding existing claimants while slashing future support—a structure that will leave newly disabled people worse off and entrenches inequality in the safety net.

Despite growing opposition from backbench Labour MPs, charities, and campaigners, the Labour leadership is choosing to ignore those most affected. These so-called “progressive” reforms to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC) proposed to strip vital support from people already under immense pressure.

‘Rising debt’

The result will be rising debt, worsening health outcomes, and deepening despair—particularly here in Wales, where levels of disability and poverty are already among the highest in the UK.

And let’s be clear: PIP is not an out-of-work benefit. It is intended to help cover the additional costs of living with a disability—costs that average over £1,000 per month, according to the disability charity Scope. From specialist transport to essential medical equipment and higher energy bills, this support is often the only thing that makes independent living even remotely possible.

As for Universal Credit, nearly 40% of claimants are in work. The idea that these reforms target “workshy” individuals is not just inaccurate—it’s dangerously misleading. These are working people, carers, and disabled individuals trying to survive in a system that was already failing them. What Labour is proposing now will only make things worse.

That’s why, as Plaid Cymru candidates, we hosted a listening event in Barry on 21 June. We sat down with disabled residents, unpaid carers, and advocacy organisations to hear directly what these reforms would mean for them. What we heard was harrowing—but, sadly, not surprising.

One participant told us how they lost PIP despite living with multiple chronic conditions. They fell into rent arrears, spiralled into debt, and had to cut back on food. The stress pushed them into a mental health crisis. Another spoke of the supposed ‘concessions’, saying that newly disabled people would face tougher conditions:

“An attack on one is an attack on us all… it remains that it’s the system that needs fixing, not disabled people.”

These are not isolated stories—they are warnings. And they are being ignored.

Meanwhile, Labour’s MPs here in South Wales, Kanishka Narayan (Vale of Glamorgan) and Chris Elmore (Bridgend and Ogmore), have so far refused to speak out against the proposals. They are toeing the party line while their most vulnerable constituents face the loss of their financial lifeline.

This silence is not just disappointing—it is morally indefensible.

Welsh Government

Worse still, Welsh Labour has done little to resist these reforms. Despite having a platform and a mandate to stand up for Wales, the Welsh Labour Government has remained largely quiet—offering cautious comments at best, while their UK ‘partners in power’ pushes through plans that will tear away basic protections for disabled people.

Is this what we should expect from the Red Welsh Way?

Angela Rayner’s defence of the policy this week—claiming it is “progressive”—adds insult to injury. Progressive policies lift people up; they don’t create a two-tier welfare system where those who are unable to work are written off and stripped of support. Labour has truly lost its way if it thinks it’s acceptable to treat disabled people as second-class citizens.

Let’s be clear: there are alternatives. The UK Government could tax wealth, close corporate loopholes, or reinvest in public services to improve access and inclusion for disabled people. Instead, Labour has chosen to make cuts on the backs of those with the least power and the fewest resources to fight back.

Plaid Cymru stands firm in complete opposition to these reforms. We believe in a welfare system based on dignity, equality and compassion—values that are sorely lacking from Labour’s current approach. We are the only party in Wales consistently standing with disabled people, not just in words but in action.

‘Contempt’

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on disability and a member of the Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee, summed it up following our Barry event: “The UK Labour Government’s refusal to meaningfully engage with those most affected by these reforms speaks volumes. Disabled people in Wales rightly feel that they are being treated with contempt, and experiences like those heard will be tragically all too common.

“Government should be helping people cope with higher costs, not punching down on some of the most vulnerable in our society. Plaid Cymru has been proud to show solidarity with disabled people in challenging Labour’s damaging welfare cuts, and we will continue to fight for a fairer system that truly supports equality, dignity, and independence for all.”

As we look ahead to the 2026 Senedd election, the choice is becoming clearer by the day: a Welsh Labour Party unwilling to challenge Westminster’s cruelty, or a Plaid Cymru that will always put the people of Wales first.

This is a defining moment for our communities. And voters will remember who stood with them—and who stayed silent.