PM set to announce welfare climbdown in deal with Labour rebels
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The government is expected to announce a deal with Labour rebels on its planned benefits changes.
Multiple sources tell the BBC existing claimants of the Personal Independence Payment (Pip) will continue to receive what they currently get, as will recipients of the health element of Universal Credit. Instead, planned cuts will only hit future claimants.
Ministers are expected to fast-track a £1bn support plan originally scheduled for 2029.
The concessions amount to a massive climbdown from the government, which was staring at the prospect of defeat if it failed to accommodate the demands of over 100 of its backbenchers.
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer spent Thursday making calls to shore up support among the 120 Labour MPs who backed an amendment to stop the government's flagship welfare bill ahead of a Commons vote on Tuesday.
Speaking in the Commons earlier, Sir Keir said he wanted to "see reform implemented with Labour values and fairness".
He said he recognised that MPs of all parties were "eager" to reform the "broken" welfare system.
Broadly speaking the rebels have told the BBC their colleagues are happy with the concessions, meaning the bill is now likely to pass.
Peter Lamb, Labour MP for Crawley, posted on social media that he would still not support the bill - calling the changes "insufficient" and accusing ministers of ignoring better options.