‌‌Skip to main contentNews What's On Black Country Villa More  Buy a PaperFuneral NoticesJobsAdvertise with UsDirectoryDatingBook an AdPublic NoticesBuy a photoNewsletter signupNewsCost Of LivingDWPLabour backtracks on DWP cuts and ditches one planned change for PIPSir Keir Starmer and his government made make a u-turn on their goals to execute a £5billion cost-cutting reform on sickness benefits.NewsJames Rodger Content Editor08:20, 16 Mar 2025Sir Keir Starmer and his government made make a u-turn on their goals to execute a £5billion cost-cutting reform on sickness benefits.Plans to freeze disability benefits are set to be STOPPED by the Labour Party government after a fierce backlash. The Sun newspaper reports Sir Keir Starmer and his government made make a u-turn on their goals to execute a £5billion cost-cutting reform on sickness benefits.Starmer, Labour Party Chancellor Rachel Reeves and DWP boss Liz Kendall have faced a fierce backlash from the likes of Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband and Lucy Powell. Labour is now understood to be scrapping the controversial plans to freeze some disability benefits.‌Ms Kendall has abandoned her bid to axe rising personal independence payments in line with inflation next year, it has been reported. Ms Kendall told The Sunday Times the government is still set on protecting payments received by Brits who are unable to work.‌READ MORE UK faces 'three days of snow' next week with 61 counties hammeredMs Kendall said: "For those who absolutely cannot work, this is not about that. Almost 20 per cent of people on PIP are working. We know that many more disabled people would like to work if they could get the adjustments at work — the flexibility, the support that they need.Article continues below"But for those who cannot work … those people will be protected.†Ms Kendall argued it has a negative impact on peoples' "dignity and self-respect, hope and aspiration and their health" to survive on benefits if they could work.“Whatever some of the [critical] briefings might have said, this, for us, is about a belief in the potential of people to have better lives and that social security alone for many people will never be the key to a better life. It should be a springboard and not trapping people," she added.Brian Leishman, the Labour MP for Alloa & Grangemouth, told Times Radio the proposed cuts would be “absolutely devastating†and that reducing disability benefits would show a “basic lack of humanityâ€.Article continues belowThe Department for Work and Pensions said: “We have a duty to get the welfare bill on a more sustainable path and we will achieve that through meaningful, principled reforms rather than arbitrary cuts to spending.â€Follow Birmingham Live:FacebookX (Twitter)Instagram‌‌‌DWPNewsWhat's OnSportTravelCost of LivingMoneyMotorsShoppingFollow Birmingham Live on socials:InYourAreamynewsassistantBeauty Box SubscriptionYimbly ShopMarketplacePublic NoticesContact UsAbout UsWork for usAdvertise with UsMirror BingoBuy a photoHow to ComplainCorrections and ClarificationsFeedbackTerms and ConditionsPrivacy NoticeAI NoticeCookie NoticeSell Your StoryBands DirectoryNewsletters SignupSyndication & LicensingNotifications and Alerts help© 2025 a Reach plc subsidiary‌At we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our and .Accept, Starmer Backtracks on Planned Social Cuts, Raising Doubts About His Leadership The British prime minister had pressed ahead with the proposal despite pushback from within his party, but a , Starmer, Labour Party Chancellor Rachel Reeves and DWP boss Liz Kendall have faced a fierce backlash from the likes of Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband and Lucy Powell. Labour is now understood to be.