Thirty eight pages of amendments have now been tabled for the committee stage and third reading of the Universal Credit and Personal independence Payment Bill tomorrow. The Commons will have just one chaotic session to work through them all before voting on a final, amended version, of the bill.
The Deputy Speaker will select which amendments are to be considered and group some together to speed the process. For a bill which will affect the lives of millions to be rushed through in an afternoon in this manner suggests a desperate desire to avoid scrutiny on the part of the government.
In the days running up to the third reading, MPs of all parties have put forward amendments. Some are unlikely to pass, such as a Conservative amendment (NC12) limiting eligibility to PIP to British citizens and excluding claimants with “less severe” mental health conditions.
Some others also overlap, with MPs from different parties putting forward amendments dealing with the same or similar issues.
Readers may want to contact their MP one last time, urging them to vote against the bill, but also suggesting amendments they would like them to support in the run up to the final vote – in case the bill is passed.
You can send your MP an email along the lines of:
Your name
Your address
Dear [[name of MP],
As one of your constituents, I am writing to ask you to vote against the Universal Credit and Personal independence Payment Bill at its third reading (see this page for suggested reasons).
I would also urge you to consider supporting the following amendments:
[List amendments, for example:]
Graeme Downie amendment (17) which allows for the severe conditions criteria to apply to claimants who have fluctuating conditions, such as Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis.
Kirsty Blackman amendment (33) which removes the requirement that, for the severe conditions criteria, a diagnosis must have been made by a health professional providing NHS services.
Debbie Abrahams amendment (19) which changes the date on which the universal credit cuts start, from April 2026 to November 2026.
Dr Marie Tidball amendment (NC11) which establishes a Disability Co-Production Taskforce for the Timms review.
John McDonnel amendment (NC8) which prevents any proposal from the Timms review adversely affecting anyone’s eligibility for PIP.
Best regards
You can download a copy of all the amendments from the document Notices of Amendments as at 8 July 2025 from this page
