• More than 1.3 million PIP claimants at risk of losing support with worst hit areas revealed
• Davey: Starmer must rule out Trump tax on life-saving drugs
• Casey Review: Victims must finally get the justice they deserve
• McArthur: SNP must explain why it is using England as ‘dumping ground’

More than 1.3 million PIP claimants at risk of losing support with worst hit areas revealed

The Government’s cuts to Personal Independence Payments could leave 1.3 million people claiming the standard and enhanced-rate payment for daily living activities at risk of losing some support, analysis of the Government’s response to a Liberal Democrat Written Parliamentary Question has revealed.

Under the Government’s plans, from November 2026 people on PIP will be required to score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to receive support with everyday tasks such as washing and cooking. Those scoring less will lose access to the “daily living” component, which for some will result in a full withdrawal of the benefit.

The Government’s response to a Lib Dem Written Parliamentary Question revealed the number of current claimants who did not score at least four points. The figure hit 1.3 million, with 1.1 million standard-rate and 200,000 enhanced-rate claimants at risk. It means that 87% of standard-rate claimants and 13% of the enhanced-rate claimants could lose out.

The analysis also revealed the number of claimants at risk in each constituency. The constituency with the highest number of claimants who could lose support was Liverpool Walton with 5,250 enhanced and standard-rate claimants at risk. This was followed by Blackpool South and Liverpool Riverside with 5,060 and 4,940 respectively.

In Keir Starmer’s seat of Holborn and St Pancras 2,890 claimants could lose out with 89% standard-rate and 15% of enhanced-rate claimants at risk. In the Chancellor’s seat there are 2,860 at risk and in Liz Kendall’s constituency the number is 3,260.

The Liberal Democrats said that many of the most vulnerable were “already on the brink”, and that these cuts in support risk leaving many people with disabilities unable to stay in work. The party called on the Government to change course and avoid the “real pain that could be inflicted”.

Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson, Steve Darling MP said:

Many of the most vulnerable in our society are already on the brink and these figures reveal the scale of the misery that could be inflicted if these cuts go ahead.

Countless people rely on this support to stay in work and just go about their daily lives. To strip that away from them is not only senseless but cruel.

We need to see the Government realise that this has the potential to devastate people’s lives and make it much harder to stay in work. Ministers must change course to avoid the real pain that could be inflicted.

Davey: Starmer must rule out Trump tax on life-saving drugs

Responding to the news that life-saving drugs on the NHS could be hit with a £1.5 billion tax from the US, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:

After years of neglect under the Conservatives, the last thing our NHS needs is to be slapped with a £1.5bn Trump tax on life-saving drugs.

Any US-UK trade deal which sees British patients forking out higher prices to line the pockets of American Pharma giants is simply unacceptable.

The PM must urgently raise the issue with Trump at the G7, and rule out these unacceptable price hikes for our NHS.

Casey Review: Victims must finally get the justice they deserve

Commenting on the findings of Baroness Casey’s report, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Lisa Smart MP said:

Child sexual abuse is one of the most despicable crimes. We must do everything in our power to deliver justice for the victims and help prevent these sickening acts from ever happening again

We welcome the findings of Baroness Casey’s review, which has brought forward important and far-reaching recommendations. Liberal Democrats will work constructively to ensure that the Government now implements these as swiftly as possible alongside the Jay recommendations, to ensure that victims finally get the justice they deserve after too many years of inaction.

McArthur: SNP must explain why it is using England as ‘dumping ground’

Scottish Liberal Democrat climate emergency spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has urged Ministers to come clean following reports that 100 truckloads of waste will be moved each day to England once a landfill ban comes into effect at the end of the year.

Since 2019, Mr McArthur has repeatedly pressed the Scottish Government on what it plans to do with all the excess waste arising from a ban on biodegradable waste in landfill.

This ban will come into force at the end of the year in Scotland and will apply to virtually all domestic and commercial waste.

Green MSP and former Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater previously indicated to Mr McArthur that “export” could be an option for residual waste.

BBC Disclosure has now uncovered that up to 100 truckloads of Scotland’s waste will be moved each day to England once the ban is introduced.

Mr McArthur said:

Scottish Liberal Democrats have repeatedly warned that the SNP are planning to make England their dumping ground for waste.

Ministers have turned a blind eye to those warnings, with Green MSP and former Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater seemingly entirely comfortable with the prospect, despite the harmful environmental impact of such a policy.

Carrying lorryloads of rubbish to be landfilled just beyond Berwick is even worse for the environment than landfilling it here due to the emissions generated by these journeys.

If this was happening in reverse, the SNP would be up in arms. Ministers must urgently update parliament and explain what steps it is taking to prepare local authorities for the upcoming ban.