Details of any compromise ministers would be prepared to offer were still being thrashed out ahead of a crucial vote on benefits cuts, due to take place next week.
Downing Street said it was “engaging with colleagues” and “recognise[d] the strength of feeling”, when pressed over whether it was considering concessions, but argued the reforms would “fix the broken welfare system”.
MPs are concerned, in particular, about the threshold for PIP being raised so that a person has to score four “points” in an assessment to be eligible.
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One Labour MP told The i Paper they had heard rumours that the Government will strip the specific four-point detail from the legislation and make it subject to future consultation.
This would allow ministers to make time for more engagement with MPs on the specifics of the new criteria and points system.
But 120 Labour MPs are still publicly backing a move to block the legislation by signing an amendment which would halt the bill in its tracks to allow for more scrutiny.
And a third MP said: “I think there will have to be some sort of concession. But it may be too late.”
Former work and pensions secretary Lord Blunkett told The i Paper he would expect the government to backtrack on some part of the reforms, to stave off an embarassing defeat.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has previously said that the bill would need to receive Royal Assent by November in order to meet the welfare savings set out by the Chancellor in the Budget.
But it is understood that the Department for Work and Pensions is not looking to make promises on allowing time for future amendments.
An MP who is close to the Work and Pensions Secretary said: “It will be tight, but I’m confident it will pass.”
Starmer, his Deputy Angela Rayner and a No10 spokesman were all forced to deny that this was being considered.
However, he did not directly answer a question about whether he would compromise with Labour rebels.
Asked whether he had misjudged the mood of Labour MPs, Starmer said commentators had claimed he “couldn’t read the room” in the run up to the election, but he had proved them wrong by winning a “landslide”. “I’m confident with reading the room,” he said.
“And I think this is really important, because a lot of people are very scared about these changes. I haven’t changed my Labour values, and we’re not expecting our benches to do anything that isn’t in check with them […] and we’re discussing that with our MPs.”
He told the Commons Work and Pensions Committee the changes need to be made urgently to cut the spiralling welfare bill.
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