Welfare bill will not be included in government's King's Speech

Welfare bill will not be included in government's King's SpeechJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleHenry ZeffmanChief political correspondentPA MediaSir Keir Starmer has not included a second attempt to reform welfare in Wednesday's King's Speech, the BBC has learnt.The prime minister's first attempt to make significant changes to the welfare system, including restricting eligibility for some health-related benefits, resulted in a mass revolt of Labour MPs and an embarrassing climbdown for the government in June 2025.Since then ministers have announced a pair of reviews designed to generate new ideas, as well as a handful of measures designed to incentivise more people to work.But it is understood that the government is not yet ready to propose a new parliamentary bill on welfare, so it will not form part of Wednesday's proceedings.Government's watered-down benefits bill clears CommonsWelfare reform 'must happen', minister saysGive evidence to benefits review, charities urge'It is a catastrophe' - the man battling to stem rising youth unemploymentThe speech is when the King formally unveils the government's agenda for the next year or so.It means that any new legislation on welfare will not even be introduced to Parliament until mid-2027 at the earliest, despite the policy area being one of the government's main priorities.The decision to hold off on another welfare bill may be welcomed by some of those Labour MPs who forced the prime minister to back down last time, but is also likely to be held up by some other Labour MPs as a sign of the prime minister's growing inability to drive an agenda through government.A government source stressed that they were making reforms in this area without new legislation, such as "right to try" rules meaning people with health conditions can undertake work without necessarily having their benefits reassessed, and a guarantee of paid work placeme...