See How This Brave MP ASbsolutely RATTLED Keir Starmer During a Serious Debate (Video)

In a powerful moment at the recent parliamentary session, Labour MP Sarah Owen questioned the Prime Minister about the government’s proposed welfare reforms and how they could severely affect disabled people.

Sarah began by acknowledging the Prime Minister’s earlier remarks about encouraging more disabled people into work a goal she said everyone agrees with. She emphasized the need for employers to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled individuals have fair access to employment.

However, she raised a serious concern: the government’s own assessments show that a particular group—the most severely disabled, who are classified as having limited capability for work-related activity—are likely to be hit the hardest. These individuals may end up £3,000 worse off in the future due to the proposed changes. That’s not a small number an estimated 730,000 people could be affected.

Sarah shared heartbreaking messages from her constituents, showing just how worried people are. One person wrote:

“I am beyond stressed with anticipation of losing money. I have £700 to live on this month.”

Another said:

“The proposed cuts to disability benefits have left me feeling full of panic about the future and extremely let down.”

And a third wrote:

“I feel physically sick. The whole process is horrid. Please represent me.”

Turning to the Prime Minister, she asked:

“What would you say to these people who are in such distress?”

The Prime Minister responded by saying the values behind the changes matter just as much as the changes themselves. He said that those who genuinely need support should receive it, and those who can and want to work should be helped into employment. He admitted that the current system often makes it harder—not easier—for people to enter work.

But Sarah pressed on, focusing again on those who will never be able to work due to severe disability. She asked whether the government is working with disability charities—many of whom have spoken out against these plans—and whether the current consultation period will lead to real changes in the policy, or is only looking at the impact of a decision that’s already been made.

The Prime Minister said he does want to bring people together and acknowledged that constant reassessments cause stress. He expressed support for offering more protection and ending repeated assessments for those in the most severe disability category, especially when their condition will not improve.

Sarah then turned to another important issue: women’s health. She asked why the government seems to have targeted disabled people first instead of tackling other major challenges, like health conditions that keep millions of women out of work. She explained that conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, and ovarian cysts cost the UK economy £11 billion every year, as women are forced to miss work due to chronic pain and delayed diagnoses.

She pointed out that on average, it can take 8 to 10 years just to get a diagnosis for endometriosis—a debilitating illness that affects women’s reproductive health and can keep them out of the workforce for years.

The Prime Minister agreed, calling that diagnosis time “unacceptable” and said the Health Secretary has been tasked with reforming the NHS to reduce health inequalities. He added that it’s not just about spending more money, but also about improving the way the health system is set up.

He concluded by saying that the example Sarah gave was “a very bad one” and admitted that it “can’t be justified.”