The claim is that "last year, the Government were planning to cut benefits." Given the speech date of 3 June 2026, "last year" refers to 2025. The evidence is overwhelming. In March 2025, the Labour government announced its Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, designed to tighten eligibility for PIP (the main disability benefit) and freeze the health-related element of Universal Credit, aiming to save approximately £5 billion per year by 2030. Chancellor Rachel Reeves had factored these savings into her Spring Statement. In late June 2025, facing a rebellion of more than 120 Labour MPs, the government made major concessions — promising that existing claimants would not lose their PIP or Universal Credit health element, and that stricter rules would only apply to new claimants. Then on 1 July 2025, the day of the Commons vote, disability minister Sir Stephen Timms announced further concessions on the Floor of the House, delaying any PIP eligibility changes until after a review concluded. The bill passed, but with 49 Labour MPs voting against — the largest rebellion of Starmer's premiership. Multiple outlets (BBC, Reuters, AP, The Guardian, The Independent) all described this as a "U-turn" on planned benefit cuts. The Resolution Foundation estimated the U-turn could cost up to £3–4.5 billion in lost savings, and Reuters reported that the U-turns meant the reforms "will no longer save taxpayers any money." The claim is factually accurate. The government did plan to cut benefits in 2025 and did subsequently U-turn under pressure from its own MPs. Sources: BBC News — "Keir Starmer u-turns on benefits changes after Labour backlash" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq6my6v81z4o); BBC News — "Government wins vote on watered-down welfare bill after concessions" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly8877x3z2o); Reuters — "U-turns wipe out UK welfare savings and strain budget, analysts warn" (https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/u-turns-wipe-out-uk-welfare-savings-strain-budget-analysts-warn-2025-07-02/); AP News — "UK leader Starmer waters down planned welfare cuts after revolt in his Labour Party" (https://apnews.com/article/uk-starmer-welfare-cuts-uturn-de4ee8536d08d1d7e4336d33cb8e5a4e); The Guardian — "Starmer offers 'massive concessions' on welfare bill to Labour rebels" (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/26/starmer-offers-massive-concessions-on-welfare-bill-to-labour-rebels); The Independent — "Rattled Starmer scrapes through on welfare reform after last-minute concession to rebel MPs" (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-welfare-reform-bill-vote-result-labour-rebels-b2780523.html)