The claim, made by Kemi Badenoch during PMQs on 3 June 2026, asserts that the reason there is no welfare Bill is because the Prime Minister has "given up." **The effect is real**: The 2026 King's Speech (13 May 2026) did not include any flagship welfare reform bill, confirmed by BBC News, the Telegraph, the House of Lords Library briefing, and the King's Speech text on gov.uk. The government's own explanation is that it is "not yet ready to propose a new parliamentary bill on welfare." **The asserted cause is not supported by the evidence.** Multiple specific, identifiable reasons explain the absence of a welfare bill — none of which amount to the PM "giving up": 1. **The Timms Review has not yet reported.** The government established a review of the PIP system (led by Sir Stephen Timms) as part of its climbdown on benefit cuts in July 2025. The review's interim report was published on 9 July 2026, and its final recommendations are due in autumn 2026. BBC explicitly reported that "a major constraint on the government's ability to pursue new legislation in this area is the Timms Review." The government stated: "The pieces of work we've commissioned will inform legislation we bring forward." This is a deliberate sequencing decision, not an abandonment. 2. **The Milburn Review is also ongoing.** A separate review into youth unemployment (led by Alan Milburn) is also underway and has not yet concluded. 3. **The government is implementing reforms without new legislation.** Government sources highlighted measures such as "right to try" rules and guaranteed work placements for 18–21-year-olds, arguing these reforms are being delivered without primary legislation. 4. **A Labour backbench rebellion in 2025 forced concessions on PIP cuts.** In June–July 2025, over 100 Labour backbenchers opposed planned PIP eligibility changes, forcing the government to shelve those proposals pending the Timms Review. This was a political constraint on the specific content of welfare reform, not evidence of the PM "giving up" on welfare reform entirely. **Assessment**: The "giving up" framing is Badenoch's political interpretation, and the available evidence does not support it as the causal driver. The effect (no welfare bill) is better explained by the government's procedural sequencing (waiting for commissioned reviews) and political constraints from backbench opposition — not by the PM having "given up." While the 2025 backbench rebellion did weaken the PM's position and force concessions, the evidence characterizes this as a strategic retreat on specific proposals, not a wholesale abandonment of welfare reform. Sources: BBC News — "Welfare bill not included in government's King's Speech" (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgplx9vzq2o); House of Lords Library — "King's Speech 2026: Welfare and pensions" (https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/lln-2026-0022/); Telegraph — "King's Speech: Starmer leaves welfare reform out despite ballooning bill" (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/05/13/starmer-leaves-welfare-reform-out-of-kings-speech/); GOV.UK — "The King's Speech 2026" (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-kings-speech-2026); GOV.UK — "The Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment: interim report" (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timms-review-of-personal-independence-payment-interim-report/the-timms-review-of-personal-independence-payment-interim-report); Guardian — "Keir Starmer forced into dramatic climbdown to pass welfare reform bill" (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jul/01/welfare-bill-passes-after-keir-starmer-offers-late-concession); BBC News — "Keir Starmer u-turns on benefits changes after Labour backlash" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq6my6v81z4o); BBC News — "Badenoch accuses Starmer of 'giving up' on welfare reform" (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgep3r9yg34o)