Volodymyr Zelensky declared on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine that World War Three had already begun.

His statement reflected the increasingly global nature of Russia’s war, which has seen troops from countries across the world brought in to either bolster Putin’s aggression or support Ukraine’s resistance.

Since February 2022, around 55,000 Ukrainians have been killed in bitter fighting on the frontlines, according to Ukrainian estimates. Russia has suffered an estimated 1.2 million casualties, including at least 325,000 deaths, according to recent analysis.

Some 20,000 men from overseas are now estimated to have joined Russia’s invasion. Many have been falsely sold the promise of lucrative employment away from the frontlines. Ukraine has offered professional soldiers fixed contracts paying rates higher than what they could earn at home.

Moscow has used foreign troops to alleviate the strain on its forces and, crucially, delay another round of politically contentious mobilisation – a move likely to spark public anger.

Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the conflict, The Independent looks at some of the countries dragged into Russia’s war in Ukraine.

North Korea

North Korea assumed a major role in the conflict in support of Russia in late 2024, helping to set back a bold Ukrainian counteroffensive into Russian-held territory.

The first reports of North Koreans training in Russia came in the weeks after emboldened Ukrainian forces launched a summer offensive into Russia’s Kursk region. Pyongyang would commit some 17,000 troops to Russia in total, according to recent British estimates.

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Most of the soldiers came from North Korea’s elite ‘Storm Corps’, which are trained for infiltration and sabotage operations. They remained in Kursk to help Russia recover control of its own region before mostly withdrawing.

The UK Ministry of Defence assessed in June that Pyongyang had likely sustained more than 6,000 casualties fighting Ukraine – a little over a third of its forces.

Emil Kastehelmi, military analyst and cofounder of the Finland-based open-source intelligence collective Black Bird Group, told The Independent that “after fighting in Kursk, they’ve taken a less active role against Ukrainians”.

He said that while multiple brigades were used in Kursk, no such force has since been transferred to Donetsk, the region of eastern Ukraine sought by Putin.

North Korea has been fighting its own propaganda war at home, glorifying the troops sent to Kursk with a new memorial complex and a housing district set aside for the families of slain soldiers. Analysis say such treatment is aimed at curbing public discontent.

Kenya

Harrowing footage showing the abuse of African soldiers by Russian troops sparked outrage late last year.

Francis Ndung’u Ndarua, 35, from Kenya, was filmed in viral footage with a land mine strapped to his chest as a Russian speaker hurled racial slurs at him and said he would be used as a “can opener” to assault Ukrainian positions.

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Anne Ndarua, his mother, told CNN that Francis had gone to Russia to become an electrical engineer. She was surprised to learn he was being forced into military training, and says he was sent to the front after just three weeks.

Families have petitioned for the Kenyan government to act in recent weeks as soldiers began to return home, recounting how they were lured in by lucrative job offers only to be sent to Ukraine.

A Kenyan intelligence report found this month that around 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited to fight in Ukraine so far. Nearly 90 were on the frontlines this month, while one has died and several have come home injured or traumatised, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in its report. The government has recently tried to ban the conscription of Kenyan soldiers.

“They sometimes may not fully understand what is the battlefield they are entering,” Mr Kastehelmi said, adding: “Russians probably can pay better and they may have also more effective recruiting networks.”

Colombia

Both Russia and Ukraine have recruited soldiers from Latin America to fill in their ranks.

Colombian veterans are considered among the most valuable foreign fighters, arriving hardened from a decades-long civil war, and familiar with Western equipment.

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Mario Urueña-Sánchez, a security expert at Rosario University in Bogotá, told The Economist that casualty rates remain high as Colombians arrive to meet a very different conflict from the one at home.

“In Colombia, you can patrol for six months and there isn’t as much risk involved,” a Colombian Army veteran now fighting in Ukraine told El Tiempo. “Here, with every entry (into combat) you know you might not come back or you might come back wounded.”

Figures vary, and recruitment is often informal, but it is estimated that between 3,000 and 7,000 Colombians have fought in Ukraine, on both sides, since 2022.

In 2024, Colombian fighters were offered between $3,000 to $4,000 per month to join existing Ukrainian units on six-month contracts, according to CEPA.

India

More than 200 Indians have been recruited into the Russian armed forces since the invasion, India’s foreign ministry reported in December, amid rising concern about citizens being lured into the military.

At least 26 people were said to have been killed and seven were still missing at the time of the report.

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Dozens of families gathered in New Delhi in November to call on the authorities to bring their relatives home, as they too heard that they had been duped into travelling to Russia for paid work only to be forced into military roles.

Among India’s casualties are Ajay Godara, 22, and Rakesh Kumar Maurya, 30, who had travelled to Russia separately on student visas, before taking up non-combat roles as cleaners and helpers, according to their families. Their bodies were returned to their families last year.

British defence minister John Healey said this month that Russia’s military is increasingly reliant on foreign fighters as losses mount faster than Moscow can replenish its frontlines.

These troops are “often recruited under false pretences and press-ganged under pressure without necessarily realising that they’re destined for the Russian meat machine on the front line of Ukraine,” he said.

The vote could have huge ramifications to a law which has hugely passionate supporters and objectors

Today (February 24) Senedd members in the Welsh Parliament will debate the assisted dying law. The law would allow adults who are terminally ill, subject to safeguards and protections, to request and be provided with assistance to end their own life.

It is a UK law which has to be passed by Westminster, and not directly a matter devolved to Wales but it does have an impact on areas of politics which are devolved to Wales so a vote has to take place here too.

There are often occasions where this happens, and the Senedd vote is a formality, but this one is expected to be different. Not just because of the magnitude of the law, if it passes, but also what it will mean if it doesn’t pass. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here

The vote on Tuesday will be seen as important and historic, but it’s important to remember – as we explain below – this isn’t a vote on Senedd members personally backing or opposing the introduction of assisted dying, it is a vote on the legal rules around how the devolved and Westminster administrations could enact it.

What would this change?

Currently it is a criminal offence, because of section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961, to intentionally assist or encourage the suicide or attempted suicide of another person. This law would mean that it would not be an offence if someone assists a terminally ill adult to end their life in accordance with procedures set out in the law.

It would mean neither the registered medical practitioner, nor any other person who supports the terminally ill person to seek assistance under the Act, faces criminal liability for doing so.

It would amend the Suicide Act 1961 and regulate the assistance given to someone.

What is happening with the law?

The law, formally known as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, would allow adults who are terminally ill, subject to safeguards and protections, to request and be provided with assistance to end their own life.

The bill has made it through all the stages of the House of Commons, passing the final reading by 314 votes to 291 in June 2025.

It is now being debated by the House of Lords and that process is not yet completed. More than 1,100 amendments have been tabled- a record number for this stage – and that process is ongoing.

What is happening in Wales?

The Senedd does not have the powers over to legalise assisted dying itself as the law is part of the Suicide Act 1961. Although suicide itself is no longer a criminal act, it remains a criminal offence for a third party to assist or encourage another to commit suicide.

But because this this is a law which has an impact on areas devolved to Wales – like health – there will be a vote in the Senedd on what’s called a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM).

A LCM is a formal vote used by the Senedd when Westminster legislates on devolved matters, it is politicians here in Wales giving their consent for a piece of legislation to also apply in Wales.

Although not legally binding, there is a convention which is that the UK Parliament will “not normally” legislate on devolved matters without consent from the Senedd. If, for example, the Senedd didn’t give its backing it would be quite a big deal if Westminster then overruled the will of devolved politicians.

What would the law mean in Wales?

Welsh health minister Jeremy Miles has said the law will mean Welsh Ministers will need to make regulations to make provision about voluntary assisted dying services in Wales, and that they will need to ensure that anyone involved in assisted dying can do so via the Welsh language.

The Welsh Government would only be able to implement assisted dying through the NHS if the Senedd agrees. When Mr Miles was asked to clarify what role the Senedd and Welsh Government have, he was asked by Senedd health committee chair Peter Fox whether NHS Wales can offer assisted dying, fall within devolved health powers: “If they are not made by the Welsh Government and consequently approved by this Senedd, the NHS in Wales will not be able to provide assisted dying services – is that the case?”

“That is correct,” Mr Miles replied, also saying that without NHS provision, assisted dying could become available in Wales through the private sector.

The Senedd’s health committee had looked into the law, saying it had taken a neutral position but it thought there would need to be a “wide-ranging public consultation” with people about the law, and for all Senedd committees to be given time to look at the regulations. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

They also expressed concern about long-term impact on palliative and end-of-life care in Wales if the law came into force.

The LCM includes things specific to Wales, including that people can give information, have assessments, and get reports in Welsh; that Welsh ministers will be able to give guidance specific to Wales, allowing the Welsh healthcare system (including the NHS) to provide assisted deaths.

If it does not pass, then it would not block the law, alter eligibility, nor delay implementation but it could mean those Welsh-specific elements are withdraw, and there will not be a Wales-specific service.

Instead, it could mean only private firms deliver assisted dying services in Wales for a fee; Welsh residents could have to travel to England for both assessment and if they continue to an assisted death and there will be no specific Welsh clinical guidance or tailored oversight reflecting Welsh communities and health needs.

Why does the LCM matter?

Supporters of the law say that if the LCM does not pass it will result in a difference in the way this could be offered between England and Wales. For example, the Humanists say: “For over 50 years, abortion was legal in England, Scotland, and Wales, but not in Ireland or Northern Ireland, leading to a quarter of a million women travelling, often alone, to access it.

“This type of injustice risks being repeated between England and Wales if Welsh politicians vote down assisted dying proposals – as then, people will need to travel to England to have the procedure on the NHS. Humanists UK and My Death, My Decision are urging politicians to give terminally ill Welsh people the same options and choices that hundreds of thousands of dying people have around the world.”

They say the abortion ban disproportionately impacted people on low incomes, those living in remote areas, or socially vulnerable people and if assisted dying becomes available only through private providers or by travelling to England, people on lower incomes will face the greatest barriers.

Graham Winyard, director of campaign group “My Death, My Decision”, agreed: “It would be deeply unjust for people in Wales to be denied access to assisted dying through the NHS while people in England are supported to die on their own terms. Without NHS provision, those who cannot afford private services ,or who are too unwell to travel, may be left without any meaningful choice at the end of life.”

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What do opponents say?

Those who oppose the law say there has been “inadequate” oversight of the bill and that it “undermines devolved independence in healthcare and poses unacceptable risks to patient safety and equity”. They say the law is “deeply flawed” – they are all quotes from a letter signed by 250 healthcare professionals sent to Senedd members ahead of the key vote.

It says: “We have worked across the nation with vulnerable patients, and in under-resourced health and social care services. Those who are distressed as they face a terminal illness deserve better. unachieved. We know that care provision currently fails too many, but this Bill is not the answer.”

The medics argue that the Bill “fails to recognise the risks from mistaken diagnosis or misinformation. Accurate prognostication is impossible…. Patients will be eligible to access lethal drugs if they feel a burden or because of a lack of services. Coercion is often covert and difficult to detect, particularly when undue influence comes from family or from a person with authority.”

You can read their comments in full here.

How many people would it impact?

An assessment by the UK Government was based on people being able to access it from October 2029, and working on financial years would mean between 17 and 80 people in Wales would likely apply in that year. By its tenth year, between 106 and 462 people would apply.

In terms of those having assisted deaths, in the first year, it would be between 10 and 48, by 2039, that would be 63 to 277.

What would it cost?

The impact assessment says that very roughly it would cost between £26,000 and £123,000 in the first six months, and between £163,000 and £716,000 by the tenth year (2039).

What do the governments say?

Both the UK and Welsh governments have adopted a “neutral” position.

How will Senedd members vote?

We don’t yet know how anyone will vote on January 20, but we’d expect the parties to give their members a “free vote” meaning they do not have to follow a party position. In October 2024, Senedd members did take part in a vote but it was symbolic and not legally binding.

However, that vote, which 19 members backed, 27 opposed and nine abstained on, was not quite the same as the law making its way through the Commons and it was about the whole concept of legal dying, not the legislative rules around it, as this is.

In that most recent vote, First Minister Eluned Morgan and Wales’ health minister Jeremy Miles both voted against.

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother three weeks ago has inspired a small number of volunteers to launch their own searches in the dense desert near her home in hopes of cracking the case.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said while it appreciates the concern for Nancy Guthrie, it asked people inquiring about volunteering to give investigators space to do their jobs.

“We all want to find Nancy, but this work is best left to professionals,” the agency said in a statement over the weekend.

Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her home just outside Tucson on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities believe she was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will. Drops of her blood were found on the front porch, but authorities haven’t publicly revealed much evidence.

Despite the sheriff’s request for people not to search on their own, volunteers have continued to look. A small group reported finding a black backpack on Sunday, but it wasn’t the same brand as one identified in video surveillance that the FBI released of a masked person at Guthrie’s home the night she disappeared.

A sheriff’s spokesperson told Tucson television station KOLD that the bag and its contents didn’t appear to be viable leads. The Associated Press reached out to the sheriff’s department for comment on Monday.

Reminiscing over a picture of himself and friend Simon Bimpson at The Clothes Show in 1996, Vernon, 51, opened up about the moment that “changed his life forever,”

The Clothes Show was a British fashion show that was broadcast on BBC One from 1986 to 1998, and from 2006 to 2009 on UKTV Style and Really.

“We went to the show on our way to see a friend of mine who had just moved from Bolton Wanderers to Aston Villa,” Vernon said.

“He wasn’t settling in and said, ‘look guys, come and visit me,’ so we did.”

That visit would prove pivotal for Vernon.

Stopping along the way at The Clothes Show, Vernon caught the eye of modelling agent James Noel from Select Model Management.

Vernon said his friends teased him relentlessly, but he “didn’t care”.

“This happened on a Friday, and then on the following Friday I moved to London.

“The Friday after that I moved all my stuff down and never went back home,” he said.

“The rest, as they say, is history.”

Vernon grew up in Horwich and attended St Joseph’s RC High School before spending two years at St John Rigby College in Orrell.

He reportedly had his first job at 14, putting stickers on imported bananas, and later worked cleaning schools across Bolton.

Vernon graduated in environmental science from Manchester Metropolitan University before fate intervened at The Clothes Show.

Fast forward to today, his new quiz airing tonight called Do You Know Your Place? sees Vernon challenging famous faces.

Paul Gorton from The Traitors acts as an unreliable tour guide, setting questions in towns and cities across the UK.

The contestants must decide what’s fact and what’s fiction while taking part in fun studio games along the way.

The celebrity with the most correct answers wins each episode, with an overall champion crowned at the end of the week.

The show airs tonight at 6.30pm. However, Vernon continues to dominate UK radio, attracting 6.7 million listeners each week.

The move would allow parents to take children out of school for ‘term-time holidays’

Headteachers are being urged to group together inset days to reduce term-time absences and enable families to book cheaper holidays. Travel company On the Beach said the measure would solve a problem that the Government “has run out of answers to”.

Most schools in England have five mandatory inset days per academic year, during which teachers work but pupils do not attend. Those in Wales have six.

Schools determine when their inset days happen, with the vast majority not grouping them together to form whole weeks. On the Beach has written to the headteachers of 25,000 schools in England and Wales asking them to implement inset weeks staggered by region.

The company said enabling families of schoolchildren to book week-long trips outside of term time would give them “access to holidays at a fraction of peak-season prices”. Analysis by insurer Go.Compare published in July last year found the average price of a package holiday in Spain was 20% higher during school breaks compared with term time, which was equivalent to an extra £337 per person.

Parents can be fined if their children have unauthorised absences from school. The daily rate is £80 if paid within three weeks, or £160 if paid within four weeks. Recent Department for Education (DfE) figures show nearly 460,000 fines for unauthorised family holidays were issued in 2024/25.

Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach, said: “Families shouldn’t have to choose between following the rules and being able to afford time away together. The real frustration we hear is that parents can see cheaper off-peak holidays, but there’s no straightforward way to access them without their children missing school, and that’s exactly where inset weeks can help.

“Approximately 25,000 headteachers hold the key to getting more families on holiday for less, boosting attendance figures and solving a problem that the Department for Education has run out of answers to. Inset weeks are the answer.”

Andy Stirland, principal at Python Hill Academy in Nottinghamshire, which has had an inset week tagged on to the spring bank holiday every May for the past seven years, said: “Parents should not be faced with fines or enforcement for wanting to spend family time together.

“Inset week has allowed families at our school the option of cheaper holidays while maintaining our attendance figures. Our school attendance figures have been above the national average every year and I believe without inset week this would be a very different story.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “While academies and councils have the flexibility to set term dates that best suit their community, it is of utmost importance that no child loses out on essential learning time. More widely, through our Plan for Change, we have made huge progress in tackling the attendance crisis, with over five million more days in school last academic year and 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent – signalling the biggest year-on-year improvement in attendance in a decade.”

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, three weeks ago has prompted volunteers to launch their own searches in the dense desert near her home, hoping to uncover clues.

Ms Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her residence just outside Tucson on 31 January and was reported missing the following day. Authorities believe she was kidnapped, abducted, or otherwise taken against her will, with drops of her blood found on the front porch. However, little other evidence has been publicly disclosed.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has acknowledged the public’s concern but has urged volunteers to allow investigators to conduct their work. “We all want to find Nancy, but this work is best left to professionals,” the agency stated over the weekend.

Despite the sheriff’s request, volunteers have persisted in their efforts. A small group reported finding a black backpack on Sunday, though it did not match the brand of one identified in surveillance video released by the FBI, which showed a masked man at Ms Guthrie’s home on the night she vanished.

A sheriffs’ spokesperson told Tucson television station KOLD that the bag and its contents didn’t appear to be viable leads. The Associated Press reached out to the sheriff’s department for comment on Monday.

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Two women from the group Madres Buscadoras de Sonora, or “Searching Mothers of Sonora,” who were carrying digging tools Sunday outside of Guthrie’s home, said they, too, would join the search. They posted fliers on Guthrie’s mailbox with her picture and their contact information.

Tony Estrada, the former long-time sheriff in neighboring Santa Cruz County, said volunteer searchers have good intentions in wanting to help and can serve as a force multiplier, but it’s crucial that their efforts be coordinated with law enforcement.

“You can’t have people all over the place looking for something and not reporting to anybody or letting them know that they’re going to be in that area,” Estrada said. “They may be trampling into things that may come out to be helpful in the future.”

Nearly all search operations for U.S. law enforcement agencies are staffed with volunteers, said Chris Boyer, executive director of the National Association for Search and Rescue.

Untrained volunteers who show up to help in a search may mean well, but experts say they could end up contaminating a crime scene.

“It’s painful for law enforcement when that happens,” Boyer said.

Volunteers should undergo background checks, be trained in things like administering first aid and preserving crime scenes, and work under the direction of law enforcement authorities, said Boyer, whose group provides education, certification and advocacy for search and rescue efforts across the United States and other countries.

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Several hundred people are working the Guthrie investigation, and more than 20,000 tips have been received, the sheriff’s office has said. The FBI and other agencies are assisting.

The sheriff’s office has watched around the clock lately at Guthrie’s house. It also enacted a temporary one-way flow on the road so that emergency vehicles and trash collection trucks could get through. The constant presence of news crews, bloggers and curious onlookers has drawn mixed reaction from neighbors.

Some appreciated the attention the case has been getting. Others have placed traffic cones and signs on their properties to keep people off.

Meanwhile, the tribute to Nancy Guthrie outside her home keeps growing, with flowers, yellow ribbons, crosses, prayers and patron saints for older adults and in desperate situations.

Aran Aleamoni and his daughter Ariana picked out a bouquet of red, pink and white flowers and placed them at the edge of Guthrie’s yard, alongside a sign that read “Let Nancy Come Home” and a statuette of an angel.

“My heart goes out to the entire family,” said Aran Aleamoni, who has known the Guthrie family for a long time. “We are all pulling for you. We’re with you in your corner.”

Nigel Farage’s party plan to cut taxes and it would see cuts to vital public services, says Record View.

One of the worst aspects of modern politics is leaders making promises they know they cannot keep.

Former Tory prime minister Liz Truss was an expert at this dismal practice when her farcical government announced its disastrous mini budget.

But Reform seems intent on outdoing Truss with the most preposterous tax plan in the history of devolution.

The SNP government, while far from perfect, has over the last few years increased income tax on the wealthy to help pay for public services.

In Scotland, unlike south of the border, university tuition and prescriptions are free and we also have the Scottish Child Payment to help low income families.

These policies have to be paid for and the SNP government has made the decision to raise taxes.

Nigel Farage’s party, in an act of unparalleled recklessness, is planning to reverse all the tax rises at a cost of £2billion. This price tag also includes cutting tax rates to 1p below rates set at Westminster.

The problem with this reckless policy can be seen in Reform’s self-styled income tax “calculator”.

Scots earning £20,000 would receive a paltry £34.63 a year cut, while those on £1million would land a £41,431 boost.

The rare Scot earning £10million a year would receive an annual cut of £401,431.

Reform’s tax plan is a huge subsidy for the rich and benefits the likes of Farage and his Scots sidekick Malcolm Offord.

It would lead to huge public spending cuts with schools, hospitals and roads all crumbling.

Reform have proposed a bung to millionaires and it should be rejected outright.

Grasses a bargain

Last year, Police Scotland spent around £350,000 paying informants for information on criminal activity.

The amount was 12 per cent more than the previous year and more than double the figure dished out by cops 12 years ago.

The rising amount of cash paid out might raise eyebrows among those concerned about the correct use of public finances.

But this is money well spent by Police Scotland if it helps keep our streets safer.

Recently cops have tightened up vetting procedures and recruits are now known as Covert Human Intelligence Sources.

Former police chief Graeme Pearson says informants are a vital tool in the fight against organised crime – and good value for money.

Given the rise in gang violence last year across Scotland, the police clearly need every weapon at their disposal.

And if the information gleaned from these underworld sources puts more bad guys behind bars that is to be welcomed.

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Dear Coleen

I HAVE been in a relationship with my wife for 10 years. We’ve known each other since school and have enjoyed intimacy and a good sex life, or so I thought.

Recently, she admitted she’s never had an orgasm with me and always faked it.

I asked what I was lacking, and she told me size was an issue and I didn’t give her pleasure, as she couldn’t feel anything. I tried to look at ways to resolve this problem and found a swingers’ website.

I joined up and found a mature couple in the looking to entertain a younger couple. The location had to be far away from where we live, so this fitted the bill.

We arranged to meet with this couple and travelled up to see them. They were both a lot older than us, but looked young for their age.

After a chat we moved to the bedroom. Visually, it was a turn on. I really enjoyed seeing another man satisfy my wife – is there something wrong with me for feeling like this?

She enjoyed the experience, too, and wants to continue meeting swingers, but I have mixed feelings. I’d love some guidance on this.

Coleen says

YOU’VE done something to please her and it worked, but now you have to think about what’s in this for you long term. If you’re having doubts, that’s a concern. You enjoyed that experience, but the possibility of it becoming a regular thing is a different scenario and it obviously bothers you.

If sex becomes all about you watching her with someone else, it can be very damaging for your self-esteem and for your relationship. So, I think you need a bigger conversation about where you take this because both of you need to be on board. The fact you’re writing to me suggests you’re not happy, but you’re terrified of admitting it in case it causes problems.

I think you also need to talk about what does please her in bed. Maybe it is down to that excitement of doing something that other people would consider naughty. But you can be naughty without others being involved.

There’s a great book called She Comes First by Ian Kerner, and I know quite a few guys who read it and it transformed their sex life, so maybe give that a go and look into some other self-help guides.

But, as far as the swinging goes, you have to ask yourself whether it’s really for you. I dated someone once who loved lap dancing clubs and was also into porn. At first, I was cool with it because I loved this person but, as time went on, it destroyed my self-esteem because I wasn’t the one turning him on.

Think about what you want and whether it’s time to find someone who loves you for you.

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Changes from April will halve the additional payment for new Universal Credit claimants with severe health conditions, as a Nottingham MP warns reforms must not become a ‘cost-cutting exercise’

A DWP minister has admitted that forthcoming changes to Universal Credit may “sound a bit hard” as a Nottingham MP asks the government not to exacerbate people’s difficulties.

From April, alterations will reduce by half the amount received by new Universal Credit claimants with severe health conditions.

The government says this is part of a wider package of measures designed to encourage the 2.8 million individuals unable to work due to illness or disability back into employment.

However, a Nottingham Labour MP who previously opposed her government’s welfare plans argues that its reforms should not merely be a “cost-cutting exercise.”

Stephen Timms, the Minister for Social Security and Disability, visited Mansfield on Thursday (February 19) to observe a service that has assisted over 500 disabled individuals into work in recent years.

At an employability conference at Portland College, Sir Stephen stated that the previous approach had essentially seen the DWP “abandon” those unable to work due to illness or disability.

Speaking to NottinghamshireLive, the minister said: “There’s 2.8 million people – far, far too many people at the moment – out of work because of a health problem or disability and we know that hundreds of thousands of those people would love to be in a job, so we are determined to make that aspiration possible.”

In addition to the standard Universal Credit allowance, those with severe health conditions preventing them from certain work activities receive an extra £423 a month.

One of the government’s changes will mean that from April, new claimants will only receive half of that amount.

The government says the benefit reduction will be accompanied by a rise in the standard Universal Credit allowance and a £1 billion package of employment support – including 1,000 work coaches being allocated in Job Centres, a Connect to Work scheme expanding to the East Midlands from next month and a Work Well programme linking the NHS into employment support coming to Nottinghamshire in November.

When questioned whether the benefits changes would be too drastic, Sir Stephen said: “It won’t be a cliff edge because anyone who’s in the old system at the moment will stay in there, they won’t have their benefit cut.

“It’ll be new people coming in who will find that the the lower premium is available for them.

“We’ll be matching that with the Pathways guarantee that they will get serious personalised support for moving back to work.”

Nottingham East’s Labour MP, Nadia Whittome, was amongst 49 Labour MPs to vote against the government’s welfare changes in July 2025.

Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Universal Credit were the focus of the government’s original plans.

PIP is not linked to whether people can work or not, with the aim instead being to help claimants cover additional costs associated with being disabled or long-term sick.

People are assessed against ten different categories to determine whether they are eligible and how much they should receive. The government’s initial proposals would have made it more difficult for individuals to accumulate enough points to qualify for PIP.

Downing Street eventually conceded a series of reversals, including the announcement that any changes to PIP were being postponed until a review was conducted by Sir Stephen.

Regarding the government’s aim to increase employment among disabled people, Nadia Whittome stated: “There are many disabled and chronically ill people who would love to work but currently find this impossible for a number of reasons.

“The government is right to want to improve the support that it provides to disabled people, but it must be genuine support, rather than cuts to benefits which just make people’s lives harder.

“I was proud to work alongside disabled campaigners to successfully oppose the government’s proposed cuts to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) last year.

“The review of PIP that was promised in its place must be co-produced with disabled people, must improve the support they receive and the experience of claiming PIP, and must not be a cost-cutting exercise.”

Speaking about the PIP review, Sir Stephen told Nottinghamshire Live: “Spending on PIP has rapidly increased, really since before the pandemic.

“We’ve got to make sure that we’re using those resources for the best possible impact to enable disabled people and people with long-term health problems to be independent, including if they’re up for it to be in work and to make sure that we’re removing barriers which have held people back in the past.

“We’re going to have recommendations by the autumn, I don’t know what’s going to be in those, but I’ve very much enjoyed the discussions we’ve had so far and I hope it’s going to be a really fruitful review.”