Disability and domestic abuse, Maternity care failings, Authors Labour MP Yuan Yang and Sanam Mahloudji, Gossiping

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to make further cuts to welfare benefits and government departments when she speaks in Parliament later. The government already announced big welfare spending reductions last week - but the Chancellor's been told by the Office For Budget Responsibility her reforms to the system won't save as much as planned. Now dozens of women’s organisations have written to Rachel Reeves urging her rethink plans for disability benefit cuts over fears it will remove a 'vital lifeline' for victims of abuse. Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson Director of the Women's Budget Group and Angie Airlie, Chief Executive of Stay Safe East speak to Clare McDonnell.

In this week’s Women’s Prize discussion, Clare hears from two authors about the debut books they’ve had long-listed for this year’s prestigious literary prize. Sanam Mahloudji’s novel, The Persians, tells the story of the Valiat family from the perspective of five women from 1940s Iran into a splintered 2000s. And Labour MP Yuan Yang’s non-fiction book, Private Revolutions, explores the lives of four women born in China in the 1980s and 90s during a time of rapid change in society.

It's emerged that an NHS trust criticised over the avoidable death of a baby was paid £2m for providing good maternity care. It's the latest in a series of developments and failings which have led to calls for a national inquiry into maternity care. It’s alleged that hospital trusts are failing to learn from past mistakes and failing to implement improvement recommendations. The BBC’s Social Affairs Correspondent Michael Buchanan tells Clare what grieving parents want to happen.

Do you enjoy a bit of gossip? The thrill of being the first to hear something and sharing it, or the irresistible urge to be let into the lives of others? What’s the difference between idle gossip and hurtful criticism behind someone’s back, do women gossip as much as men and can gossip be used to keep women safe? American journalist Kelsey McKinney joins Clare from the US to discuss her new book, You Didn't Hear This From Me: Notes on the Art of Gossip.

Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Claire Fox