Liz Kendall announced the reforms to MPs on Tuesday.

Liz Kendall has been condemned after she unveiled plans to impose £5 billion-worth of cuts to disability benefits.

The work and pensions secretary announced the controversial move as part of major reforms to the welfare system.

She told MPs that the present set-up was “failing the very people it is supposed to help and holding our country back”.

Under the changes, the eligibility criteria to qualify for personal independence payments (PIP) will be made tougher so that only the most disabled people will qualify for it.

It is estimated that around 1 million people will lose out on the payment as a result.

Other changes will see the top rate of Universal Credit paid to those who are unfit to work will be halved from £97 to £47 a week for new claimants.

And for those already receiving it, the £97 a week payment will be frozen until 2030.

However, Kendall did confirm that plans to freeze PIP at its current rate will not go ahead following a backlash by Labour MPs.

The secretary of state said spending on sickness and disability benefits had gone up by £20bn since the pandemic and set to rise by another £18bn by the next election to £70bn a year.

Kendall said: “This is a significant reform package that is expected to save over £5 billion in 2029/30.”

But critics said the reforms will make life even harder for the disabled, while also pushing up poverty levels for some of the most vulnerable people in the country.

‘Shame the government to its core’

James Taylor, executive........

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