Miliband: PM A 'Disgrace' On Cancer Care - Sky News

4:10pm UK, Wednesday June 15, 2011

Labour leader Ed Miliband has called the Prime Minister an "absolute disgrace" over his welfare reforms, saying cancer patients will be among those hardest hit.

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The Labour leader said the proposed changes would result in some 7,000 cancer patients losing £94 a week in benefits, and called on him to halt the reforms.

But Mr Cameron said Mr Miliband was using the "smokescreen" to cover his party's reluctance to reform the welfare system.

And he insisted that plans in the Welfare Reform Bill to cap benefits at the average level of earnings were correct.

He added: "We are right to reform welfare, we want to make sure work always pays."

"It cannot be right for some families to get over £26,000 a year in benefits. That is paid for by people working hard and paying their taxes.

"I would say that everyone in the House should support the welfare Bill tonight. It's just a disappointment that Labour talk about welfare but won't vote for welfare reform."

Mr Cameron argued the welfare system needed to be reformed

But Mr Cameron did not seem clear on the policy, refering to welfare for the terminally ill rather than those who had recovered from serious illness.

A Labour source has told Sky News: "The Prime Minister has insulted cancer victims and should apologise."

The legislation is set to be passed in the Commons later.

Macmillan Cancer has warned patients could lose out under changes to the benefits system which will see the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) removed after a year.

The charity claims 7,000 could be affected and lose up to £94 a week if they are not ready to return to work.

They have denied getting involved in party politics by allowing Ed Miliband to raise the issue.

Head of policy Michael Hobday, a former Labour candidate, told Sky News: "Macmillan has briefed and will contine to brief all political parties about this.

"As head of policy, I will continue to speak up in favour of the Government if they get this right and against when they have not got it right yet.

"In this case the Government has not listened to the problem we have raised."

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "Recovering cancer patients who are assessed as still needing unconditional Government support will be placed in the support group of ESA and will see no change to their benefit entitlement after 12 months.

"Nor will there be any change for those on income-related ESA. We are working closely with Macmillan to ensure that people with cancer get all the support from us they need."

He added that a review is currently considering whether "further improvements" can be made to support people with cancer.

Mr Miliband was jeered by Tory MPs as he rose to ask his first question at the despatch box.

He was criticised for a poor performance last week when he failed to capitalise on the Government's u-turn on sentencing policy.

Questions were raised over the weekend about his leadership and ongoing feud with his brother.

David Miliband was forced to deny claims that he still coveted Labour's top job and had been plotting against his younger brother.