The Prime Minister used a speech in Yorkshire today to warn that the UK needed ‘security back at home’ as well as strength on the international stage

No 10 has been ‘shocked’ by the scale of Labour opposition to the proposal to cut disability benefits to save £5bn and get hundreds of thousands of people who can work into jobs

He added: ‘We’ve set up a system that basically says “if you try the journey from where you are into work and anything goes wrong, you’ll probably end up in a worse position than when you started”.

‘And so, understandably, many people say “well, I’m a bit scared about making that journey”, therefore we’re baking in too many people not being able to get into work. And that’s across the board.

‘I use the example of young people, because I just think it’s so tragic that people who are just starting their journey in life are already stuck in a system that won’t let them get to where they need to be, in my view.

‘And that is not a good thing, I don’t think, for them or for the country.’

Of the 2.5 million UC health claimant total last year, 10 per cent were under 25 years old while 38 per cent were aged 50 and above.

Just over half (54 per cent) of claimants were female.

Of the overall total, just 14 per cent – some 336,000 – were deemed to have acceptable medical evidence of a restricted ability to work.

It came as spooked ministers looked at adding safeguards for the most disabled in the plan to cut the amount paid to those too ill to work.

No 10 has been ‘shocked’ by the scale of Labour opposition to the proposal to cut disability benefits to save £5bn and get hundreds of thousands of people who can work into jobs.

An announcement on the measures had been expected yesterday, but has been delayed until next week amid a major operation to win over backbench sceptics.

Dozens are said to have used private meetings in No 10 to lay out their shock at the level of the cuts planned and urge a rethink.

Ms Reeves will deliver her spring statement on March 26, with increased borrowing costs and weak economic growth likely to require spending cuts in order to meet her commitments on managing the public finances.

Curbing the cost of welfare is expected to be among moves to contribute to savings.

The bulk of the savings are likely to come from making it harder to get personal independence payments (PIPS), while disability handouts could be frozen in cash terms.

However ITV News reports today that there could also be a consultation on measures to protect a small group of the most disabled people who receive PIPs.

Sir Keir yesterday made a personal plea for Labour MPs to back him on benefits cuts as he recalled how his late mother and brother dealt with disabilities.

He lashed out at the current ‘indefensible’ welfare system as he was challenged over potential cuts during Prime Minister’s Questions this afternoon.

He told MPs: ‘I come from a family that dealt with a disability through my mother and brother over many years.

‘So I do understand the concerns that have been raised… but we inherited a system which is broken.

‘It is indefensible, economically and morally, and we must and we will reform it. We will have clear principles, we will protect those who need protecting.

‘We will also support those who can work, back to work, but Labour is the party of work, we’re also the party of equality and fairness.’

Later in today’s session of PMQs, Sir Keir was told by Labour backbencher Richard Burgon to make the ‘moral’ choice and introduce a wealth tax.

This was instead of ‘making the poor and vulnerable pay’ by cutting benefits for disabled people, the left-wing MP added.

‘Disabled people in my constituency are frightened,’ Mr Burgon told the PM.

‘And they’re frightened because they’re again hearing politicians use the language of tough choices.

‘They know, from bitter experience, when politicians talk about tough choices it means the easy option of making the poor and vulnerable pay.

‘So instead of cutting benefits for disabled people, wouldn’t the moral thing to do, the courageous thing to do, be to make a real tough choice and introduce a wealth tax on the very wealthiest people in our society?’

Sir Keir replied: ‘The party opposite left a broken welfare system, which locks millions out of work, that is indefensible, in my view, economically and morally.

‘Of course, we need to support people who need support, we need to help those who want to work to get back into work, and I think there’s a moral imperative in that.

‘He talks about a wealth tax, we have raised money – the energy profits levy, taxing non-doms, and air passenger duty on private jets.

‘But this isn’t a bottomless pit, and we must kick-start growth to get the economic stability that we need.’