BRITAIN’S debate on welfare cuts has led to the creation of websites inciting attacks on disabled people for driving Motability vehicles as the vulnerable group is portrayed as “benefit scroungers and a drain on society,” the House of Lords has heard.

Paralympic champion Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson highlighted criticism levelled at the scheme, which entitles eligible individuals to lease a new car using part of their benefit, during a debate on the Universal Credit Bill in the Lords on Wednesday night.

“There is a website, which was taken down over the weekend, with promises to put it back up, to help people detect if ‘an annoying neighbour’ is seen driving a new car,” said the 11-time gold medallist former wheelchair racer.

“This is terrifying for a number of disabled people. It has been reported to the police. It feels like it crosses a line to incitement.

“This does not feel like a collaborative environment in which to have a sensible debate.”

Despite this, the Universal Credit Bill was cleared by the Lords to receive royal assent, having already been through the Commons.

As a so-called “money Bill” it could not be amended by the upper chamber but a regret motion, which would have rebuked it, was defeated too.

As part of the Bill, the basic universal credit standard allowance will rise at least in line with inflation until 2029/30.

But the health part of the benefit would be reduced for new claimants after April 2026, unless they had a severe or terminal condition, and the rate would be frozen until 2030.

Disability campaigners forced the government to make concessions on its personal independence payment clauses.

But the Bill will leave disabled people on the health element of universal credit £3,000 a year worse off, warns Disability Rights UK.

Speaking outside the chamber, chief executive at the learning disability charity Mencap Jon Sparkes said: “We know many people with a learning disability on universal credit are already living in poverty struggling to buy food, unable to heat their homes and are unlikely to be able to meet these costs in other ways.”

Today Labour MP Jon Trickett said he was unrepentant after he and other rebels got an email “from party authorities telling me I voted in Parliament against the government’s welfare reforms six times in one day.”