MEL STRIDE aimed to “ramp up hatred” when he claimed that the cost of paying benefits to people with certain disabilities amounts to thousands of pounds a month, a campaign group said today.

The Work and Pensions Secretary spoke to BBC Breakfast on Monday about personal independence payments (PIP), a benefit for those who have extra living costs due to long-term health problems, ahead of a consultation on proposed welfare reforms.

He said: “What we know with PIP is that it’s a very blunt benefit.