Tory welfare chief Esther McVey today suggested her own party's benefit cuts are "fake news" in a shameless party conference speech.

The Work and Pensions Secretary launched an arrogant attack on Labour and "social media" - despite cuts being well-documented by think tanks and her predecessor Iain Duncan Smith.

Most working-age benefits are frozen for four years from 2016/17 to 2019/20 - a cut to families' real income. The government's own 2015 Budget said this would cut £4billion a year from the benefits bill.

Meanwhile, new benefit Universal Credit is widely agreed to be less generous than it was designed to be thanks to cuts by ex-Chancellor George Osborne. Its founder, Tory Iain Duncan Smith, said £2billion more must be put in to restore it - while the National Audit Office has cast doubt on its claim to "make work pay".

Tories have axed housing benefit for under-22s, only to U-turn and ditch the policy. They've introduced a £20,000 cap on household benefits. And hundreds of thousands of previous claimants have been denied disability benefits under the new Personal Independence Payment.

Yet Ms McVey - who has herself been forced to correct misleading statements about benefits - appeared to suggest all these facts were "fake news" because the total amount of money put into thebenefits system has gone up.

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She told Tory members in Birmingham: "If you were to believe everything you heard from Labour or read on social media you'd think we were somehow letting down the most vulnerable in society - especially disabled people.

"However, those who say we are cutting budgets are peddling fake news.

"So here’s the real news - we have never spent more on those with disabilities and long-term health conditions. We spend over £50billion a year, up £9billion on 2010."

Ms McVey said she became a Conservative to stand against the "ugly, destructive, Marxist, Militant, socialists of the past".

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Blasting the pro-Corbyn campaign group, she told members: "Momentum is the modern day Militant - and remember there are three M's in Momentum - Militant, Militant, Militant.

"Can you imagine it, this country with Corbyn, McDonnell and Abbott at the helm?

"It would be a political nightmare, with Labour doing what it always does - leaving office with higher unemployment than it inherited."

She added: "Remember what John McDonnell said about me? That I should be lynched. Well he picked on the wrong woman!"

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(Mr McDonnell has claimed he was quoting an activist who said that, rather than suggesting it personally).

In a new policy, Ms McVey announced the Citizens Advice Bureau is set to receive £39million to help Universal Credit claimants under the Universal Support scheme.

The cash will fund advisers to help claimants get their first payment on time and be ready to manage it when it arrives.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

(Image: PA)

Ms McVey said the decision to hand responsibility to the CAB was taken after advice from claimants and charities.

She also announced the DWP will work with Barnado's from January to offer care leavers work experience in the charity's high street shops.

She added: "We want to do more than provide financial support, we want to help disabled people achieve their career ambitions and goals.

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"In fact from 2013 to 2017 we’ve helped 600,000 more disabled people into work through personalised and tailored support.

"And don't let history be rewritten - it was William Hague in a Conservative Government in 1995 who introduced the Disability Discrimination Act – to champion, support and hold up the values of a caring society."