What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Labour today raised serious concerns about Theresa May’s new Welfare chief, Esther McVey over her previous record of defending cruel Tory benefit cuts.

Esther McVey, who was a junior minister for jobs and disabled people under former Welfare secretary Iain Duncan Smith, was given the top job in the Department for Work and Pensions last week, in Mrs May’s shambolic reshuffle.

But today, Labour’s Debbie Abrahams published an open letter to Ms McVey, challenging her to defend some of her “ill-advised” actions.

The Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary said Ms McVey, a former TV presenter, saw through cuts in support to more than 300,000 disabled people when Disability Living Allowance was replaced by less generous Personal Independence Payments.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

She said Ms McVey had suggested in the House of Commons that the hated Bedroom Tax was about “fairness” and not saving money and denied the increased use of foodbanks was not caused by Conservative cuts to benefits for the most vulnerable.

In the letter, seen by the Mirror, Ms Abrahams wrote: “You will be my fourth Work and Pensions Secretary in 18 months, but I do hope we can work constructively to ensure that the social security system your Government presides over, provides dignity and security for all people whether they have fallen on hard times, are sick or disabled or are elderly.

“Unfortunately, it is clear from evidence across the country that this is not the common experience of people who are reliant on the social security system.”

She said the culture developed by Ms McVey and her predecessors in the role had “meant that instead of feeling supported and enabled, people feel demonised and even dehumanised.”

(Image: Getty)

“Your policies are hurting the people they should help most,” she added.

Ms Abrahams also urged Ms McVey to look again at the so-called “rape clause”, which forces victims “prove” their children had been conceived as a result of sexual assault in order to claim child tax credits for more than two children.

And she called on the new Work and Pensions Secretary to guarantee, as her predecessor David Gauke did, that there would be no further cuts to the social security budget.

She added: “I am willing to work constructively with you in the best interests of the country.

"However continuing down the current road will only cause more misery.”