Fears that Labour’s cuts to the disability benefits affecting 60,000 people in Doncaster could lose them votes in the upcoming local elections have arisen ahead of Nigel Farage’s planned visit tomorrow. 

Cuts to Personal Independence Payments, which support those with disabilities in their daily living and mobility costs, were announced by the government last week. 

Liz Kendall, announcing the welfare reform, said the cuts could save £5b and motivate people to get back to work. 

Minesh Parekh, Councillor for Crookes and Crosspool, is one of the Labour members fighting against the cuts. 

Cllr Parekh said: “Many of my friends and family are telling me that this isn’t what they voted for when they voted for Labour. And that’s something that cuts quite deep to me.

“I worry these welfare cuts and other policies that have been considered or enacted might lose us electoral support. That is a big worry for me. But the bigger worry is the moral and social impact on disabled people’s lives and people who depend on welfare support.”

James Woods, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Doncaster, a charity which provides support and advice, said the plans undermine the 2010 Equality Act because they disproportionately impact those with mental health conditions, conditions which fluctuate, and non-visible disabilities.

Mr Woods said: “The danger with it is that people could be pressured into work when they are not well enough to sustain it.”

Already receiving over 800 calls a week, Mr Woods added that the cuts will have a knock-on effect on the already “astronomically high” demand for Citizens Advice Doncaster and local food banks and homelessness charities.

Labour members against benefit cuts united in Sheffield City Centre last Friday in a bid to fight the changes. They urge supporters to submit motions to their branch and Constituency Labour Party and write to their MP to ask them to vote against any cuts to welfare. 

The news of a potential loss of support for Labour comes after The Telegraph predicted Reform UK will topple Energy Secretary and Doncaster MP Ed Milliband in the upcoming May local election.

Nigel Farage will visit Doncaster tomorrow to unveil his mayoral candidate in a rally at the racecourse. Reform UK candidate for Woodhouse, Andrew Hizzard, said people are turning to the far-right in Doncaster because they want change and are unhappy with how our country is being run.

He said: “The party is growing at an unbelievable pace and I think we are doing remarkably well”. 

Reform UK’s manifesto pledges an equally significant change to welfare. They insist on face to face assessment for disability benefits and warn that “all job seekers and those fit to work must find employment within 4 months or accept a job after 2 offers. Otherwise, benefits are withdrawn.”

Cllr Parekh said: “I think Reform is a very cynical political enterprise. It’s run by a former banker and it’s run by its millionaire lobbyists. I’m sure they’ll say whatever they want to push people into believing they’ll receive help when they won’t.”

“I want us to be loud and proud in our support of working class people. And I think in the absence of that, people might lose hope and people might turn to these false idols. But Reform is an abhorrent, racist party and I hope people don’t turn to them.”

Hizzard added that claims Reform UK is a racist party are “absolute rubbish”.