The government also faces discontent from more than 150,000 people who will lose their carer’s allowance as a result of the person they look after no longer qualifying for personal independence payments under the reforms. Official impact assessments show this will save £500 million.

Steve Darling, the Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman, called it “the biggest cuts to carer’s allowance for decades”, causing some families to lose a total of £12,000 a year.

The Labour MP Rachael Maskell urged ministers to “withdraw this policy”. Carers UK, a charity, said that claimants were “shocked, worried and scared”, warning that “families will effectively lose two main strands of financial income at once”.

That’s just cruel - carers save the country a fortune.