Work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith has been criticised for referring to people without a disability as “normal”.
The Conservative cabinet minister made the remarks in the House of Commons as he defended the government’s record on getting more people with a disability back into work.
“I think the figure is now over 220,000, which I believe is the highest figure since records began, in proportionate terms, but the most important point is that we are looking to get that up to the level of normal, non-disabled people who are back in work.
“Those with disabilities have every right and every reason to expect exactly the same support into work that everybody else gets,” he said.
He was criticised by Eilidh Whiteford, the SNP social justice spokeswoman, who heard the comments in the chamber and said it provided a “shocking insight” into Duncan Smith’s mentality.
Unite, the trade union, said “shame on IDS and his shocking language” about disabled people, while the PCS union said the language was “disgraceful”.
His comments come at a sensitive time, as the work and pensions secretary is planning a radical reform of sickness benefits that the government hopes will force up to 1 million more disabled people into work.
Changes to employment and support allowance and the assessment of people claiming sickness benefits are aimed at shrinking the “disability employment gap” by taking many people off benefits and expecting them to move into work.
Some disability campaigners claim that they are being targeted as part of a £12bn cut in the welfare bill, and a group of protesters have clashed with police inside the House of Commons after they tried to storm the chamber during prime minister’s questions to protest against benefit cuts.
A letter to the Guardian from more than 100 charities in June argued that the hard-won rights of people with a learning disability to live independent lives are being eroded as a result of government cuts to benefits and social care services.
