LABOUR-HELD seats will be the worst-affected by government plans to cut disability benefits, a study has found.

The most deprived areas stand to lose nearly three times more of their local economies than the wealthiest, according to Health Equity North’s seat-by-seat analysis.

Academics from the universities of Newcastle, Sheffield and Manchester found introducing stricter eligibility criteria for personal independence payments (Pip) would have the most impact in the north-east and north-west, with average per-person losses of £269 and £231 respectively.