The suggestion that they fund a replacement for the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA), a grant for teenagers scrapped by the government in England, has gone down badly.

BBC: Education & Family

The government has already delayed a proposal to remove money designed to fund travel for disabled people in residential care from the existing Disability Living Allowance.

BBC: Housing benefit cut to hit 450,000 disabled people

Earlier this year Mr Scargill, 74, sued the NUM Yorkshire Area Trust Fund over a range of expenses he said he was owed, which included a car allowance.

BBC: Arthur Scargill

It would also would include carer's allowance and industrial injuries disablement benefit - although it would not include one-off benefits such as social fund loans and non-cash benefits such as free school meals or working tax credits.

BBC: George Osborne: Cap brought in on benefit claims