We should protect the disabled and make savings elsewhere, a Norwich MP has said. Chloe Smith used the budget debate to say that pensioner benefits should be looked at again.

The Norwich North MP spoke out against planned cuts to personal independence payments in the budget last week which led to the resignation of welfare secretary Iain Duncan Smith.

The government announced yesterday that it would no proceed with the move.

She said she had backed other welfare measures including the so-called bedroom tax and moves to increase council house rents for higher earners know as pay to stay. 'We need to make it [the welfare state] affordable for the future.'

But said: 'I do not support the measures that had been announced in the budget which stood to reduce PIP.'

'We should protect the disabled and make savings elsewhere,' she said.