Social Security Secretary Alistair Darling has met a delegation from the 60 Labour MPs who have pledged to oppose the changes.

The meeting followed the mass resignation of several major charities from an official advisory panel.

Lisa Holland: "An embarrassing blow for the government"

The cuts have already raised the prospect of the largest backbench rebellion since Labour came to power in 1997.

The backbench rebels plan to support a series of amendments reversing the cuts when the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill completes its final stages in the Commons on Monday.

Lynne Jones MP, who met Mr Darling on Thursday, said: "Whilst he listened to what we had to say, he made it quite clear the government is not prepared to change or compromise in any way.

"We will have to put our amendment on Monday night and people will have to listen to the arguments we put forward.

"I'm sure there will be a lot of Labour MPs who support our views."

Steve Winyard of the RNIB explains why they have quit the Disability Benefits Consortium

The royal institutes for the blind and deaf, cerebral palsy charity Scope, mental health group Mind, and the National Association of Citizen's Advice Bureaux are among the groups who have quit the government's Disability Benefits Forum over the proposed legislation.

'Doing the right thing'

The row centres on plans to make Incapacity Benefit available only to people who have made National Insurance contributions for the equivalent of one year over the past two years - instead of over their entire working life as at present.

The bill also proposes means testing the benefit, by reducing payments to people with private pensions worth more than �50 a week.

Alistair Darling: Insists there is support for reforms

Royal National Institute for Deaf People Chief Executive James Strachan dismissed Mr Darling's claims that the reforms were doing the "right thing" for disabled people.

"Cutting disability benefits by �750m, with only a small fraction pledged back to disabled people, may be doing the 'right thing' for Chancellor Gordon Brown but certainly not for disabled people," he said.

MPs on the all-party disablement group also added to the condemnation of the cuts on Wednesday.

The groups Co-Chairman Lord Ashley says the plans "break faith with the moral obligation to people who may have made contributions for 20 or 30 years, but could in future be denied benefits".

Darling stands by plans

The Disability Benefits Forum was set up slightly less than a year ago by the Department of Social Security to give the disabled a "pivotal role" in shaping policy and to "ensure a proper dialogue between government and disability organisations".

Secretary of State for Social Security Alistair Darling: "You can't agree with everyone all of the time"

Following the protest resignations, Mr Darling issued a statement defending his plans which are intended to encourage as many disabled as possible to enter employment.

"Many members of the Disability Benefits Forum welcomed the proposals we have made," he said.

"We accept that some wanted more, but you can't agree with everyone all of the time on every issue.

"The proposals are right in principle and are the right thing to do. We were elected to bring the welfare state up to date, to reflect changing conditions and the needs of society in the future.