A dark day for the disabled: Unless you're deaf/blind.

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Far-reaching proposals to overhaul the welfare system have passed their first parliamentary hurdle.

The government's welfare reform bill got its second reading in the House of Commons with a majority of 288.

During the debate, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith reassured cancer charities that he would listen to their concerns over benefit changes.

Labour said they supported aspects of the proposed legislation but had reservations about its overall impact.

Labour MPs abstained in Wednesday's vote and their own amendment, raising various objections and urging further consultation, was defeated by 73 votes

Ahead of the bill's Second Reading, 30 cancer charities warned that disability benefit changes could leave people without financial support "when they need it the most".

Mr Duncan Smith said he was taking advice on issues raised and was not trying to harm cancer patients after the charities signed an open letter to the Guardian, raising concerns about changes to Employment and Support Allowance, which replaced incapacity benefit and Disability Living Allowance.

Asked about the cancer charities' concerns, Mr Duncan Smith told MPs "very substantial changes" had already been made to support cancer patients.

But he said he understood concerns about oral chemotherapy and he had asked Professor Malcolm Harrington, who has reviewed the ESA system, to give advice on the issue.

"Professor Harrington will review that, will take evidence and we have asked the cancer groups to offer their thoughts and advice on this, as well as the medical fraternity and we will take consideration of what Professor Harrington says."

He added: "We are not in the business of trying to harm or affect cancer patients, quite the contrary, I think we have made some very serious changes to what we inherited from the previous government and that is what we will continue to do.".

For Labour, shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne pressed him to say that people with permanent disabilities would not have to repeatedly undergo assessments for disability benefits. He said: "Are you saying this afternoon that if someone is deaf-blind they will be recalled for regular checks under the regime that you are aspiring to put in place, yes or no?"

Mr Duncan Smith said that would be "looked at" during the bill's passage but it was "right" to see people and check on their condition, rather than leave them "parked forever on set benefits".

But Mr Byrne said some people should be exempted from having to "go through check after check".