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| Version 8 | Version 9 |
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| Benefit shake-up 'revolutionary' | Benefit shake-up 'revolutionary' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Benefit claimants could be forced to pick up litter and erase graffiti under plans to be unveiled by ministers. | Benefit claimants could be forced to pick up litter and erase graffiti under plans to be unveiled by ministers. |
| The Welfare Green Paper is set to include proposals to force those unemployed for more than two years to work full-time in the community. | The Welfare Green Paper is set to include proposals to force those unemployed for more than two years to work full-time in the community. |
| Incapacity benefit will be scrapped as part of a scheme to get more people claiming the benefit back to work. | Incapacity benefit will be scrapped as part of a scheme to get more people claiming the benefit back to work. |
| Minister James Purnell says the plans are "revolutionary". The Tories say many of the ideas are theirs. | |
| This shake-up will apply to all 4.5 million people on out-of-work benefits, but is expected to impact most on those on Jobseekers Allowance. | This shake-up will apply to all 4.5 million people on out-of-work benefits, but is expected to impact most on those on Jobseekers Allowance. |
| Conservative support | Conservative support |
| Under plans laid out in the Green Paper, claimants will have to carry out four weeks' community work once they have been unemployed for more than a year. | Under plans laid out in the Green Paper, claimants will have to carry out four weeks' community work once they have been unemployed for more than a year. |
| After two years, they will be ordered to work full-time in the community. | After two years, they will be ordered to work full-time in the community. |
| Incapacity Benefit claimants will all move to the new Employment Support Allowance by 2013, which ministers hope will be regarded, for all but the most disabled people, as a temporary benefit. | Incapacity Benefit claimants will all move to the new Employment Support Allowance by 2013, which ministers hope will be regarded, for all but the most disabled people, as a temporary benefit. |
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme | FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme |
| People who have been signed off sick will have a new medical check with someone who is not their own GP. | People who have been signed off sick will have a new medical check with someone who is not their own GP. |
| Drug addicts are also being targeted, with the government expecting them to declare their problem and to embark on treatment in return for benefits. | Drug addicts are also being targeted, with the government expecting them to declare their problem and to embark on treatment in return for benefits. |
| The Conservatives say they will support many of the proposals, effectively neutralising any Labour backbench opposition. | The Conservatives say they will support many of the proposals, effectively neutralising any Labour backbench opposition. |
| The Liberal Democrats have welcomed some elements of the Green Paper, but are reserving their judgment on whether to support ministers. | The Liberal Democrats have welcomed some elements of the Green Paper, but are reserving their judgment on whether to support ministers. |
| Mr Purnell, the work and pensions secretary, says the welfare reforms being proposed will "transform lives". | |
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme | FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme |
| He told BBC Five Live Breakfast: "People have an obligation to work and the benefit system is not there to give you a choice between benefits and work; it's there to help you when you can't find work. | He told BBC Five Live Breakfast: "People have an obligation to work and the benefit system is not there to give you a choice between benefits and work; it's there to help you when you can't find work. |
| "If you can find work you should take it, if there isn't work there you should take steps to get back into work." | "If you can find work you should take it, if there isn't work there you should take steps to get back into work." |
| But people who do not take up the offer of support would lose benefits, said Mr Purnell. | But people who do not take up the offer of support would lose benefits, said Mr Purnell. |
| He said the government wanted to get one million people off incapacity benefit by 2015. | He said the government wanted to get one million people off incapacity benefit by 2015. |
| But former welfare reform minister Frank Field told the BBC's Today programme he doubted the proposals would make any difference. | But former welfare reform minister Frank Field told the BBC's Today programme he doubted the proposals would make any difference. |
| Tough choices | Tough choices |
| "The key fault in the old system is being brought into the new system, and that is if you can get through the employment capacity test... you'll get onto a higher rate of benefit," he said. | "The key fault in the old system is being brought into the new system, and that is if you can get through the employment capacity test... you'll get onto a higher rate of benefit," he said. |
| HAVE YOUR SAYAs long as people are paid a fair wage for their work, why shouldn't they work for benefits?Peter Hearty, Southend-on-SeaSend us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAYAs long as people are paid a fair wage for their work, why shouldn't they work for benefits?Peter Hearty, Southend-on-SeaSend us your comments |
| Mr Field said he had been arguing for 10 years that there should be a single rate of benefit for people of working age who were unable to work. They should be funded via the Disability Living Allowance, not benefits, he said. | Mr Field said he had been arguing for 10 years that there should be a single rate of benefit for people of working age who were unable to work. They should be funded via the Disability Living Allowance, not benefits, he said. |
| "The whole emphasis here, naturally, will be for people not to get jobs but to get onto the higher rate of benefit," he added. | "The whole emphasis here, naturally, will be for people not to get jobs but to get onto the higher rate of benefit," he added. |
| In February government welfare adviser David Freud suggested less than a third of the 2.7 million people claiming the benefit were doing so legitimately. | In February government welfare adviser David Freud suggested less than a third of the 2.7 million people claiming the benefit were doing so legitimately. |
| Conservative leader David Cameron said: "What (Mr Purnell) has done is very much taken the ideas we came up with in January, that are very clearly thought through and involve tough choices." | Conservative leader David Cameron said: "What (Mr Purnell) has done is very much taken the ideas we came up with in January, that are very clearly thought through and involve tough choices." |