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Benefit claimants 'must do more' Benefit claimants 'must do more'
(about 6 hours later)
Benefit claimants, including single mothers, will have to "play their part" in the economy or face losing some state payments, the government says.Benefit claimants, including single mothers, will have to "play their part" in the economy or face losing some state payments, the government says.
Under plans to be unveiled later, people will be asked to do some form of work or prepare themselves for finding a job in future. People will be asked to do some form of work or prepare themselves to find work in future, under plans unveiled later.
Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell said it was vital "there aren't people in a boat and not rowing". Minister James Purnell said it would "transform lives" and said public money should not be wasted "on people who are playing the system".
But the Tories said Labour had made it "more difficult" to find work. The Tories say Labour has had 11 years to make changes to the benefit system.
'Changes lives''Changes lives'
The government's proposals, to be outlined in a white paper, are expected to include penalties for people who turn down reasonable job offers or interviews, potentially including the loss of benefits or mandatory community service. Work and Pensions Secretary Mr Purnell is expected to make a Commons statement at 1230 GMT on a welfare reform white paper - the final stage before proposals are introduced in the form of a bill.
Those on incapacity benefits will be expected to prepare themselves for finding work while non-working mothers with children as young as one will be encouraged to return to the workplace when feasible - not necessarily immediately. It looks set to incorporate many of the recommendations of last week's Gregg Review, which recommended everyone on benefits, apart from the severely ill or disabled, some carers and parents of children under one, should either be actively looking for or preparing themselves for work.
It is lunacy to force people into jobs that are not there and to force lone parents to take up childcare which is either unaffordable or non-existent John McDonnell MP FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/default.stm">More from Today programme class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7774944.stm">Q&A: Welfare reform
Only severely disabled people and single mothers with babies under one are likely to avoid any benefits conditions. The government's plans - which are likely to be resisted by some Labour MPs - are expected to include penalties for people who turn down reasonable job offers or interviews.
Ministers say virtually everyone on benefits should be expected to do something in return for the support and those who can work should look to do so. Mr Purnell told BBC Radio 4's Today programme said the white paper was based on the Gregg review and last year's review by David Freud who said private and voluntary groups should be paid to help get people back to work.
In an interview with the BBC, Mr Purnell said: "Clearly at a time of economic difficulty, people want to make sure that everyone's playing their part, that there aren't people who are in a boat and not rowing. He said the government agreed that "virtually everyone has to do something in return for their benefits".
"Everybody needs to be playing their part and our system is making sure that virtually everyone is doing something in return for their benefits, because we know it changes their lives and we know it gets them back into work." 'Repeat offenders'
'Dependency culture' He said the reforms would start to "turn around some of the scars in our communities".
Mr Purnell added: "Some people say we should be slowing down the pace of welfare reform because we are entering a recession. There was a consensus, he said, that work was "good for people" and leaving people on benefits was "actually the cruel thing to do because it's bad for them and bad for their families".
"I say we should be doing exactly the opposite. If it's harder for people to find work, we should be providing them with more support, but also making sure they stay in touch with the world of work." class="lp" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/default.stm">HAVE YOUR SAYI think this move is 10 years too late. The government should have acted on this issue years agoLes Challoner, St Helens class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=5781&edition=1&ttl=20081210023027">Send us your comments Support was available for those who wanted to find work but for the "very small group of repeat offenders" would face "clear financial sanctions" where appropriate.
For the Conservatives, shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling said: "Britain is now a country where it is more and more difficult for young people to do better than their parents did. People's views on benefits reform
"Worse still, we have generations of the same family trapped in a dependency culture. Those with children were more likely to be penalised "in terms of their time so requiring them to come in and do more in return for their benefits", Mr Purnell said.
"For 10 years the government has been telling us it has the policies to solve the problem. But it hasn't worked. Britain really now needs a fresh direction." "If there's work there for people, we believe they should do it and people should not be able to turn down a reasonable offer of a job."
'Growing dismay' Making people "live up to their obligations" had always been at the heart of the welfare state since it was created, said Mr Purnell, who claimed Labour MPs had come to him to "ask me to do this".
Meanwhile, Labour MPs uneasy with the direction of government policy have promised to fight the proposals. 'Dismantling welfare state'
At a time of acute economic insecurity, Mr McDonnell said the government had "got its priorities wrong". "We can't afford to waste taxpayers' money on people who are playing the system, but most of all we can't afford to waste people's talent and that's why we need a welfare state that is active and helps people back into work."
The Conservatives are likely to support the proposals as they say they suggested them almost a year ago.
But the government faces opposition from Labour backbenchers like John McDonnell who said the government was "dismantling the welfare state".
He said at a time of acute economic insecurity, the government had "got its priorities wrong".
HAVE YOUR SAYI think this move is 10 years too late. The government should have acted on this issue years agoLes Challoner, St HelensSend us your comments
"It is lunacy to force people into jobs that are not there and to force lone parents to take up childcare which is either unaffordable or non-existent," he said."It is lunacy to force people into jobs that are not there and to force lone parents to take up childcare which is either unaffordable or non-existent," he said.
"There is widespread and growing dismay at the government's dismantling of the welfare state built by the post-war Labour government. For the Conservatives, shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling said: "Britain is now a country where it is more and more difficult for young people to do better than their parents did.
"This smacks of unfairness and another 10 pence tax rate." "Worse still, we have generations of the same family trapped in a dependency culture."
'Inappropriate'
"For 10 years the government has been telling us it has the policies to solve the problem. But it hasn't worked. Britain really now needs a fresh direction," he added.
Ministers have made welfare reform a centrepiece of their legislative proposals over the next year, arguing that to abandon such a course of action in the face of a recession would be wrong.Ministers have made welfare reform a centrepiece of their legislative proposals over the next year, arguing that to abandon such a course of action in the face of a recession would be wrong.
A recent government-commissioned report argued that people should have their benefits cut for four weeks if they repeatedly refused to make efforts to find work.A recent government-commissioned report argued that people should have their benefits cut for four weeks if they repeatedly refused to make efforts to find work.
But charities are concerned that excessive pressure on single parents to find work would be damaging.But charities are concerned that excessive pressure on single parents to find work would be damaging.
"The government's get-tough approach inappropriately puts sensitive decisions about parenting and children's needs in the hands of job centre officials," said Fiona Weir, chief executive of pressure group One Parent Families Gingerbread. "The government's get-tough approach inappropriately puts sensitive decisions about parenting and children's needs in the hands of job centre officials," said Fiona Weir, of pressure group One Parent Families Gingerbread.
"We know that single parents want to work when it is right for their children but asking them to jump through additional job centre hoops is not the way to help them achieve their ambitions."