We believe it is time for an entirely new welfare system, based on an entirely new culture of responsibility. In a responsible society, individuals who are capable of working accept their responsibility to work - and the government accepts its responsibility to help all those who can work get into jobs.
Our programme for welfare reform, set out in a Green Paper published in January 2008, will end the culture of long-term welfare dependence in this country and help make British poverty history.
We will assess all recipients of out-of-work benefits and provide individual programmes of support to help them return to work. Welfare-to-work services will be delivered by private and voluntary sector providers with proven track records for delivering in this area. In return, we expect individuals who are capable of work to do all they can to return to work.
- People who refuse to join a return-to-work programme will lose the right to claim out-of-work benefits until they do
- People who refuse to accept reasonable job offers could lose the right to claim out-of-work benefits for three years.
- Time limits will be applied to out-of-work benefits - so people who claim for more than two years out of three will be required to join community work programmes.
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