Welfare reform

Britain's welfare system will undergo massive changes under new reforms announced by work and pensions secretary James Purnell.

Those on unemployment benefit for longer than three months will have to sign up to a 'back to work action plan' which will include health tests and extra training.

Those who are unemployed for over a year will be put on a list of individuals which is contracted out to private or voluntary providers who are paid by result to get them back into work.

Those still on benefits two years later will have to attend full-time programmes and have to sign on every day.

Drug addicts will be threatened with losing benefits unless they undergo a treatment programme.

Those claiming incapacity benefit will have to undergo an assessment by doctors. The benefit itself will be renamed 'the employment and support allowance'.

Single parents will be expected to return to work when their child is seven rather than 16.

They will be moved off income support on to jobseekers' allowance but they will be able to receive maintenance payments without loosing out on benefits.

The 'access to work' scheme, which funds programmes for disabled workers and their employers to overcome disability, will have its funding doubled.

Given explicit assurances of Tory support, the proposals are almost certain to become law.