The government’s new Welfare Bill aims to put “work, rather than hand-outs”, at the centre of the welfare system, according to work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith.

The bill will introduce a Universal Credit, aiming to simplify the benefits system to make work pay and break intergenerational cycles of worklessness.

The government says the changes will mean:

·     2.7m households will be better off

·     more than 1m households experience an increase in their weekly income of £25, with 85% of this increase going to the poorest families in the country

·     nearly 1m people out of poverty including 350,000 children

The bill also aims to:

·     introduce a proper system of conditionality and ensure individuals cannot abuse or defraud the system

·     a Personal Independence Payment for disabled people to support those who really need it

·     a new system of child support which puts a child’s interests first

·     introducing new powers to tackle fraud and error problems

Duncan Smith said: “The welfare system was created to meet the demand for a fairer society. Today, this Bill will seek to restore the welfare system to those founding principles.

“Our reforms will end the absurdity of a system where people too often get rewarded for doing the wrong thing, and those who strive to do the best by their families get penalised.

“The publication of the Welfare Reform Bill will put work, rather than hand-outs, at the heart of the welfare system. It will ensure that we continue to provide appropriate support for those genuinely unable to work, as we must and as we should. And it will provide a fair deal for the taxpayer.”