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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Welfare claimants face conditions | Welfare claimants face conditions |
| (5 days later) | |
| Welfare claimants will have to do some form of work or prepare for a job in the future if they want to receive benefits, a minister has warned. | Welfare claimants will have to do some form of work or prepare for a job in the future if they want to receive benefits, a minister has warned. |
| James Purnell, speaking on BBC One's Andrew Marr show, said claimants would have to take up a "reasonable job offer" or there would be "sanctions". | James Purnell, speaking on BBC One's Andrew Marr show, said claimants would have to take up a "reasonable job offer" or there would be "sanctions". |
| Only severely disabled people and single mothers with babies under one would avoid any benefits conditions. | Only severely disabled people and single mothers with babies under one would avoid any benefits conditions. |
| He is to set out his plans in a White Paper published this week. | He is to set out his plans in a White Paper published this week. |
| The work and pensions secretary said the government was adopting a "tough love approach". | The work and pensions secretary said the government was adopting a "tough love approach". |
| Mr Purnell said claimants who refused to take up such offers could stand to lose their benefits - or they would be required to carry out full-time work such as community service, in return for it. | |
| However, he ruled out adopting any time limit to such benefits. | However, he ruled out adopting any time limit to such benefits. |
| "In America where they tried time-limiting, first of all it wasn't effective and second it punished the most vulnerable in our society. | "In America where they tried time-limiting, first of all it wasn't effective and second it punished the most vulnerable in our society. |
| "It increased child poverty because some people just dropped out of the system, they weren't getting either work or benefits, so I don't think that is the right approach," he said. | "It increased child poverty because some people just dropped out of the system, they weren't getting either work or benefits, so I don't think that is the right approach," he said. |
| Unemployment forecasts | Unemployment forecasts |
| The most controversial aspect of the proposals concerns the more than 2m people on incapacity benefit and hundreds of thousands of non-working mothers, according to an interview with Mr Purnell in the Sunday Times. | The most controversial aspect of the proposals concerns the more than 2m people on incapacity benefit and hundreds of thousands of non-working mothers, according to an interview with Mr Purnell in the Sunday Times. |
| Mr Purnell told the paper: "We don't think it is appropriate to make you take work at this stage, but you should be preparing for work." | Mr Purnell told the paper: "We don't think it is appropriate to make you take work at this stage, but you should be preparing for work." |
| He added: "I believe very strongly in a system like the Dutch or the Danish or the Swedish, where you have more support but also higher expectations. | He added: "I believe very strongly in a system like the Dutch or the Danish or the Swedish, where you have more support but also higher expectations. |
| "They have maternity and paternity leave and then people are treated in exactly the same way." | "They have maternity and paternity leave and then people are treated in exactly the same way." |
| In November the business group CBI warned unemployment could peak at close to 2.9m by 2010, up from about 1.8m at present. | In November the business group CBI warned unemployment could peak at close to 2.9m by 2010, up from about 1.8m at present. |
| The British Chambers of Commerce, and the Standard Chartered Bank have also said that unemployment could reach about 3 million before the recession ends. | The British Chambers of Commerce, and the Standard Chartered Bank have also said that unemployment could reach about 3 million before the recession ends. |
| However, Mr Purnell would not be drawn on how high UK unemployment could go next year, saying "governments never do that". | However, Mr Purnell would not be drawn on how high UK unemployment could go next year, saying "governments never do that". |
| He told the BBC that the government's aim was to make the recession as "shallow and short as possible. That reduces the human cost - but also the financial cost". |