WELFARE TO WORK:

Blair pledges backing for welfare reforms (Michael White, February 2, 2005, The Guardian)

Tony Blair yesterday pledged his government to help up to one million people on incapacity benefit back into work through a series of "firm but fair" reforms which will be announced today.

Crucial to the proposals by the work and pensions secretary, Alan Johnson, which are to be revealed this morning, will be plans to shift financial incentives away from long-term incapacity towards the active search for work.

This will almost certainly be by cutting the extra incapacity benefit (IB) which claimants get after both six and 12 months.

Ahead of the first phase of Mr Johnson's five-year plan - he will tackle pensions reform later this month - the prime minister used a speech at the communities conference in Manchester yesterday to set the scene.

He proclaimed that, across all public services, he wants "a system that rewards work, rewards learning, targets abuse and has respect for the local community in which we live."