A radical welfare reform programme intended to tackle poverty and get people back to work has been set out by the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith.
As part of the reforms, the Government will consider scrapping the £20bn a year tax credits scheme and look at ways to change the tax system so that lone parents who work more than 16 hours a week are not penalised.
Mr Duncan Smith also hinted in his speech last week about plans to make the welfare system simpler and more transparent.
He said, 'By putting a dynamic approach to benefits in place, we will make sure that individuals and households are always better off in work so that they can take a sustainable path out of poverty.'