§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when she plans to let unemployed people begin borrowing against future earnings; and what estimate she has made of the cost of the scheme in each of the next three years. [7562]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyThe Government believe that work is the best form of welfare for people of working age. Our welfare-to-work objectives are to provide work incentives, to reduce poverty and welfare dependency and to strike a new balance between rights and responsibilities.
Over the next few months we shall be looking closely at all the features of the benefit system which might have an impact on work incentives. A key priority will be to consider carefully support which enables people to make the transition from benefit into employment.