The Coalition Government has embarked upon the most ambitious and wide-ranging programme of welfare reform for generations. This report builds on these principles to develop further a welfare system which can respond to the worklessness challenges of today. At the heart of this it argues that the welfare system should get better at identifying risk of unemployment and welfare dependency early and responding swiftly with appropriate support. This can prevent problems from becoming entrenched.

It argues that this system should represent a coherent offer of support across the life-cycle of an individual’s journey.Initiatives should be designed in the context of the steps that people are taking to sustained employment.