Blair seeks welfare 'sea change'

He said the days of simply giving handouts to the unemployed were over.

People had a responsibility to accept new opportunities to work under a "contract" between the citizen and society.

Mr Blair said he wanted to "help people to help themselves" - but the Conservatives said there was a gap between Mr Blair's rhetoric and reality.

'No fresh thinking'

Shadow Work and Pensions Minister David Willetts said Labour's complicated and expensive bureaucracy was failing to get lone parents and the disabled into work.

"There was no fresh thinking in the speech today (Monday)," he added.

"All we have had is a lot of re-announcements in order to change the subject from the scandals the government has been embroiled in in recent weeks."

Mr Blair was speaking in London at the opening of a Job Centre Plus, the government's plush replacement for Britain's "tatty" dole offices.

The new centres combine the work of social security offices and job centres.

Clients are denied benefits if they refuse reasonable job offers.

'Social division'

Mr Blair's speech had been billed in some newspapers as a "crackdown" on skivers and Britain's "sick note" culture.

But the prime minister was careful to moderate his language, talking of the need to reach people who had been "written off" by the welfare system, such as lone parents and the disabled.

He emphasised the "scandal" of the 2.7 million people had been "left adrift" on incapacity benefit.

And he also referred to the 1.6 million lone parents, half of whom needed to training and guidance to find a "route into work".

'Given the chance'

"We believe passionately in giving people the chance to get off benefit and into work.

"And we have done it for around about one and quarter million people.

"But there are hundreds of thousands more who could work, given the chance.

"And it's right for them that they get the chance," Mr Blair said.

'Customer-focused'

Mr Blair said Job Centre Plus would be "rolled out" across the country after a succesful trial.

People who come to sign are interviewed about their job prospects in a "customer-focused" environment.

New Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith unveiled a scheme called Ambition:Energy to create 4,500 new jobs in energy firms in the next three years.

The jobs will include gas engineers and fitters, as well as construction work.

Part-time training courses will be offered by firms including British Gas.

New Deal had targeted people aged between 18 and 24 who had been out of work for at least six months, by the government subsidising employers.