Iain Duncan Smith speech on child poverty

Iain Duncan Smith speech on child poverty; ** TRANSCRIPT CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY **Iain Duncan Smith MP (Work and Pensions Secretary) speech SOT- This Government is committed to addressing the pathways that lead families into poverty in the first place, and offer meaningful routes out. For those who are able, we know that work is the best way for families to lift themselves out of poverty. It is not just about more money. Work and the income it brings can change lives – providing a structure to people’s lives, giving them a stake in their community... ... in turn, having a transformative effect on children’s lives and aspirations, equipping them to fulfil their potential. This belief underpins the whole package of reforms that I am delivering in the Department for Work and Pensions. We are introducing the Universal Credit, a single payment withdrawn at a single rate, so it is always clear to people that work pays more than benefits. And we are delivering the Work Programme – offering personalised support to get people back into employment and keep them there. Universal Credit and the Work Programme are two sides of the same coin. Either without the other would not have the same impact. Together, they will become formidable tools for taking people on a journey from dependency to independence. Where someone is paralysed by an addiction, they cannot make progress on this journey. Their addiction keeps them from getting into work, but being unemployed in turn traps them in dependency, limiting the control they have over their own life. There are around 100,000 people claiming sickness benefits whose illness is primarily down to their drug or alcohol addiction. Of these, a staggering 23,000 have been claiming incapacity benefits for a decade or more. And whilst addicts may face real barriers to work, if we are to break the cycle, it is vital that we help individuals break their addiction and secure a job. Today, I am pleased to announce two Work Pr...