The welfare state, created as a safety net for the most vulnerable, has long since become a bloated and destructive monster that fosters idleness and irresponsibility.

With an annual cost to the taxpayer of over £137 billion, this giant is undermining our economic competitiveness and social cohesion by providing perverse incentives for unemployment, family breakdown and inability to work.

Its ruthless expansion, particularly since the pandemic, explains why Britain now has an astonishing 5.8 million “economically inactive” working-age welfare claimants.

No less than 3.2 million of them benefit from long-term sickness benefits, compared to 2.2 million in 2019. Without change, this total is expected to reach more than 4 million by the end of the decade, making of us “the sick man of Europe”. ‘ again.

This is why the Prime Minister’s commitment to embarking on a radical reform of the system must be welcomed.

In a forceful article in yesterday’s Mail on Sunday, Sir Keir Starmer said “tackling” the “welfare bill” would be a central mission of his government.

This kind of tough language marks a bold departure from the usual left-wing position that sees generous welfare as a sign of kindness.

But Sir Keir is right in principle. There is nothing compassionate about the current, unsustainable structure. Not only does this fuel a chronic waste of talent, but it also fuels a culture of dependency, particularly through the acceptance of sometimes dubious mental health claims as a passport to accessing benefits.

Sir Keir Starmer’s tough language marks a bold break from the usual left-wing position that sees generous welfare as a sign of kindness. The final test will be in his actions rather than his words, writes LEO MCKINSTRY

In some of our major cities, such as Birmingham and Liverpool, a fifth of the working age population is economically inactive and the problem is even worse in many post-industrial towns and seaside resorts.

People queue outside a JobCentre in Bristol. The bloated £137 billion welfare state undermines our economic competitiveness and social cohesion by providing perverse incentives for unemployment.

In Clacton, Essex, 47 per cent of the population are out of work. As one local who has not had a job for eight years recently told this newspaper: “My housing costs are paid and I get £1,300 a month. To be honest, I’d be better off not working.

The laxity of the system is as damaging as its blind generosity. Fraud is now estimated to cost the government more than £9 billion a year and the shocking scale of abuse has been highlighted by the criminal activities of a Bulgarian gang who stole more than £50 million from benefits before being arrested earlier this year.

Once again, Starmer’s promise of a “crackdown” on anyone who “attempts to game the system” should be welcomed.

Whether these beautiful words are translated into action is another matter.

Liz Kendall Sunday morning with Laura Kuenssberg. Work and Pensions Secretary to unveil government’s welfare reform strategy tomorrow

There was little policy detail in yesterday’s article, but we should hear more tomorrow when Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, launches the government’s welfare reform strategy. But his party recently backed down on this issue at the first signs of trouble.

With its eagerness to tout its humanitarian credentials, Labor is vulnerable to emotional blackmail and accusations of cruelty.

Tony Blair promised to “think the unthinkable” on welfare, only to back down in the face of vigorous protests from campaigners and his own backbenchers.

One can only hope, given the urgent need for change, that Starmer shows more resolve. The final test, as always, will lie in his actions rather than his words.