The government is hoping  to win support over plans to reform incapacity benefit by highlighting the link between deprivation and the high number of Incapacity Benefit claimants in Labour constituencies.

Work and Pensions Secretary, John Hutton, wrote to the 100 MPs - 95 of them Labour - with the most Incapacity Benefit claimants in their patch and linked the data to high levels of poverty.

Ahead of the green paper detailing benefit changes due at the end of January, Mr Hutton said: "The clear link between benefit dependency and hardship shown in the figures I am releasing today is striking. I do not believe we should accept a system that perpetuates hardship and denies people the opportunity to better their lives by accessing the world of work."

Proposed changes will seek to offer what the minister calls "something for something" by giving more support to the severely disabled but requiring those capable of some work to accept help in getting back into suitable employment.

Mr Hutton said: "In households where nobody goes to work, both money and self-esteem can be in short supply. This can mean a lack of positive role models and result in generation after generation getting stuck in the benefits trap. Getting people on to incapacity benefit was seen as a way to mask soaring levels of unemployment. Our constituencies have paid a heavy price for this policy failure."