90,000 in Yorkshire without a job for 10 years

They have spent the past decade claiming either Jobseeker’s Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Income Support or a combination of the three, according to Employment Minister Chris Grayling.

The scale of welfare reliance in the region emerged as Ministers launch the Work Programme, which will offer the long-term jobless support to get them back into work.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling said: “With the right help thousands of people could be making a contribution to the economy.

“In just over a year we have put in place the biggest welfare to work programme this country has ever seen. The Work Programme will start helping people now, giving them the support they need, when they need it and will ensure that people who can work are supported properly to do so.”

According to the Government, 89,000 people in Yorkshire and the Humber have been on some sort of benefits for the past decade, costing taxpayers millions of pounds.

Ministers insist many of those are capable of work but have remained on benefits because of a welfare system that meant they would be worse off if they got jobs.

Although their plans to cut some benefits and tighten eligibility for others have received criticism from charities, the Government insists the Work Programme will help thousands back in to work by giving them training and support.

Ministers say the scheme, where private companies and charities will be paid if they manage to get people into a job which they remain in, will end a “cycle” where hundreds of thousands of people across the country have not been in continuous work for years.