Imperfect picture of what is to comepublished at 17:25 Greenwich Mean Time 17 March
Chris Mason
Political editor
There are a trinity of trade-offs for the government as it prepares to shake up the benefits system.
How does it save money?
How does it increase the incentives for people to find a job?
And how does it protect those it has concluded are unquestionably reliant on the state, once it has defined who they are?
If ministers tack too far in any of these directions, they will probably undermine at least one of the other two, so you can see how fraught this is.
I am very aware at moments like this that we have an imperfect picture of what is to come.
It is incumbent on reporters to be responsible, and clear about what we don't know, so as not to cause unnecessary alarm.
There is a danger in under or over emphasising particular elements which may or may not happen or may, perhaps more likely, contain mitigations or nuances that we are not currently aware of.
- Chris Mason breaks down the two big-picture issues the government is wrestling with.