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Universal Credit will be scrapped entirely and replaced with a new system under a Labour government.

Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed he will bring a long-term end to the “inhumane” Tory welfare reform that has plunged thousands into misery.

And in the short term he will pledge a £3billion emergency rescue package to ditch the benefit cap and two-child limit - lifting 300,000 children out of poverty.

Labour will also immediately suspend all benefit sanctions while the five-week wait for first payment will be cut. And the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) would be replaced "on day one” of a Labour government with a Department for Social Security.

The Mirror has campaigned to halt the rollout of UC, which has plunged thousands into debt and food banks, and replace it with a fairer system.

Announcing the radical reforms on Saturday in Chingford, in the seat held by UC’s Tory pioneer Iain Duncan Smith, Mr Corbyn will say: " Universal Credit has been an unmitigated disaster.

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"As well as being behind schedule and over-budget it is inhumane and cruel, driving people into poverty and hardship.

"Social security is supposed to give people dignity and respect, not punish and police them, make them wait five weeks for the first payment or fill out a four-page form to prove their child was born as a result of rape.”

UC will not be axed immediately under Labour’s plans and the party has not set a deadline to do so.

Instead Labour will only scrap the benefit once it has designed a replacement system “based on the principles of dignity and respect”.

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But in the meantime, Labour will trigger a £3billion package of emergency reforms to end the “worst aspects” of UC. These urgent measures - announced today - will:

Scrap the Tories' two-child limit, which banned extra benefits for “third or subsequent” children born after 6 April 2017. The cut hit 592,000 children in 156,540 households in its first two years.

which banned extra benefits for “third or subsequent” children born after 6 April 2017. The cut hit 592,000 children in 156,540 households in its first two years. Scrap the ‘rape clause’. Under the two-child limit, women have to fill out a form to gain an exception for a child born of rape.

Under the two-child limit, women have to fill out a form to gain an exception for a child born of rape. Scrap the benefit cap. The 2013 Tory cut limited total household benefits per year to £20,000 (£23,000 in London). It has been blamed for social cleansing in inner-cities and 71% of those hit were single parents.

The 2013 Tory cut limited total household benefits per year to £20,000 (£23,000 in London). It has been blamed for social cleansing in inner-cities and 71% of those hit were single parents. Reduce the five-week wait for first payment. In the short term Labour would introduce an interim ‘half-month’ payment after three weeks, with the other half paid after five weeks. In the long term Labour would aim to cut the five-week wait to 10 days, by reforming assessment periods to make an early payment based on people’s estimated entitlement.

In the short term Labour would introduce an interim ‘half-month’ payment after three weeks, with the other half paid after five weeks. In the long term Labour would aim to cut the five-week wait to 10 days, by reforming assessment periods to make an early payment based on people’s estimated entitlement. Suspend all benefit sanctions, while designing a new system which gives “tailored support" instead of “rigid requirements and punishments”.

while designing a new system which gives “tailored support" instead of “rigid requirements and punishments”. Make split payments the default for couples - with the child element always going to the ‘primary carer'. The current one-payment system can leave domestic abuse victims trapped without cash.

- with the child element always going to the ‘primary carer'. The current one-payment system can leave domestic abuse victims trapped without cash. Change the monthly UC payment to every two weeks, over fears people were struggling to budget over a whole month.

over fears people were struggling to budget over a whole month. Pay the housing element directly to landlords to stop people falling into arrears. A study said this problem hit 54% of UC landlords.

to stop people falling into arrears. A study said this problem hit 54% of UC landlords. Recruit 5,000 new social security advisors to end the “digital only” approach to UC claims.

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UC launched in 2013 as a monthly payment to replace six benefits, including housing benefit and tax credits, and is claimed by 2.4million.

But ministers spent years having to improve it after it was bundled up with billions in welfare cuts - driving people to food banks and poverty. Thousands fell behind on rent and some said they turned to sex work.

In recent years ministers cut the six-week wait to five, increased advance loans and offered 'run-on' payments to bridge the gap.

But campaigners say paying people monthly and waiting five weeks for the first payment - forcing them to take out advance loans - were fundamental flaws that spelt disaster for the hard-up.

Labour’s previous stance was to reform UC but a year-long party review found the brand was “toxic”. We reported talks to scrap it were under way last week.

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Scrapping UC and working out a new system will be a huge challenge.

Last year the National Audit Office warned "there is no practical alternative to continuing with UC" and £1.3bn had already been invested in setting it up.

Labour’s replacement welfare system has not been designed yet and there is no final price tag. It will focus on three elements - dignity, universalism and ending poverty.

A Labour source did not guarantee a new system would be fully established by the end of a five-year parliament but said: "Social security will look completely different by the end of our first term."

Tory Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey tonight branded the policy “totally irresponsible”, claiming Labour had “no plan” for what UC would be replaced with.

“It’s reckless, political point scoring from a Party that spent years trapping people on benefits,” the Cabinet minister said.

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"It is because of policies like Universal Credit that we have supported over 3.7m people into work since 2010, incomes are rising at their fastest pace in over a decade and income inequality is close to a 30-year low. But we know there is more to do to make the system work better for those who need it most."

But single parents’ charity Gingerbread backed the announcement. Chief executive Victoria Benson said: "It will be essential for any future government to take steps like these if we are to loosen poverty's grip on huge numbers of single parents and their children.”

Helen Barnard of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: "We welcome significant reform to Universal Credit so that it is the anchor people need in hard times, but any changes need to avoid further upheaval for those who depend on it."

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Food bank charity the Trussell Trust said ending the five-week wait was "welcome", but warned: "Scrapping Universal Credit may only result in further upheaval."

However, Unite head of community Liane Groves said: "This state-sponsored despair must cease.

“This announcement from the Labour Party is a beacon of hope for tens of thousands of people whose lives have been made a misery by the cruel and flawed implementation by Tory ministers hell-bent on their austerity agenda, whatever the human cost.”