Ed Miliband will attempt to rejuvenate his ailing leadership of the Labour party on Monday by marching on to territory once occupied by Tony Blair when he pledges to make it easier for voluntary workers and the employed to gain council housing.

In an attempt to show he is capable of the sort of bold initiative perfected by Blair and David Cameron in opposition, the Labour leader will say he is determined to end his party's image as the champion of "those ripping off our society".

The speech is designed to answer critics who say his lacklustre performance is to blame for Labour's failure to capitalise on Cameron's recent U-turns.

Miliband's position was not helped by the serialisation on Sunday of a biography that suggests that he and his brother are barely on speaking terms after the fallout of their leadership contest.

David Miliband denied undermining his brother. "I have moved on from the leadership election and so should everyone else," he said.

In his speech at a neighbourhood centre in London, Ed Miliband will focus on responsibility and promise to champion one of the core principles pioneered by the architect of the welfare state William Beveridge: the welfare state should reward those who contribute.

Aides stressed this is reviving the principles behind Beveridge's thinking and does not denote a new national insurance system. "We will be a party that rewards contribution, not worklessness," he will say.

Miliband will highlight social housing as an example of where this could be applied more effectively, indicating that a future Labour government would follow the example of Manchester, where working people and volunteers are rewarded. "One area where people's sense of fairness is under threat is social housing," he will say. "In Manchester, as well as helping the most vulnerable families and disabled people with housing, they prioritise households who are giving something back to their communities – making a contribution – for example, people who work for or run local voluntary organisations. They also look to reward people who have been good tenants in the past and who have paid their rent on time and never been involved in any antisocial behaviour."

Miliband will say that responsibility should not just focus on those at the bottom of society but should also apply to those at the top. He will say that a future Labour government will require boardrooms to "publish the ratio of high pay to average employee pay", exposing the growing gap between the pay of chief executives and that of the average employee.

In language that challenges all wings of his party, Miliband will say: "For too many people at the last election, we were seen as the party that represented these two types of people: those at the top and the bottom who were not showing responsibility and were shirking their duty to each other. From bankers who caused the global financial crisis to some of those on benefits who were abusing the system because they could work – but didn't.

"Labour – a party founded by hard-working people for hard-working people – was seen by some, however unfairly, as the party of those ripping off our society. New Labour did a lot to change the fabric of the country. But it didn't do enough to change the ethic of Britain. My party must change."