JULIA Gillard has vowed to use Australia's economic boom to break welfare dependency, saying next month's federal budget and the October taxation summit would drive reforms to get more people working.

In a speech last night, the Prime Minister said the nation had a special chance to ''entrench a new culture of work and opportunity in families and communities who have been denied this for so long''.

''Every Australian should pull his or her own weight,'' Ms Gillard declared. ''It's not fair for taxpayers to pay for someone who can support themselves.''

Her speech, ''The Dignity of Work'', strongly reinforced her message that the May 10 budget will contain major reforms, with ministers looking at ways to reduce the number of people on the disability support pension, which at around 800,000 Australians, is vastly more than the number receiving unemployment benefits.

But the Prime Minister's agenda is also wider, targeting youth and general unemployment and underemployment.