Single parents will be forced to look for work as soon as their youngest child reaches the age of 7 under benefit reforms that will also introduce a form of workfare to Britain.

Peter Hain, the Work and Pensions Secretary, went farther than expected as he announced measures to drive 300,000 lone parents into paid employment. Proposals to stop income support payments in October next year to lone parents when their child reaches the age of 12 were confirmed. The parents will instead be paid jobseekers’ allowance, which requires recipients to prove that they are looking for work.

Mr Hain said that the change would affect only one in seven single parents on benefits. He wants to bring the age limit down to 7 by 2010 and said that over time it would affect 40 per cent of the total, currently 776,000.

Other measures contained in a Green Paper published for consultation yesterday include requiring the long-term unemployed to undertake full-time work experience or face losing their benefits. Officials suggested that those out of work for about 15 months could be forced to undertake work experience with local employers who have unfilled vacancies.

Gordon Brown made clear that he is determined not to be outflanked by the Conservatives on the issue of lone parents on benefits. Speaking before Mr Hain’s Commons announcement, he said: “It has always been our intention to get more lone parents into work, providing them with the child care and training facilities that are necessary for them to do so.”

Mr Hain faced criticism from campaigners. Chris Pond, of One Parent Families, said: “Ninety per cent of lone parents want to work but they also want to be good parents. Their children will lose out if the Government resorts to big-stick tactics.”

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