Major charities have spoken out against the new housing minister's plans to only offer council housing to tenants who agree to look for work.
Housing Minister Caroline Flint warned that people in social housing could lose their homes if they do not attempt to seek out a job under her proposals.
Over half of adults of working age who live in council houses do not have a salaried job, which is more than double the national average.
Ms Flint told the Guardian: "The question that we should ask of new tenants is what commitment they will make to improve their skills, find work, and take the support that is available."
She suggested that all new council tenants should have to sign a "commitment contract", which meant they would agree to access help finding work.
"It would mean a return to the workhouse, the destruction of families and communities and would add to the thousands who are already homeless. Making people homeless means they do not have an address, which makes it even more difficult to find work."
Leslie Morphy, Chief Executive at Crisis, added: "Our experience at Crisis shows that encouragement and enablement – and not threats – are the way to help homeless and vulnerable people to build independent lives."
Other charities, including the Child Poverty Action Group and the National Housing Federation, have attacked the proposals as unfair.
