Some of the UK's leading Church groups are claiming the government's demonising people on benefits in order to push through their reforms.
A report, entitled 'The lies we tell ourselves: ending comfortable myths about poverty', is published today by the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Church of Scotland, Methodist and United Reformed Churches.
It confronts what the churches believe are the most common myths told about people who are in poverty or in receipt of benefits, and highlights some of the most abused statistics.
Firstly, it says in-work poverty is now more common than out of work poverty. The report's authors also say it is readily accepted that across the country there are families in which three generations have never worked.
Despite this, the study claims examples of such families have not been found and suggests they never will be.
It has found that over 80% of the UK population believe that large numbers falsely claim benefits.
However, the study says that fraud has actually decreased to historically low levels, with less than 0.9% of the welfare budget lost to fraud; suggesting that if everyone claimed and was paid correctly, the welfare system would cost around £18 billion more.
The Churches, which together represent more than one million people across Britain, say that statistics have been manipulated and misused by politicians and the media to 'support a comfortable but dangerous story' and that is that the poor somehow deserve their poverty, and therefore deserve the cuts which they increasingly face.
Report author Paul Morrison spoke to Premier's Des Busteed during the News Hour:
The denominations are hoping the report will empower Christians and others to challenge myths and lies about poverty wherever they find them.
It's being sent to every UK MP and Member of the Scottish Parliament in Britain. and people are being encouraged to write to their parliamentary representative asking how they will be using the information to better inform policy-making.
Anna Drew from the Methodist Church tells Premier's Des Busteed a change of heart is needed from the coalition:
In a statement to Premier a Department of Work and Pensions spokesperson said: "There is an ongoing debate about the state of the current benefit system, but we are always very clear that it is the system that is failing individuals - not the other way around.
"Currently people are being trapped in dependency or are missing out on the support they are rightly entitled. Our reforms will end the benefits trap, but will also make it easier for people to claim the help they need."