1.   It would bar benefit payments and other social services to most noncitizens and legal immigrants.

2.   The Social Security Minister has promised to clamp down on benefit payments to New Age travellers.

3.   Labour has condemned proposals to change the state benefits system which would see child benefit payments being replaced by child tax allowances.

4.   CONTROVERSIAL Government plans to reduce and, in some cases, stop invalidity benefit payments for thousands of people provoked a political storm last night.

5.   Government revenues fell as the slump reduced taxation yields, while public spending rose as unemployment benefit payments rocketed.

6.   Along with saving Uncle Sam billions in extra benefit payments, a smaller CPI-based formula also would let the government reap more tax revenue.

7.   An adjustment in the cost-of-living formula would reduce the growth in federal benefit payments for a host of programs.

8.   Benefit payments should also be accelerated.

9.   A projected healthier economy lets planners count on more tax revenue and lower benefit payments, possibly freeing hundreds of billions of dollars for other government spending.