Welfare system will take years to get under control: Morrison

Social Services Minister Scott Morrison says he wants to reform the welfare system, but believes it will take a generation to get it "under control".

Instead of an "Ikea catalogue" of payments, middle class welfare should be scaled back to five or six core payments, Mr Morrison told an audience at the Sydney Institute on Thursday evening.

"That sort of change takes a generation to make, because if you do it quickly the consequences for individuals are quite extreme," he said.

"The Centrelink brochure looks like an Ikea catalogue."

Mr Morrison flagged a number of reforms he hoped to address in the next budget, focusing on childcare services.

"You need to be able to demonstrate we are running welfare, welfare isn't running the government," he said.