George Osborne sketched out a stark vision of further economic austerity, with £12 billion extra welfare cuts as part of a £25 billion cuts package lined up for after the 2015 general election.
"I can tell you today that, on the Treasury's current forecasts, £12 billion of further welfare cuts are needed in the first two years of the next Parliament," he said.
"That's how to reduce the deficit without even faster cuts to Government departments, or big tax rises on people."
Even Nick Clegg has hit out at the "remorseless" size of the planned welfare cuts.
Despite the chancellor's suggestion that the billions in further cuts are "needed", there are other ways Osborne could fill the £25 billion to steady the public finances without chopping billions more off government budgets.
To get the chancellor started, we've rounded up ten potential ideas he could pick from in order to try and fill the £25 billion gap. The best thing about them? He wouldn't have to make a single extra spending cut.