Benefit Busters, Part Two

[expatinscotland]

Let's see if they feature anyone on this show who was made redundant after the age of 50 or 55.

[expatinscotland]

K, no, they're going to feature NEETS and people with no children.



[holding fire]

[Alambil]

neets?

they're shit - the company i mean, not the people

at least meanie last week DID stuff with the ladies!

[expatinscotland]

That chap point blank already said they're going to focus on the NEETS to meet A4E targets because they're the easiest to place.

[nannynick]

"the people reading the newspapers are job searching" - yeah right!

[nannynick]

Didn't look like many were reading Local newspapers to me... they seemed to be reading National newspapers - not that likely to find a local job in one of those.

[expatinscotland]

They want to place the NEETS.

My SIL is in New Deal placement now.

She's 31, single mum of 2, moved on from IS because of her elder son's age.

She barely gets a look-see.

My FIL got made redundant age 55.

He never claimed, because his wife was thankfully working FT as legal secretary.

He's 62. BAD osteoarthritis, insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension.

Still working PT.

What a joke!

Where are all these jobs?

Oh, yeah, that's right, there's a recession on!

[Alambil]

sorry expat I'm being really thick - what's a neet? I've not been paying attention

[expatinscotland]

It's an under 25 who is not in employment or education.

[Mumcentreplus]

It's all bollocks!...they want the placements 3 grand a time..put them into work (even if they find it themselves) and they get even more government cash..sickens me..cha!

[spokette]

DH and I really warmed to the guy who found a job as a gardner and laughed when he said that he had bought some hair dye for his partner.

I really felt for him when he was made redundant and began to understand why it is easier to remain on benefits than to take a job which may end at any moment. At least he took the job knowing that it would last 6 months so for it to finish after only a month was shocking. Then he had to wait three weeks to get his benefits again - no wonder people end up in debt.

I thought the A4E chairwoman was disingenous and Machivellian with the reporter when he put her on the spot about the amount of jobs that go through agencies. When she said that that is something that she will raise with government, DH and I screamed "you are the chairman so don't make out that it is something that you are not aware of". She knows exactly what goes on in her organisation, she knows some of it (like the amber room)is a scam and is designed to achieve predetermine targets so that A4e can justify their performance with taxpayers money rather than their performance with helping the unemployed find real work.

Once again the bigots like the 21yo with a 5 yo daughter were out in force blaming the immigrants for taking all the jobs. Yet when he was offered cleaning work, factory work in a cake job etc, he turned them down. It then transpired that his mother was on benefits, most of his family are on benefits and he comes from a culture of benefits entitlement.

I really felt sorry for the young girl who had been abandoned by her parents as a teenager. She was ambitious and determined but the system was sucking this out of her. She did find a job but again was let go after only 4 weeks. She would benefit from foing a vocational training course in an area that would provide long term employment like nursing, social work, plumbing, engineering etc. I don't understand why the numpties in A4E do not help someone like that who is clearly intelligent, motivated and aspirational along those lines. No profit in that I guess.

[expatinscotland]

Good post, spook.

Important issues raised in a Guardian article about the nature of many low-paid jobs that makes taking them a risk to many.

benefits agencies designed to top up low wages aren't set up to deal with agency work, temporary/seasonal jobs and zero hours contracts.

something to keep in mind about the whole, 'immigrants do jobs Brits are too lazy to do' mindset is that a significant majority of immigrants leave their families back in their home country.

this makes the immigrant's living expenses significantly lower, he/she is able to live with a number of people and take on any and all work as have no childcare impediments.

so it's more like immigrants do jobs British employers are too niggardly to pay a living wage for.

[5inthebed]

I thought last nights episode was dreadful. ALl those people being made to sit around making paper bridges while the people meant to be helping them find jobs were more concerned about getting the time sheets correct so that THEY got paid. At least Miss Polkadot from last week got those ladies jobs.

[spokette]

I see the point about economic migrants having lower living expenses.

I don't really understand the benefit system as I fortunately have never had the misfortune to use it (just receive child benefit).

I thought low paid workers receive working tax credits to help bump their salaries to a an acceptable level? Plus, depending on the salary level, don't workers also receive family tax credits, child benefit etc?

I personally also believe that the minimum wage should be raised to about £7/h. Employers will wail about the cost to them and how it makes them economically uncompetitive but history has shown that not to be the case - they just need to run their businesses more efficiently in terms of fixed and variable costs instead of expecting employees to exist on peanuts plus employers need to be less greedy and accept lower bonuses for themselves.

[ChopsTheDuck]

The guy who had a go at the ex-army bloke deserved a slap. The ex-army bloke had a point - it was a waste of time! it really did seem to be all about them getting their time sheets rather than being of any use to them.
They said themselves, there weren't the jobs available, so why waste the money on funding the course?!

[expatinscotland]

Low-paid workers can receive Working Tax Credit only if they are working at least 16 hours/week.

That becomes problematic when work opportunities are zero hours contracts, temp/seasonal and/or agency because the person's hours change on a weekly basis and/or they are in and out of short-term work because it's cheaper for the employer.

And it's problematic not just from a working tax credits point but also for the other top up benefits a low-wage earner sometimes needs, such as housing/council tax benefit.

Basically, unless the person can get a fixed contract for a job that is 16+ hours/week, it's often more financially secure for them to stay on the dole.

[expatinscotland]

Low-paid workers can receive Working Tax Credit only if they are working at least 16 hours/week.

That becomes problematic when work opportunities are zero hours contracts, temp/seasonal and/or agency because the person's hours change on a weekly basis and/or they are in and out of short-term work because it's cheaper for the employer.

And it's problematic not just from a working tax credits point but also for the other top up benefits a low-wage earner sometimes needs, such as housing/council tax benefit.

Basically, unless the person can get a fixed contract for a job that is 16+ hours/week, it's often more financially secure for them to stay on the dole.