Working for benefits

[IVFNewbie]

Could there be an argument made to make people that are eligible for work to do some community based work in return for their benefits?

I would be okay with a version of this if it was an opt in system, for a month, where the person is paid at least minimum wage for their time working, given some sort of work that they can put on their CV and given a reference. I can see this being useful for some people, so an opt in, job placement sort of scheme could work for a population of claimants

So you're saying that unemployed people aren't able to be trained to do certain jobs? How is that displaying any intellect?

Training them for work is one thing

Forcing them to do dangerous work for less than a living wage is quite another - quite despicable

No.

You said that.

The adult element of uc is the equivalent of working 8 hours per week at nmw.
Isn't it illegal to pay less than nmw?

If there's a job available or needs to be properly paid by the company. Not done for a pittance paid by the government.

Slavery was abolished a long time ago.

This question displays such an unhealthy level of suspicion and hostility towards benefits claimants.

Additionally, most people in receipt of benefits have contributed to the system in some way. It is vanishingly rare for someone to have lived their entire life on benefits, never working and/or paying tax on their income or money. That is the "reciprocity" you seem to think isn't there.

It's not a win/win for those employees fired from their jobs, but forced to carry on doing the work, only for £67.41 p/w, rather than a living wage, is it?

Op has deliberately picked the jobs she thinks are humiliating - litter picking and scrubbing graffiti. Plenty of people currently earn an honest living, doing those jobs.

The real shortages are in fields such as teaching and care work. Would the OP be happy for her child to be taught by a benefits claimant, being paid £67.41 a week?

How do the people who are doing community service manage to clean graffiti? It can be done and already is by them.

You think benefits are enough to live on?

No. We should not make people work for benefits. It really is that simple. If there is work that needs to be done, that is a job and someone should be employed accordingly, with the same rights as other employees.

Your idea is quite sickening.

Yes. No one should get benefits for sitting on their backsides. Only those who are unable to work because of disability should be exempt. It should be designed to discourage people from claiming benefits, our welfare bill rises year on year with more and more people not wanting to work. The bleeding heart liberals on here should think about how we fund benefits from shrinking tax returns.

The whole "litter picking" or "graffiti cleaning" is unbelievably patronising.
You can't just send any Tom, Dick or Sally out to do it.
There will be Health and Safety procedures to be learned and followed. Graffiti cleaning will involve chemicals and specialist equipment.
Litter pickers will need to know what to do if they find needles etc.
It would need training.
And you know why - because it's already an actual job. People already are employed and paid to do this. They don't want a bunch of "volunteers' to help.

Most people on benefits already work, lots of people are on benefits because they can’t work (disability, caring duties).
Going to work costs you money, clothes, food, travel, childcare - who is covering that.
Many years ago when I was briefly unemployed we were told we had to look for jobs 37 hours a week, so how would this fit in.
You also weren’t allowed to volunteer as you needed to be available to work if a job came up.

I worked for a local authority and spent years trying to undo the work done by ‘job creation’ staff.

Personally I think there should be some kind of work for unemployed scheme to help get people into work/get experience. However it should absolutely be paid the going rate on top of benefits.

Replacing paid jobs with "free" labour isn't good for the tax revenue of the country or benefit bills either.

Just remember the level of intellect you are dealing with here.

They tried this with the "work force" scheme or whatever it was called. My DH did this while he was unemployed. He worked for 8 weeks at McDonald's with the promise of a job which didn't materialise. He also did this as a bin man with the council for 4 weeks (getting up at 5.30am) with the promise of an interview, to then have the council refuse (due to laying off a quarter of its workforce).

It doesn't work. It's also highly unfair.

Where?

I'm thinking of starting a new thread....."Bring Back Workhouses"
Get those pesky poor people to pick apart ropes.
Scrub sheets by hand in scalding water.
Only feed them bread and water.
Worked well in the olden days when we had none of these new fangled benefits....
🙄

have you read who you have written and thought about it or just spouted off nonsense for a reaction?

Even those who are disabled aren't exempt because the government aren't allowing them PIP because they aren't "disabled enough".
I had an aneurysm a year and a half ago. Can only do certain jobs on certain days. I'm disabled, only just apparently 🙄I had a stroke! Can't grip things, struggle to use my legs some days. Forget names and places. On a work capability assessment they'd say I'm fit for work on a good day.

Why do we still have graffiti and litter then?

What's with all the benefits bashing threads today?

Why do we still have graffiti and litter then?

Seriously? This is the level of debate? I wondered if this was a stirring thread and now I have my answer.

But why couldn't they do it in return for being paid, and therefor not requiring benefits?

Yes, that would have been workfare. It wasn't successful and was scrapped.