OK, so how would YOU change the welfare system?

[MathsMadMummy]

just wondering following on from various threads lately. sorry it's probably been done before.

I guess it's more a question of how you'd change the culture really, where people feel it's their entitlement to never work etc.

I have no idea what the answer is, please tell me your bright ideas

Sorry Starlight, I dont understand your reply. I am working towards an additional qualification to help me in a new role. You need to plan for the for things you want, think of what YOU need to do to make it happen. Be ambitious for yourself, look at the cost of qualifications, see if you can get any assistance with the fees. Dont just give up and say 'How would I go about doing it'.....

YOu've a degree haven't you Starlight?

If so, you can't unless you pay

Technically you can apply for the degre to be discounted for eg a diffent degree becuase of life circs but I have nevcer, ever encountered anyone who was successful with that (and it's meant, for example, for people whose previous degree ahs become pointless- eg if you ahd a degree in horseless carriage maintenance (I cant think of any genuine examples its that absurd!)

Self fudning is soemtimes a possibilty depending on course and there are ways to finance it over time with monthly payments but soem courses (eg TA) often say a blanket no to self funding..

I presume thats the answer you knew anyway mind LOL

No starlight, I was agreeing with your point

"I don't think disabled people should or deserve better, but I DO think that currently they are so discriminated against that until the playing field is more level there should certainly be more effort put into giving them an equal chance to contribute. Until it happens, people with disabilities are seen playing a valuable part in society and people's mindset adjusts it is going to have to cost."

(muses: I worked as college admissions assistant once, farking loved that job! then Dh got a promotion and we couldnt mamage both due to distances / car / childcare issues. Boo hoo.>>

(sorry)

Starlight - dont worry I am not going to rise to it (yawn and snore......)

They will not even support carers who don't have a degree to go back into education (so they can be self supporting long term - costs everyone less money) unless jointly you earn below a really low income.

Fwiw I was thinking of installing our own sensory room at home but was going to kit it out in ikea

SanctiMoanyArse - no, we don't all "know" what's wrong...some of us (i.e. me) think we pay out too much in benefits to people that neither need nor deserve them and some of us think yet more should be paid out for certain people (money raised by raising taxes, abolishing Trident etc etc).

This important dichotomy explains the massive chasm between people's proffered 'positive ideas'.

moondog Wed 04-Aug-10 16:51:50
And I would add that in my field I see plenty of money thrown about on useless things, which can masquerade as 'therapy'.

Thus you will get a kid who spends an hour a day in a £40 000 'sensory room' with a bored assistant as opposed to doing something far more pleasurable and useful like going for a walk which is, incidentally, free.

There is a worrying tendency to pathologise everything which in turn means those who should address basic areas of need can fail to do so because the person in question has X/Y?Z 'disorder'

never a truer word

Starlight, I know it isnt easy, it is blooming difficult.

My changes to welfare specifically aimed at people who are able-bodied but not in work:

Education for people on benefits especially focussing on numeracy and literacy with assessment to see if this is necessary.

I would also look at providing courses for useful skills such as decorating on a budget, vegetable gardening etc. I would make this available to anyone on any benefit.

If assessed as necessary I would make literacy and numeracy courses compulsory for JSA.

All courses would run within school hours with creche provided.

Purpose of courses is to get people up & out and feeling positive about themselves.

Day labour:
My DH is self employed and from time to time could use a spare set of unskilled but basically competent hands. He hasnt the work to justify taking someone on permanently.

So my idea would be to create a pool of day labour with a small financial incentive to phone/call in every day to check for work. If someone gets a job they get paid minimum wage that day plus benefits.

The employer would pay minimum wage for the day plus a small extra fee.

There would need to be controls and this would need to be managed closely. Benefits would be employment creation (my DH just struggles on his own currently) plus potential longer term employment opportunities. Workers would get the money and also work experience.

I don't want to take the vote off anyone - I just pay less attention to the opinions of those who are net recipients of benefits than those of net taxpyers...at least on this subject.

Clearly, for as long as they are in such a position, their view is coloured by a self-serving desire for more (of other people's)money.

Starlight, clearly your friend WAS a dick, but not because of his shirt. I don't know what you could really do with someone like that.

Alot of people do pay tax and claim benefits. We claim DLA for a severely disabled child but both of us (my husband and I) work and pay tax, him more than me it must be said. I am sure there are thousands of people like us. We are not stealing anyones money

A life of benefit for a person who at least in theory is employable must hit create self esteem issues.

I would add to my list of courses for JSA - interview and job application technique. What to wear, how to behave. I would have suitable clothes available to borrow (clean of course). Excuses need to be removed. To claim JSA you have to participate actively. The right to receive must come with obligations.

barmy = daftpunk .

movingbeds CAt me if you are doing the sensory room, dunno if we can beat IKEA but it's linked to DH's field and he will happily get you the prices for trade to compare and order for you if you want them