To ask if there is actually a job for every unemployed person on Income Support/ JSA?

[CardyMow]

Because I don't think there is, and surely if there isn't a job for everyone, then we need to ensure that everyone can eat, and live a decent life, even if they CAN'T get a job. I'm sure if you looked at the amount of jobs in Britain, and compared it to the total population of Britain, there would be a disparity between the two figures.

And I personally KNOW that there isn't enough unskilled jobs around now, for the people that CAN'T get any further qualifications.

Fwiw I think the 15 hr thing is to stop parents applying so they can avoid them taking time off cos of childcare problems.

Dont worry about your hrp, the required years to be entitled to the full state pension has been cut to 20years.

Have you looked at open uni courses? Afaik they are free if you are on benefits.

. I had actually overlooked OU. Don't know if they'd accept me on the course if I've not got any GCSE's though. .

I know it's been cut to 20, but you're only allowed 22 yrs from HRP, which I will hit when DS3 is 9yo, because of how much I've worked PT in the last 13yrs since DD was born. (Only one FT job, all others have been PT). Doesn't bother me, I know it's fact, had a meeting at the tax office because I didn't understand what it all meant, and they explained to me and 2017 is my deadline for paying NI contributions, which either means inheriting enough money to 'make up' my missing contributions never gonna happen, or working FT.

Whatever the reason, the 15hr thing is pants. If you can't get OFF IS/JSA, (you need to work 16+hrs), and you'll only be allowed to keep £15 a week of your earnings, who the heck is going to work 15 hrs for £15? Slave labour much? Expected to work as hard as people on FT hrs, getting a FT wage, and you're getting basically £1 a hour for your work??!!

NO-ONE on benefits will take a job for less than 16hrs a week.

I don't think there are the jobs for people who didn't trouble themselves at school at all. There seem to be a lot of jobs for people who weren't brought up in this country so I suppose if people were better qualified and put in a bit of an effort they might be in with a chance.

Not everyone was able to do well at school it doesn't mean that they were lazy or are worth less to society.

There are nowhere near enough jobs for the number of people apparently able to work. We need to accept this and stop trying to accept people creating a them and us culture that will forgive grotesque actions shrouded by the mist of "they have no one to blame but themselves"

There are a lot of lazy people out there who have never contributed in any way, not even by trying at school, and never will. You don't have to feel defensive if you aren't one of them. The mentality of "blame somebody else quick" is so tiresome. YY nothing is their fault. Boring.

This is so silly it's getting me cross. Goodnight. Please don't feel offended. I genuinely can't stand to read any more of it.

I think that people generally would love to have a great house, job, education, car... all the trappings that they see on television. But for some the life they are born into is so many million miles away from that it is nigh on impossible for them.

There are exceptions but things are becoming more socially constraining. Bright kids no longer get scholarships or go to grammars. Social housing in some areas is beyond grim. Some families have no idea how to be families and you ask a child in those circumstances to work hard at school.
No chance. Then a future of no job, no prospects, no money no way out. It sounds great for them doesn't it?

It's easy to spout whatever you read in a REd Top but try experiencing what it's like for those people. Today.
Not "we were proud and WC 30 years ago and look at me now". Look at it now. It's different but no way better

There are jobs for people who didn't trouble themselves at school. It's just that the indiginous population think these jobs are beneath them so they go to hard working Eastern Europeans instead.

OP - not sure what you mean when you say a life on benefits should enable you to "live a decent life". This is always very subjective. If by decent you mean enough money to feed and clothe the family, and pay household bills, I agree. That's what most people on benefits get.

A colleague of mine came across someone around a year ago who received total benefits for his family of 6 of over £2000 pm. Had he been earning £2000pm he wouldn't have been entitled to benefits to top up his income to the same level. These are the exceptions though rather than the rule.

If they are exceptions rather than the rule why mention them?
My cousin gets £135 every fortnight.

The factory he worked for went into administration and he was left with nothing after 5 yrs. He and his wife have split up but he has the children to visit and stay round at his mums where is now living again. He couldn't be housed and couldn't get a private rental within the local rating guide.
Again maybe he's an exception

By decent, I mean that the money covers housing and council tax costs, (Which it doesn't in my council area, private rent 3-bed £1000pcm, HB max £700pcm). That it covers food (which includes enough to feed your dc their 5-a-day, which it currently doesn't). That it covers your bills, electric, gas, water, tv license (YES a TV ), internet (needed for h'wk, DD has to submit hwk online, and there's not many pc's at school, and she's LD's and needs helped). This week, I got £202 tax credits. I went food shopping. After £10 top-up on my rent, £10 gas, £15 electric, £9.90 bus fare for 1 adult and 3 of the 4 dc to GET to the food shop, and £130 shopping (including nappies for ds3), for a week for 5 people, I'm left with £20. That is to last me another 5 days, to get the dc to the library (they're doing the circus stars thing, will cost me £10 to get there), and £10 in case I run out of electric and for milk and bread later on in the week, as my neighbour has said she'll grab them for me when she goes, as I can't afford to take the dc again this week.

Hardly the life of fucking Riley that most of MN think it is.

This months' child benefit (which is £242 btw) has got to do school uniform and shoes for 3 dc, and ds3 (6.5mo) has gone through a growth spurt a month earlier than I had budgetted for, and desperately needs 9-12 month clothes. I'd say stretching £242 to cover all that is a tad ambitious...

Loudlass - just a couple of ideas: try applying for a free disabled bus pass (I have epilepsy so that's what I am doing). You will need a copy of a consultant's letter about the epilepsy.
As you have the internet then you should order your supermarket shopping online - charges vary but it's less than the bus fares you are paying right now.
Have you tried applying for care assistant work? I know so many people who walked into care jobs with no qualifications of any kind & no past experience; or even barely any spoken english. You just need to be keen & caring. I'm a staff nurse & have epilepsy - the main thing is that it's well controlled with medication as the last thing you want is to have a seizure / blackout at work.
You could contact every care home in the area & ask if they need staff. Ask what training they do - responsible care homes will have manual handling policies & training on how to use equipment such as hoists, also you will be mentored to start with. Many homes offer NVQ training to care assistants. In fact don't apply to a home that doesn't offer this - the care of the residents / patients won't be so good. You can even start as a domestic if nothing else. Most places offer overtime; & once you have experience you can join an agency as well. Then you can get good pay rates.
I recommend doing a good CV - get a mate to help; play up your skills & strengths - eg. having DCs means you are good at caring & organisation. Good luck, I am sure you will get there, I had problems with unemployment when I was younger & never thought I would get to where I am now.

Also for ds3 there are lots of baby clothes in the sales in every shop atm - some are very cheap. Eg all the supermarkets, & Primark. Also charity shops. That's where my friends get their baby clothes. The school clothes at the supermarkets are quite cheap too & look smart. Try eg Shoe Express for shoes?? Not easy though.

Care assistant work is often shift work which is a nightmare with young children and childcare.

You're right Kallista in that you can sometimes get in without any formal qualifications and then get training in that area but most of this type of work is 24/7 shifts. It was a nightmare for us and I have a dh, Loudlass is a single parent so would I imagine find it very difficult/impossible just going by the experiences of some of my collegues.

Don't know whether you use ebay Loudlass but the baby/young children clothes are often very good and clothed all of mine up to about the age of 6/7.
Don't feel too bad though about the amount of money you have to buy school uniform and shoes from - I have three dcs at school and one starting nursery and I have a similar amount with which to buy shoes and school uniforms. My dh works full time but we are only on similar amounts of money to being unemployed. Life is tough and seems harder than ever at the moment. I really do feel for you in your position.

The polish gets jobs as they will do any sort of work and have a great work ethic.

Too many people seem to want the perfect job, only working x hours (so as to gain max tax credits) and dont expect to start at the bottom of the chain. You only have to look on here to see people encouraging others to stay on benefits as working will only net the same amount so why bother.

There are jobs out there but many do go to immagrants as they are the only ones willing to do them.

If I might suggest an idea, Loudass, I have 2 jobs - one of 12 hours a week and one of 4 hours which makes up the 16 hours required for WTC. Also, if you work 16 hours and have a medical condition (disability) you could be entitled to the disability element of WTC as well. I cannot work more than 4 hours a day due to my medical condition.

Do apply for the bus pass as suggested! You will still have to pay for the DC but it will be a great help. I used to get taxi vouchers but they disappeared as soon as the Tories got elected

Care work is good to get into though because you really can pick & choose your shifts - lots of homes / hospitals offer part time & you can then join their 'bank' which is the in-house agency - then you get to do overtime shifts. You could also join specific care agencies & state what shifts you would prefer. Wherever you choose they should initially train you in the basics of the job & in the use of safe manual handling techniques - then see if you can get trained in NVQ 2 at least. I've worked with lots of single mothers without academic qualifications (British & immigrants) who became HCAs because of the flexibility available (as well as the fact that they enjoyed the job). The fact you are caring for your own young DC well is a good advert for for skills as a carer.

My DSS has been working since he was 13. He started out doing a paperound 5 days a week, then, as soon as he was sixteen he got a little job eight hours on a Saturday in a supermarket. At 20 he is now on Fast track management training and earning the same salary as alot of postgrads. The work is there for those who are prepared to work hard to get it. There is a big problem with employment yes, but its not insurmountable, its just not what people consider 'ideal'. Apply for absolutely everything you can, regardless of what you think you will or wont get. Learn Direct do Free courses for people without qualifications in maths or english, you earn a certificate in Literacy and numeracy (counts the same as a GCSE) and its mostly computer based, so very little childcare required. Takes about three-four weeks for each course.

Loudlass - how about also looking at the competitions forum on Martin Lewis Money Savings Expert? - If you are at home with internet there are loads of comps you could be entering.

I second the online shopping - saves you the stress of managing the trip and DC;s round the supermarket. Plus you can plan meals. Ok so you can't see what has the yellow labels on - but I'm finding they are often less of a bargain.

You sound like you are pretty motivated - just not in the best position to do much about it at the moment.
One way some people "create a job" is by either buying stuff to then sell on or doing something like starting a Blog which gets advertising revenue. I bet you could do a "Mum on the edge" or "Getting through the day" type blog - once you get people reading your blog you can then get adverts added and build up to getting paid to do it. you could get Mum type advertisers like Iceland and P&G?
Google how to get started writing a blog and getting paid for it. If nothing else - it would help you vent - you sound like a lady who has a lot to say judging by the several posts you've added to this thread. You never know - you could end up with a book then a movie deal - Julia Roberts playing you... Ok so I'm getting carried away, but you certainly don't need a cv to do this.

Good luck - you also sound like you are due some

I worked from age 14. The first job I couldn't stand anymore, the second I was fired because my best friend was no longer dating the owner's son. She fired all three of us, we had no rights. I then started a YT, after a year our shop was sold, I was a redundant YT. Next shop, 6 months still on YT no job at the end of it. Next job 8 years, redundant on maternity leave. Next job, redundant after 3 months but 10 months later they re-employed me. Three years later, redundant but given another position, 4 months later, redundant again.

Two years unemployed now, sending off the cv. I rarely get a reply, and never an interview.

I'd quite happily do a cleaners job but most are requiring a 6am or 6pm start and I just cant get childcare for that.

I'm not a lazy fuckwit but at the moment I cant find anything

If people were more willing to work and there wasn't so many people with a really bolshy attitude towards employers, more firms might be willing to invest here in Britain rather than in other European countries such as Germany where people have a more mature attitude towards work.

Bonnie, i'd quite happily clean toilets but the jobs are not there!!

Anyone who has seen the graduate unemployment figures will understand that it is NOT lack of intelligence or qualifications. It is not lack of hard work or willingness to work.

IT IS A LACK OF JOBS.

FFS

If there are not enough private sector jobs there is certainly enough WORK. So in return for jsa there is plenty of unskilled work we could ask people to do. Cleaning and tidying outdoor public spaces, picking litter from verges, gardening jobs for old folk, domestic work etc. I think able bodied folk on Jsa benefits should be required to work, at least part time.

"Anyone who has seen the graduate unemployment figures will understand that it is NOT lack of intelligence or qualifications. It is not lack of hard work or willingness to work.

IT IS A LACK OF JOBS.

FFS"

Or, it's that people are doing the wrong degrees or the degrees are not worth much because they are insufficiently rigorous. I'm amazed at how many students don't look at employment stats before embarking on their degrees. Just because marketing graduates are unemployed doesnt mean there arent enough jobs or even enough marketing jobs. It just means that there are too many marketing graduates.

Loudlass £130 on food/ nappies plus £10 to get to the shops is a lot to spend. Why not get your shopping delivered as this is much less than the busfares? There are loads of threads about how to cut your shopping bill that could save you a fair bit over a month.