to wonder why anyone votes tory?

[traciebanbanjo]

All they seem to represent us keeping the rich, rich and the poor, poor. There doesn't seem to be that many rich people so why do they get so many votes?

I say this having tried to recruit to an unskilled job for over 6 months now without luck.

Does it require having to be flexible over 7 days? Is it childcare friendly? Permanent hours contract? I find that most jobs now expect complete flexibility which is unrealistic for many people. This seems to happen more for.lower paid and lower skilled. There is a gulf between conditions at the top and bottom.

Yes but PC the Tory policies best protect the poor, however. You don't spend all the money you have now if you have sense. you conserve it to ensure you can care for the less fortunate for years. The Tories are the caring party and the country recognises that which is why Labour have not been in power for so long now.

Pink. It’s permanent, Monday to Friday but hours can be agreed and the majority of our staff work hours to suit so it’s very flexible.

We don’t operate in an area of zero unemployment so there are people looking for and needing jobs yet we’ve been told this isn’t attractive.

I’m sorry but there’s something fundamentally wrong in a system that makes benefits more attractive that £24kpa.

@DorsetDays. What's the job?

I agree doing community work would be beneficial for the people on JSA. As long as it isn't for companies to use to get free Labour depriving people of jobs then I don't see the problem

There in lies the problem - it’s for a community estates role and basically people don’t want to get their hands dirty.

We have an estates team who deal with problems reported such as a mattress being dumped, graffiti, overgrown shrubs etc so they are a responsive team out and about dealing with that. They can also carry out minor handyperson duties such as lightbulbs in communal areas, putting up a noticeboard in a hallway etc.

We offer full training including day release to college to gain qualifications but as the Job Centre said “no-one wants to do that sort of work anymore”....

That is good pay for an estates person role.

It's a shame people don't see manual work as a good enough job now a days. Without people doing manual jobs then everyone else wouldn't be able to do theirs. I think that message needs to be pushed. And the message of you're not above any job

I don't know anyone personally that would rather be on benefits than working. I do a shit job, I work in a call centre and everyone hates those kind of jobs. I'm still better off financially than I was when I was on benefits and I only earn minimum wage. I'm better off by over £100 a week.

I wonder why people vote Tory but I appreciate that we don't all have the same views. Benefits is not better off than being at work though, it definitely wasn't for me. I had to allocate a certain budget every week for food, bills etc.

I think it would help if people didn't look down so much on manual jobs. There seems to be a lot of snobbery. Where I work there is talk (not by me but some staff) of qualified and unskilled and people have said 'he's only a band 3' 'he's unqualified' and such like.
One has to be physical fit too for these jobs , able to drive etc.
Would you personally like to do the job Doris?
I work in mental health so can see it isn't always as simple as not being bothered to work too.

I absolutely despair, I really do. I don’t think we’ve ever had such a poor collection of MPs - on every side. And this while we have Brexit to deal with and collapsing social services and institutions too.

I say this as a (just about hanging on) member of the Labour Party. We need MPs who will be honest about what it costs to implement the things most people seem to want, Brexit, NHS, good schools etc ... and they get away with it because we don’t seem to be prepared to listen to some hard truths.

I think we have created a benefits culture I have known too many people who have no intention of working full time when benefits allow them to comfortably work part time

I myself am only about £200-250 a month better off working full time which is ludicrous as I then have other expenses

That isn’t going to change until the difference in a low wage and being on benefits is greater and people are not worried about sick/holiday pay and know that they shall have enough money at the end of the month

Companies have been able to exploit this while our needs as a society change (retail especially) will increasing their profits

20nil

I absolutely agree with MP’s needing to be honest

Not populist ideas or the notion we call pull together and make it work

NHS, Education and Emergency Services need more money and often better management

I despair at the money that is wasted at work within the NHS

Pink. There are loads of jobs that I wouldn’t want to do (including my own half the time!) and I’ve done a range of jobs including working at Tescos, manual work on a farm etc in my time to earn money as I have just never considered that benefits were an option for me as I’m lucky enough to be fit and healthy and I know there are jobs there if I’m prepared to compromise and work hard.

We don’t require someone to drive for the job as they pair up but we have offered to pay for lessons/tests etc which I thought would have been an added attraction given the costs involved, as being able to drive would increase their opportunities going forward.

We’ve even offered work trials which means people continue with their benefits so they can try the job out but zero interest.

I know for sure that we’re not the only company having this problem so I’m sorry but I have to draw the conclusion that there are people out there who simply can’t be bothered to work and they’re the ones I want addressed as bottom line is that I’m fed up with working hard, paying taxes and subsidising their benefits!

@DorsetDays go on benefits then if it's so great.

I cannot understand this attitude of "sick of working hard to pay their benefits" as if people living on benefits are living an enviable lifestyle. I cannot fathom why people are so bitter towards those worse off than themselves. That person on benefits long term will never own their own home, never have a pension, never have financial stability. How is that a good life? I'm sure you wouldn't want it for yourself. £70 a week JSA, yeah that's brilliant.

From what I've experienced as well it's not always about thinking a job isn't "good enough", it's a self confidence issue. Somebody out of work long term will be scared of going back to work because they don't believe they can do it. I spent a year out of work and it knocked my confidence to the point where I thought no one will ever hire me again, I'll just be shit at whatever job I do, etc. I did get a job and since then I've been applying for better ones. I have an interview next week for a job that I wouldn't even have applied for when I was out of work as I thought it was way beyond my skills.

Bitchqueen. It clearly depends on your circumstances, I’ve worked with people who confirm they would be better off on benefits but want to work and don’t understand why others don’t feel the same.

If a life on benefits is so shitty why are some of those people openly refusing jobs? Because they’re either too lazy to work or it’s not worth the effort financially.

Clearly I’m only talking about people who are fit to work I.e on JSA. If you want to own your own home, have a decent pension etc that requires you to get off your backside and work hard like those of us in employment.

You don't spend all the money you have now if you have sense. you conserve it to ensure you can care for the less fortunate for years

Isn't that the Norwegian model, where I believe they've used some of their oil wealth to build a fund for future provision?

Good point BitchQueen. Agree 're lack of confidence. Maybe the ad could include we would welcome somebody willing to train no experience, work returners etc

Pink. We have tried that, even advertised through local schools/colleges in case any interested school leavers (we also offer apprenticeships). We have a whole NEETS programme where I work and have offered free C&G training with paid project experience at the end to help people back into employment.

Just very frustrating

I did workfare under New Deal..................for 3 months. After that was completed i was told i had to work another 3 months in a soup factory for my JSA (this was in 2000/2001) Luckily i found a job in the sex industry so applied and got it. I would have applied for it anyway because guess what I WANTED TO WORK. It was nights 5pm to 3am.

One day when i was sleeping the workfare provider came to the office to stick his nose in I HAD SIGNED OFF I WAS BEING PAID A WAGE. but he thought he would hassle me. My boss laughed at him and told him a. she didnt want him there and b. if he wanted to see me he would have to come back when i was actually working my hours. Funnily enough he didnt want to do that.

Incidentally this job and employer treated me better than any other employer ever did.

i also did 10am till 6pm on a Saturday and 6pm to 3am on a Sunday as well as the aforementioned hours during the week. But Reed didnt want that because they got commision for everyone that was on workfare. So they thought they would make a nuisance of themselves which would lose me the job so i would have to sign back on + straight back on to their books.

Mrs Birling Boxsets your posts are highly offensive To suggest that a claimant who would object to being treated like this must not be genuine is a cuntish comment of the highest order.

Eh?

Tbh a lot depends on if you have a mortgage. If you do have a mortgage you cannot claim housing so you need a well paid , ft job. You will be more stressed but you will have security.
If you work ft you WILL be better off than on income support. My lifestyle improved considerable when I went back to work.

That's why I think people are nuts to envy single mums on benefits...its bloody hard work!

Also those talking about people on benefits due to 'only' being unemployed - I'd love to know how you think that'd work on UC where people are expected to job hunt full time AND provide lots of evidence of this. It can't even cope with people taking time 'off' for a GP appointment (with evidence) without them ending up with sanctions!

Sorry, no way will you ever convince me - nor many others that the tories are "the caring party" not when they target the poor, sick and disabled for their cuts, demonise those struggling and present them to the electorate as all being feckless.

DorsetDays - I'm genuinely shocked, we have jobs like that going round here occasionally and people jump at the chance. Partly due to the high unemployment but also the mon-fri hours. Do your employers have a rep for treating employees badly or something? Is there a high staff turnover?

I see also my posts re the fear of the risk taken in coming off benefits have been ignored too.

And no one will convince me that Labour is a capable party and that's why I vote Tory.

Me neither Siwel. The damage from tax credits will stay for years. How could a benefit so generous that it allowed millions to not work or do a token few hours ever have been good for society?

That money could have been used for so so many better things.

Reversing people's work ethic now will take years and hard measures. It's not just the adults but the children that grew up seeing the role model presented.

Precisely. Honestly working tax credits need to go in my opinion.