To think this won’t work and will force more into poverty?

[KimberleyClark]

Kwasi Korteng wants to cut benefits to part time workers to force them to work more hours.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/21/kwasi-kwarteng-to-shrink-part-time-work-benefits-to-grow-labour-supply

you gotta love the Tories

I work the maximum I can to get the 30 hour childcare but without having to pay for more hours ontop because my pay is shit and I couldn't afford that. We still qualify for UC even with me working mid time hours and my husband full time. It's ridiculous that we can work so many hours between us and it's still such low wages we need top ups.

I work in a special needs school. I'm the sort of keyworker that everyone was clapping for in 2020. But in 2022 I can't afford to heat my house, but can't afford the childcare to up my hours. And don't tell me to get a better paid job because society needs someone to do my job. When people say minimum wage can't rise, they're basically saying people who do jobs like mine don't deserve to be warm and fed.

If the government provided better childcare that was affordable and covered the holidays too then maybe it could work.
As it is , it is a lottery of where you live, how much you earn and what is available in your area to use. Children have to cared for by ratio , enough people per child. It's not easy to find people who want to run clubs that can turn a profit. Once they start school the problems mount up even more with childcare worries.
It'll be women who will end up having to give up working i suppose because they won't be able to juggle child care and working the.extra

@NotQuiteUsual I’m the same, I work with children with additional needs in a unit in a mainstream school. My wages are dismal but I am experienced and qualified. We often have very young TA’s who work while awaiting Uni or while they figure out what to do next after college. They are not able to provide the level of intervention required and leave as soon as possible. The role is essential but completely undervalued.

What about making sure companies and rich people are paying the right amount of tax? Why do the tories always look to the people at the very bottom with the very least

They help the rich with a leg up ( tax cuts)
The poor are poor because they don't work hard enough :(
It's the same old conservative values.
Why anyone thinks they might think differently to this is deluded..

I think it will work and I think it is meant to increase poverty, which is profitable to the rich because debt and impulsive spending are profitable to the rich. Those in government are wealthy and like profits.

Seriously did not need this to worry about on top of everything else

The country has a labour shortage and people who are underemployed are the same time.

What exactly is wrong with the policy announcement?

I don’t have an issue with this policy.

I can only see this working if those with genuine reasons for part time hours are helped elsewhere
E.g. increased childcare funding (and from earlier age), increased carers allowance etc

But then they'd have to tell us what they think genuine is. And they don't understand how or why anyone struggles, because the majority come from backgrounds where they've not had to worry about money.

That’s fine as long as you don’t expect the tax payers to pay for you to not work. If you can fund it yourself then great.

That’s fine as long as you don’t expect the taxpayer to pay for you not to work. If you can find it yourself than great.

It seems reasonable to me to ask people to try to work more than 15 hours a week, if they want to claim benefits.

Apparently this will affect very few people, so that's another good reason not to be enraged by it.

@pointythings, childcare is expensive. People who work in child nurserys have to be paid at least minimum wage too. The government already pays some money towards 2 year olds and a bit more towards 3 years old children. Those on UC who work also get help towards childcare so they can work. If you go back just 28 years there was no government help towards childcare. People who had children had to sort out childcare with family or arrange to pay a childminder themselves. Now government helps fund childcare for all 2-3 year olds and those on UC. I have lived through a recession and it is absolutely awful. People who have secure jobs are made redundant with little warning. If the economy is in recession employers stop taking on new staff. People fall into debt and have houses repossessed. So even though it Will be tough the government has to do all it can to try to avoid a recession. If that means those who only work a few hours but claim benefit but who could work a few more are asked to do so that is better than a long recession. It also means the benefits are better targeted at those like the disabled who can't work more hours. 2 full days a week or 3 hours a day is not unreasonable and no one is forcing people to do it if they don't want to, just don't expect to be paid to choose to stay home all the time.

Also I agree employers should pay a fair rate for the job. There should be no need for government to have to top up wages so people can feed their children. Minimum wages need to rise to at least £12 per hour and more in London.

@RedAppleGirl, this will affect over 50's who claim UC just as much as under 50's. What gave you idea it won't affect over 50's who claim UC?

The over 50s decided to opt out and make new changes mid covid. We don't need government policies to push this group into work. Just leave them alone.
This age group is pretty stable.
What the government needs are incentives for the 16-plus age groups. They also need to address the ridiculous muddle of the minimum wage.

I don't have any problems with this policy. I think it's reasonable to ask people to work more than 15 hours a week

The article mentions policies on UC and the over 50s.
The over 50's are now under-represented in the employed market. They were the group that shrunk the most.
That's why I've made a separate point.

That’s fine, leave them alone as long as they aren’t expecting benefits to sub them for not working much. I don’t have a problem with people not working as long as they are paying for it themselves.

Only if they up the pathetic minimum wage. You can't blame the part time workers when they'd be worse off working full time.

The minimum has been 12 hours a week, so four lunchtimes bar maiding a week entitled people to benefits.

Now it'll be five lunchtimes a week to give access to those benefits. It's hardly a major ask.

I'm a single mum, I've worked 40 hours a week since the end of maternity leave and it hasn't been a problem. I'm late 50s and still doing it. I carried on doing it while being treated for breast cancer so I'm struggling to see why people whose children do not have additional needs would find this an issue.

I hope there are going to be exemptions for people with health issues, disabilities or caring responsibilities which restrict their working hours. Or alternatively there needs to be more state support to relieve these people of their responsibilities and free them up for paid work. I would love to have my responsibilities taken off my shoulders so I could work more hours!

The more you rely on the state, the more you are at its mercy. which is why you should work more hours if you can

@HermioneWeasley if there is such a shortage of workers then why is there still discrimination against returning workers?