Are we morally obliged to work ?

[Justthisonce12]

630,000 economically inactive people in the UK not claiming benefits. Early retiree’s I guess.

Hunt plans to tackle this and encourage work force participation to allow businesses to grow. ie cheap labour I presume ? But also preventing a brain drain.

Will be interesting to see how he plans to address this.

I work part time rather than being a SAHP, but any attempt to impoverish people into working/working more is going to have to be very carefully considered. At present, my household have disposable income and it gets spent on things that facilitate others earning a living. We would, as a family, choose to cut a great deal of that out before we'd want to maximise paid work instead. It would be rather counter productive to simply disincentivise discretionary spending in this cohort.

It sticks well and truly in the craw.

On a more general level, the whole of society was held to ransom for months on and off at the behest of a virus. High street chains are closing hand-over-fist, and the hospitality industry has been driven through the floor. Where are all these people expected to find jobs?

From my own particular POV, I'm part of the tax bracket JH is royally screwing over. To cap all this, anyone working in a university under the umbrella of the humanities now finds themselves in a particularly precarious situation. These departments have leached staff, they're not attracting student numbers anymore (because the government have told them these degrees are useless), and the axe is hovering over jobs in the more prestigious as well as the post-92 sector.

They've stuffed over academia well and truly (there will be a surfeit of STEM graduates now, because a generation of students have been told those are the only subjects worth studying), and on top of this have affected the way we teach - the issues underpinning this are complex but suffice it to see critical thinking and intelligent debate are REAL problem these days, because one false move and you could find yourself out of a job.

And yes, I'm really bitter. Not up for another career change having studied 8 years from undergraduate to PhD on an absolute pittance, for love of the subject/job and because I thought I was safeguarding my future. Maybe I'll just open some new age shop and settle for flogging crystals and incense, or churn out animal portraits and flog them for ten quid a pop.

The Tories have brought this situation about and are now making the rest of us pay. Plus sa change ...

That’s anyone over age 16, many are students in full time education.

I volunteer to do gardening at a large local park that sacked all their gardeners and a good team of us of all ages has made the gardens beautiful at no cost to the council. I guess the solution would be we all find part-time jobs in B&Q, Lidl etc and do the gardening on top of instead of. Or reductio ab absurdum just rewild the garden and let it find it's own level. How about Hunt and all the rest of them stop deflecting about Brexit and tell us the truth, really sorry we've ballsed up you will have to work until you drop to bail us out.

yes I know, but the figures were deliberately linked (imho) in order to confuse people - including the BBC.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1118417/CCS1022065440-001_SECURE_HMT_Autumn_Statement_November_2022_Web_accessible__1_.pdf

3.6 Since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, much of the UK’s growth has been driven by an increase in the number of hours worked.25 This was partly due to falling unemployment – which is now close to its lowest rate in 50 years – and increased labour market participation after 2008, particularly amongst women. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic the trend in participation has reversed, seen particularly acutely within those aged over 50. There are now 630,000 more working age inactive individuals than there were pre-pandemic.The Department for Work and Pensions will thoroughly review workforce participation. This work will conclude in early 2023.

3.7 To help tackle the barriers to progression faced by individuals on lower earnings, the government will bring forward the nationwide rollout of the In-Work Progression offer, starting with a phased rollout from September 2023. This will mean that over 600,000 Universal Credit claimants that are in work will be required to meet with a dedicated work coach so that they have support to increase their hours or earnings. This is in addition to the government’s recent announcement to raise the Administrative Earnings Threshold from January 2023, from the equivalent of 12 hours to 15 hours at the National Living Wage, which will bring more claimants in-work and on low earnings into a more intensive regime of work coach support.

....

The bit I have italicised is key. It's gone under radar a bit, but the Tories have been making noises about the 'economically inactive' for quite a while. I suspect that after 'encouraging' UC claimants to work/work more then the next target will those who do not work even if they don't need to.

Never mind, just got as far as the correction to the OP that it’s 600,000 on UC he was talking about, not the economically inactive. So students are not applicable.

The lovely TAs in our state primary school are all there after higher paid jobs or because they can afford to be there too.
Child rearing and working part time is the right model in any event, in my opinion. Bringing up the next generation well is absolutely critical. Besides, if I hadn’t worked part time when my DC were small, no way would my DH have been able to do his high powered travelling job. So the government would have lost out on his taxes, if we had both worked full time but he hadn’t gotten to the top of his career.
In my law firm, the partners earn loads but retire early because there is only so many 70-80 hour weeks in high stress, high alert jobs that a person can take. They don’t get the time back with their kids that they missed out on. They have grown the economy enormously. Everyone working 9-5 is not necessarily the most productive anyway.

There are now 630,000 more working age inactive individuals than there were pre-pandemic.The Department for Work and Pensions will thoroughly review workforce participation. This work will conclude in early 2023.

^This number includes all post 16 students, as well as disabled, & unpaid carers as well as early abled retirees. Most early retirees are due to ill health or disability.

He needs to look at those claiming UC or job seekers and working cash in hand. Two couples in my street are doing that. Nothing at all stopping them working. All fit and healthy, all can drive and have a car each but don't want to work legit and pay tax.

One couple have been living like that for at least 7 years. How many others across the country are the same?

Things they haven't tried, love, money.
^true :)

It just sounds like a made up problem the government invented to hide other problems they are responsible for and don't have a solution for. It's like when you procrastinate an important project by tidying up the cupboard under the stairs. I still think Jeremy Hunt is rhyming slang.

Spot on...it is an issue that needs addressing. What an almighty mess...

@schlaar I'm working in a nursery in school hours only so that I can do school run for my dc. I'm not qualified in child care but I can still work there. Ive also worked as a midday prior to that. Perhaps you could think along these lines?

anyone whose ever experienced will tel you the work coaches DWP provide are garbage someone less qualified than me try to get me to apply for jobs that require driving and a car as a necessity when i dont drive. AND suggesting i ask someone in the job for a lift everyday forever.

Absolute rubbish, just wasting everyones time. 90% of roles on the government s job portal which you were required to use were just full of fake sales or MLM roles. worst 3 months of my life.

The biggest issue is that working full time in this country doesn't guarantee you the ability to house feed and clothe yourself. SO much so that there is need for a work tax credit.

Gov UK tells me there are 5.6 million people on UC - how are the government determining which 630,000 of them will be subject to this intervention?

There are probably lots of economically inactive mothers with good qualifications and work experience who are not working because the costs of childcare have made it not worth their while at a particular time of their lives. Maybe he could look at those barriers to help encourage some well-qualified, hardworking mums back into the workforce?

This will mean that over 600,000 Universal Credit claimants that are in work will be required to meet with a dedicated work coach so that they have support to increase their hours or earnings.

I wonder how many people will be given appointments in their work hours and then being sanctioned for either not showing or losing their job…

Just curious but how do you distinguish the nonworking lay abouts from the working from home neighbours? Is there a lot of curtain twitching and interrogation by the bins going on?

There's some truth to that.

If someone can afford to live without claiming benefits how will they 'encourage' them to return to work? It sounds like a dream life to me!

Yes, this. I am sure a significant percentage of economically inactive or under active women are engaged in some kind of caring role - be it kids, disabled adult relatives, elderly relatives. Until childcare and social care are properly funded, the govt is not giving them much of a choice. Beating them with a stick won't help.

I bet a lot of these 'economically inactive" people are also the volunteers running the food banks, church groups, community librarie all the other stuff that a lot of people are relying since this Govt cut Public Services to the bone!

I don't earn enough to be (income) taxable. I don't claim any benefits, I wonder if I am in this category or not? Possibly not, but I'd be interested if there's more information on this category.
Either way, I can't work more because it wouldn't work with school times etc. I suppose the sahp I know are mainly in this category, school age children mean IF there are two parents at least one of you is hugely restricted in availability to support the other and the children, certainly here where childcare is notable by its near absence

Im not sure if I could as on benefits.

I always got carers allowence as I have always been a carer since childhood (got carers since 18) and I get child benefit and Im currently waiting to here from PIP (never claimed before but should qualify from my brain damage).

I did claime income support for a year once over a decade ago but other than that no benefits but also no 'proper' job (part time self employed and make below the taxable amount so they don't really seem to care).

In the last year DH claimed UC (he is full time employed but with everything going up) so I guess that links to me as the asked me a bunch of questions but the money goes straight to him.

I have zero time, energy or urge to go be someones lacky for very little pay... If I got an employed 9-5 job with my massive CV gaps I would likely be paid a pitence. Far less than the childcare costs I would have to pay (and that not taking into account the previously mention caring I do) so would be losing money. Besides people arent falling over themselves to hire brain damaged disabled people, no previous real experiance and a bunch of prior care commitments.

Most of the early retirees i know are teachers. Nothing would lure them back to teaching.