to think cutting benefits will increase crime

[everydaywonderful]

because people need money, you know, for food and rent and stuff. I'd be prepared to break the law before seeing my children without food, or homeless, wouldn't you?

Because in a civilised society you can't allow people who don't do what they're supposed to do (and particularly their children) to starve. A person so reluctant to work they deliberately fail interviews would be a nightmare employee if forced into work. So much productivity lost to trying to manage them, deal with the problems their attitude would cause, their cost would far outweigh their benefit.

I guess if people find a life of crime easier and more profitable than a normal job that's what they will do

Minimum wage job, long hours, physical demanding , treated like shit vs working for yourself to your own schedule ? Surprised it isn't already a bigger problem

Surely that's area based? The area I grew up in has plenty of people who still do this now. And the system allows it.

@Blackcats7

Thats all very well, but do you honestly believe that Labour won’t carry on with this policy?

They will continue with the new sick note policy and this. If anything they will be rubbing their hands right now, because they don’t have to deal with the backlash of introducing it.

Because it’s difficult to distinguish the “won’t work” from the “can’t work” and to design a set of rules that bars the “can’t work” from benefits while retaining them for tge “want to work but can’t find someone to employ me”

I'm afraid you're probably right.

Exactly. Get a job or go to jail.

1. Most of these are with agencies.

1. Many jobs with agencies are advertised multiple times, with multiple agencies, anything up to 20 x, so lets say an average of 10x per job, which might be an underestimate, but 91, 600 jobs.

1. The vast majority of jobs advertised by agencies DON'T EXIST. I was job hunting once and called advertising standards every single time I had evidence that the job an agency was advertising didn't exist - and every time, advertising standards made them pull the job and apologise, but that was all. No other consequence. And that was only if I could PROVE the job didn't exist, which only happened in very specific circumstances. Eg " faith school in such and such a town requires receptionist - there was only one faith school in that town, I contacted them directly, they did not require a receptionist and had never advertised through an agency. It is just lies to get their hands on your details.

so lets bring that down to 9 160 jobs.

Almost all of these will require a driving licence - I don't have one for medical reasons, many people on PIP can't drive.

so lets bring that down to say 2 500 jobs. Most of which will be out of reach geographically.

So to recap, whatever number of jobs is advertised through agencies, represents a real number of around 1% of the advertised number, most of which need a driving lisence, and all of which are spread around by geography

And that is before we get to qualifications, etc.

So even if the government job site has your perfect job on it, the chances are you will not find it, as there is literally hundreds of thousands of non existent jobs to trawl through, and many others which are unsuitable

You try filtering by non driver, and non agency. it is not possible

You are not wrong, OP.

Of course we’ve seen that this government is unable to access the statistics on how cutting salaries, benefits and all essential services have produced worse outcomes.

We have a mental health crisis, children languishing in poverty, homelessness is sky high, crime is rampant, NHS waiting lists are out of control, doctors/nurse/teachers/lawyers and many more are striking; but our government is still creating ways to tighten that chokehold on ordinary people.

Jails are over capacity now too, so they are just released back into society to repeat their crimes.

No i'd get a job!

The minimum wage is £11.44, thats £429.00 a week or £22,300 a year! thats the minimum any employer can pay you.. so stacking shelves in tesco.. £11.44 an hour, cleaning, £11.44 an hour...

I'd say that people stealing just to feed their kids is very low.. stealing for drugs and other reasons i'd say was very high.

Now i appreciate not everyone can work for one reason or another, and if that was the case I'd look at my outgoings.

Do i need my nails done weekly? smoking and drinking i'd knock that on the head? did i really need the latest iphone? PS5? flatscreen TV?

Do you think the country can really afford the extra financial burden of incarcerating the work shy? If 'the tax payer' is upset at paying for someone's benefits I doubt they'd be thrilled with the bill for their custodial sentence.

Yes but plenty of people aren't prepared to cut out the ciggies, vapes, beers.. and aren't prepared to shop around and home cook meals . Or prepared to not have the latest Nike trainers.

But also not prepared to work to afford the above.

I’ve worked all my adult life, but I would be worried about this as I get older, with an increasing retirement age.
It gets harder to find a job with age, this policy won’t just see a minority of young, fit 20 something ‘layabouts’ being penalised.
People should be careful what they wish for.

100 per cent. Well said. We’ve always had a small minority of people who are basically unemployable. They are not the ones stealing the money. Tory policy is to make you believe the poor people stole all the money which is ridiculous in itself. It’s the greedy corporations not paying tax. Of course benefits can’t stop. What would people live on? It’s just populist shit that the ignorant choose to believe so they’ve always got someone to look down on

and here we have a typical person on benefits justifying why they can't get a job!

I get pip... i work... i drive?

you tried job hunting 'once'.. well done, what happened did it exhaust you?

There's definitely a sub section of society that will never work, they are just unemployable. Drug, alcohol issues etc.

So if you were to fall on hard times ie lose your job and need the safety net of benefits you’re happy to go to jail?? The jails are all full anyway

Op this will only happen if the Tories get in again at the general election...... basically wishful thinking. Agree with you totally about what will happen on the 13th month let's hope the Tories get kicked out

Ive just gone onto the govt website and searched for jobs within 10 miles of me.

11 000 I am told.

I read the first 200. Every single one is a) not a job, but an invitation to send your CV to an agency, who will sell your details, but don't have any actual local work or b) 100s of miles away, ie, I am searching within 10 miless of central London, and have been shown details of jobs in Manchester ( if they are real) or c) commission only or d) MLM or e) self employed or f) drivers jobs and I can't drive for medical reasons, or g) jobs for which I am in no way qualified, and I have 3 degrees.

Don't believe the rubbish the govt tells you about the number of jobs available.

Labour ( if they win) will surely have to do something to get the benefits bill down though. It's totally unsustainable currently and set to rise hugely in the next 5/ 10 years.

i could get you a job today! paid above minimum wage.. 3 nights a week, 12 hour shifts... send me a message and i'll sort it out for you?

my husband works there, does not drive.. no special skill set...

but i bet all i get are excuses of why you can't possibly do it

And most will be zero hours contracts which isn’t proper employment

quite

@TheCatOnTheBedIsAllMineAllMine if your desperate you would take zero hours tho. We need a childcare option rolled into this that isn't an education setting rather a cheap way to look after the kids whilst parents are at work