Benefits should actually be higher, that is one thing they could do to help people not be scared to move off them.
You’re right that they don’t care about the gap in between starting your first job after a stint on benefits. They also don’t care if you can’t afford to buy interview clothes or travel for interviews.
I remember when I was 18 I had a few months on JSA back when you were allowed to work up to 16 hours I think. I declared how many hours I worked via this agency I was with and they cut my benefit completely which was wrong and I had to appeal .
Years later I had tax credits and I called to update my workplace - same wage different job - and due to some mishap they ended my tax credit claim, claiming I earned too much.
I had to apply all over again and it was so much hassle I just left it. Especially as I was going back to uni within 7 months or so.
When they are paying people so little, any administrative mishap /people being jobsworth can have a terrible impact. For some people it’s just not worth the hassle and to keep things simple and the money coming in uninterrupted they’d rather not attempt to move off it.
I hear in Germany and some European countries some benefits are tied to wages, so if you were working previously and getting say 3K a month they’d pay you 80% of that. From what I understand the amounts are higher but more time limited. For those non-disabled I believe this makes sense.
I’d rather give people a decent amount for 6-12 months than have people just sit on a pittance for a lifetime. It’s not good for them and the economy to be long term employed like that.
Because recently I looked online and as a single adult with no dependents I’d only be entitled to getting around £500 a month and I think that’s disgusting considering I’ve worked for two decades. If I was renting I’d get another £600 more but you don’t get anything extra if you have a mortgage. And even then most rents in my area are way above £600.