Voluntary work or lose benefits

[Marjoriew]

Government intend to cut benefits of claimants on JSA who refuse to do voluntary work of 30 hours a week over a 4-week period.
Benefits could be stopped for up to 3 months if claimants refuse to comply.

but that would be a JOB then?
with a wage
i dont think you get it!

Im out of work have been for 4 months now. I was pregnant when I was laid off I did not know and neither did the employer. I have worked since I was 15 until May of this year im now 33. Im looking for job and no one wants a pregnant woman working for them! Which is fine. Once baby is born I hope to get a job then! I think getting people to work is a good thing to be honest. I go to the job center every 2 weeks at the moment and you can see the people who dont want to work (with their status dogs outside waiting for them) and are there to sign on and go home. This pisses me off even though not working right now my self I feel sad for people trying hard working or those people looking for work and trying hard but there is nothing for them. I think that if your doing a high flying job and then get laid off you should not be expected to take a job that pays a lot less just for the sake of having a job either? But then where does the cut off point come? Thats the hard bit. (And no I did not have a high flying job)!

Whats your point betty? I think its you who doesnt get it. Many people are saying that benefits are the same or more money than some jobs - so why not make it into an actual job? or do you just want to punish innocent people in difficult circumstances?

life - only if you could find a childcare provider willing to take a child on for four weeks and no longer. And were given extra benefits to cover the childcare.

I've said it before it's New Deal with the addition of Council work so they can sack all the low paid council workers who are more likely to vote labour then the higher up council pen pushers, or be a payed up member of a labour union.

New Deal never worked for me, employers poo pooed my Charity shop work as "not proper shop work". I did an enjoyable 6 months in an animal home and went on a spate of applying for pet shops that resulting in nothing because I had no "proper" retail experience.

In the end it was all the hours I spent sitting on my backside playing Xbox and PS2 that got me a job, hardcore gamer = games tester experience.

I think the litter job has been tried on people with criminal convictions. Are the jobless to be treated as criminals?

Edam - I dont think this will apply to people with full time childcare resposibilities. In fact I think this is just another press-release daily mail policy, used as a stick to berate those who are jobhunting, which they have not thought through and will probably not exist without significant changes. A policy made up by a bunch of millionaires who dont understand the issues and are looking to exploit those less fortunate than themselves.

Usualsuspect
Perhaps you could do with some voluntary work, and at the same time improve your vocabulary. Very offensive use of language.

Ooo Ohh I have an idea how we could save millions!

All MPs should be given a london living allowance capped at the same level as the housing benefit allowance. This will stop them abusing the system and retain a link with their constituents. After all they already have a very good salary with which to fund their consituency home. Sounds more than fair to me.

'I think that if your doing a high flying job and then get laid off you should not be expected to take a job that pays a lot less just for the sake of having a job either? But then where does the cut off point come? Thats the hard bit. (And no I did not have a high flying job)!'

Ha! at 13wks you are expected to increase the types of work you are willing to apply for including any other work experience you may have had in the past even dodgy ones...the thing is it actually takes a while to find a job

This type of programme does not work and is extremely unfair esspecially in the current climate...if there were enough jobs for every unemployed person then it would make sense...but there are not enough jobs so people are basically being penalised for something they cannot control...its just political bollocks..

lifeinlimbo excellent idea!!
They are saying this housing benefit should cover the rent let them try and live on that kind of money and keep a roof over their head

I believe 'compulsory-voluntary' work will really help to give people confidence and a sense of self-worth and purpose in life.
People who can read can teac those who can't. That would help to solve the 20 per cent functional illiteracy problem in the UK, and break the cycle of deprivation at the same time.

Ooh I like that idea, lifeinlimbo. Cabinet ministers in particular should face the proposed annual cut in housing benefit - aren't they planning to cut it after you've been out of work for a year?

Re. high flying jobs - as mumincentre says, benefits claimants are already expected to apply for a variety of jobs. Dh was unfortunate enough to be made redundant earlier this year (public sector job, employer anticipating the cuts - only he worked contract so didn't even get any redundancy).

After 13 weeks, as mumincentre says, the benefits office made him apply for a wide range of jobs. None of which he got because he was not qualified/over qualified for them - why on earth would an employer to give an office manager job to someone who has never worked as an office manager and whose experience and professional qualifications are in a completely different area? Seems like a ridiculous waste of time to me. Thankfully he eventually got work in his own field, but again, it's only contract (another public sector job so no doubt funding will be pulled shortly).

Just because you can read doesn't mean you'd be any good at teaching other people how to do it. Most people can drive but they'd make rubbish driving instructors.

yes the cut in housing benefit after a year is odd, how do they expect people to afford to move, with new deposit, agency fees, removal van etc when they havent earned anything for a year??

That is a very good point edam, most MPs live off the state for more than a year: they should start at the lower level of HB.

Presumably people who cant afford to move will have to use JSA to pay their rent. I wonder if we will start to see cases of malnutrition, starvation and hypothermia in the NHS? Who needs broken britain when you can have third world britain?

The proposals are £1 an hour;

Only for people who are work shy

Not for mothers with children under 5

Only for a set period - 4 weeks

30 hours a week

Litter picking, clearing local parks, helping elderly with shoppoing

Lose £65 JSA for 3 months if you fail to show up for the workfare

1.4m people currently claim JSA.

People who can read can teac those who 'can't. That would help to solve the 20 per cent functional illiteracy problem in the UK, and break the cycle of deprivation at the same time.'

I read from the age of 4. Can you tell me how to teach my 7-year-old, severely dyslexic, dyspraxic daughter to read, because even her teacher and therapists and support assistant are finding it challenging?

I've got an idea..
Why don't we just have chain gangs.
The work shy scroungers could do with a kick up their lazy,fat arses.
Voluntary work? PAH.
How can it be voluntary if people are being forced into it.
How do you distinguish between work shy and not work shy?
Will the £1.00 an hour be deducted from their JSA.?
Load of bollocks.

i can see whats wrong with the long term unemployed doing some voluntary work.

what is the definition of long term unemployed? over 6 months? a year?

Xenia, you seem like a community minded kind of person. I order you to tidy up the rubbish I threw in the park this weekend, Ill give you a quid. Otherwise Ill break your legs (?).

Hmm these people who lose JSA for 3 months, what will they do? They will be pretty desperate.. perhaps mug a granny? burgle a house? At least (at best?) steal from the supermarket. They didnt want forced labour so are obviously not community minded.

well we don't and absolutley shouldn't operate a society where the rule is that we orgnaise it around whether or not they will beat up a granny.

gimme 65 quid a week or i'll beat up a granny - erm ok, why not.

Perhaps it was an extreme example, but what do you expect them to do? These people wont have any money for food, they wont be able to pay any bills, they will have absolute zero, £0. People in that situation have nothing to lose, and prison will be no deterent because hey, at least we feed prisoners.

It will be a choice between prison, hospital or crime.

I dont want my society to treat people in this way.