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.

not read the whole thread, so sorry if I'm repeating, but those saying about childcare issues - surely 30 hours a week is 6 hours a day, so 9:30 - 2:30 would cover it. You don't have to look for work until your youngest is 7 (unless that's changed again), so mothers with children would surely be expected to do this when the children are at school.

The Telegraph says it'll only be for 4 weeks and for those who've been unemployed for a long time. I guess most people won't get to that stage.

I still think it'd be better to make it easier to sign off and sign on again to make it easier for people to take seasonal work...

Are there any supermarkets in Easterhouse?

At our new Tesvo superstore in Maryhill there were 2000 applicants for 400 jobs.

You are also not taking into account that many jobless have mental health problems, drug dependencies and caring responsibilities.

This is also a public health and education and poverty issue. Many of these people can barely read let soon take up an admin job.

I don't know - I see the sense of this policy got people who are skilled, made redundant, at risk from depression etc it could have sig benefits for them. But it is one hell of a blunt instrument isn't it

Think this is an excellent idea.

Should at least start to make people question their sense of entitlement - in our family you don't get given money for anything you work and you get paid - don;t see a reason why people who are getting paid by the state shouldn't have to work for the money they are getting.

And I agree with Custy - took me 4 whole days to get a job but if I hadn't have I wouldn't have got any sort of benefit but would be very happy to have done some sort of work, be it cleaning up parks or painting walls - get a job do it to the best of your ability and really take pride in what you do is how I have always looked at things and I don't think someone would feel stigmatised by having to work for the money they are getting IMO it would make them actually have something to be proud of at the end of the week when they get 'paid' for doing something rather than paid for doing nothing.

it's a great idea - should have been happening years ago though!

Just because a job is advertised doesn't mean they will take any old idiot, I'm so sick of people saying there are lots of jobs.

yeah they want Driving Licences but you will get no help towards that because it's government policy to promote walking and public transport.
They want previous experience in the same line of work.
They want someone who can do heavy lifting etc (hint, hint get lost lady).
They want someone more flexible or with more experience (hint hint get lost old bag/kid).

The criteria is set in stone for all jobs no matter how low, because there are many people chasing even the most disgusting of jobs.

How are charities going yo cope with ghe admin? Will the state bear 'the cost ? Or will they rely on volunteers?

longfingernails - immigrants took lots and lots of jobs due to the british people being better off sitting on their arses doing nothing and getting paid for it by way of benefits at the end of the week.

Ha

If you move to Glasgow for a job you wi be competing with graduates from good universities who cannot get work teaching or in law or whatever profession.

I remember buying dome weather protector for a new pair of shoes and the lad behind the counter telling 'me the chemical compounds and processes of waterproofing.

(he must gave been very bored)

[quote]No-one here has come up with a valid reason why the millions of boomtime jobs were taken by immigrants instead of by people who were on the dole.[/quote]

People who are born here expect to be paid enough to live on and keep the family, immigrants are happy( well put up with) living in doss houses filled with bunkbeds and 10+ others in the same situation.

Plus of course you fail to mention the fact the immigrants go home after about six months, they are suckered in to thinking they will make really good money they can send home to the family in Poland or where ever, then they come over here and get shafted and go home when the contract is up.

There are, of course, some unemployed people who have lived on benefits all of their lives, but it's ridiculous to suggest that all unemployed people are of the same mind.

I would imagine that the jobless figures don't include all of the same people from 10 years ago People get jobs, people lose jobs.

I would probably be safe to say that someone who hasn't worked a day in their lives and has no disability barring them for work might be swinging the lead. Not so easy to say that about someone who has been looking for work for 1, 3 or even 5 years.

As I understand it, if you are offered a job and have no good reason for turning it down, you will lose benefits. Sounds fair enough to me.

This isn't about that. What the government are basically saying is, there are no jobs to offer you, so you'll have to do it for nowt.

Not because it will help you find work - it won't.

Not because you'll gain work experience - what are you going to learn in 4 weeks picking up other people's shit?

So we'll force you to work for 4 weeks then put you right back on the scrap heap. What exactly does that achieve, other than taking away real jobs from folk who do want to work?

Ryoko This sense of entitlement is exactly the problem.

The world does NOT owe you a living. Neither does the government. Nor any business.

MadameC, so you think people on the dole should be doing work for LESS than the benefit rate?

You don't think it's disgraceful that employers must be getting away with paying less than benefit rate if people on JSA get paid more for not working?

LFN, of course the government doesn't owe anyone a living, but I personally think part of their remit is to ensure there are reasonable jobs, with a living wage, available to those who want to work.

The benefits of cutting the welfare bill is enormous. For now, it is just cutting the deficit.

However, in the future, cutting the bills of social failure could enable big cuts in corporation tax, national insurance, and income tax. The economic dividends could be gigantic.

Yes, Ryoko, god forbid you should be paid an actual living wage and accomodation that you don't share with 20 other strangers in exchange for working.

Oh no, hang on, LFN wants JSA claimants to live in those conditions. Big dorms and as much gruel as you can fit in a tin can. Serves them right the lazy bastards.

This policy has nothing to do with getting people back to work. The government are doing fuck all to create jobs, quite the opposite.

Yep I saw this coming. "big society" combined with massive job cuts. but hey at least all the corporate fat cats (and banks) get a nice fat tax break. Thanks a lot conservative voters!

There are 500,000 people in public sector who are being sacked, and about 750,000 in the private sector who will also lose their jobs due to the tories policies (dont forget many companies provide services to the public sector, and also rely on income from public sector salaries).

Whoever thinks some magic fairy is going to make private sector jobs just appear out of nowhere is living in cloud cuckoo land.

BigTuna Sounds just like my student halls of residence :)

No-one wants gruel, but the array and longevity of benefits available to the determined scrounger is mindboggling. I fully support cracking down hard on scroungers.

In addition to income tax cuts, cutting on scroungers could support increases in carer's allowance and the benefits paid out to the most seriously disabled.

wubblybubbly The latest economic data disagrees with you. Hundreds of thousands of private sector jobs are being created. Not much comfort to diversity officers or quangocrats, but the facts are the facts.

Unfortunately for our social cohesion, the jobs seem to be going to the highly skilled at the top-end, and to immigrants in the middle and at the bottom-end.

LFN, how is this policy going to crack down hard on scroungers?

It's not creating jobs, it taking them away.

If the unemployed take on the forced labour, they won't lose benefits.

If they refuse, then they'll apparently lose benefits for 3 months. All of them? Even those with small children? Are the government actually going to let kids go hungry/homeless? Is that the kind of headlines they're looking for? It seems unlikely.

So really, how much is this policy going to save?

It sounds more like punishing people than any real policy on employment. Popular with a certain section of society, no doubt, but a money spinner? I doubt it.

The savings are being made by doing away with legitimate jobs and forcing people to work for benefits.

Do you have a link please LFN?

I think you all seem to missing the point its not necessarily about making jobs for people its about making people who are thinking about being on benefits as a way of life go out and work for the money that is given to them.

I firmly believe there are jobs out there for eveyone, but no one wants to do them....if all the benfit scroungers (I am talking about people who have been on benefits for an age and show no signs of accepting any work whatsoever)were sent out picking up litter, cleaning up grafiti, helping the elderly maintain their properties etc etc we would live in a cleaner society and those scroungers would soon accept a cleaning job on minimum wage rather work for their benefit.

I keep seeing posts banging on about working for less than the minimum wage but what the hell gives these people the right to get money for sitting on their arses!!

Ok my first point is if someone is on job seekers and they have to work for 4 weeks, they are then official not looking for work during that time.
Second, if there is work available for people to do, why not employ people to do it

Three if someone works, they are entitled to minimum wage! so are they going to paid accordingly.

This just seems like a stupid idea, good on the surface!

People like my brother who is on jsa (he actually doesn't leave his house,i think he actually has depression) a few days work would do him good i think. But this scheme is full of holes and seems exploitive.