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News

DWP forced to reveal vast list of firms using benefit claimants for unpaid work

47 replies

LurkingHusband · 30/07/2016 17:20

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dwp-forced-reveal-vast-list-8522078

Source: DWP file released through WhatDoTheyKnow.com

  1. African Childrens Fund
  1. Abacus Children’s Wear
  1. ABCAL
  1. Ability
  1. Ace of Clubs Charity Shop
  1. Acorns
  1. Action for Disability
  1. Action Housing
  1. Active Community Team
  1. Advocacy Support

  2. Afro Caribbean Centre

  3. Age Concern

  4. Age UK

  5. Agnew Community Centre

  6. Air Ambulance

  7. Aire Valley Recycling Ltd

  8. Airedale Computers,

  9. Al-Khair Foundation

  10. All Aboard

  11. Allied Healthcare

  12. Almadene Care Home

  13. AMF Torquay Bowling Alley

  14. Amicus Horizon Housing Association

  15. Animal Krackers

  16. ARAS German Shepherd Inn

  17. ARC

  18. Archer Project

  19. Arthritis Research UK

  20. Arthur Rank

  21. Arts Factory

  22. ASAN

  23. Asda

  24. Asha Charity Shop

  25. Ashgate Hospice

  26. Aspire Community Enterprise Ltd

  27. Auchinleck Talbot F.C.

  28. Autism Plus

  29. Aylestone Park Boys Football Club

  30. Babygear

  31. Back2Earth

  32. Bangladesh People

  33. Bangladeshi ass sangag centre

  34. Barnardos

  35. Basic Life Charity

  36. B'Dwe

  37. Beaumaris Hostel

  38. Bedfordshire Education Academy

  39. Belgrave Hall Museum

  40. Bernicia Group (Social housing provider)

  41. BHF

  42. Blaby & Whetstone Boys Club

  43. Blue Cross

  44. Bluebell Wood

  45. Bookers

  46. Boots

  47. Botanical Gardens

  48. Bottle Rescue Aireworth Mill

  49. BR Environmental

  50. Bradford Autism Centre

  51. Bradford Community repaint

  52. Breaking Free

  53. Brian Jackson House

  54. Briardale Community Centre

  55. Bright House

  56. Brighton and hove wood recycling

  57. Britannia College

  58. British Heart Foundation

  59. British Red Cross

  60. British Waterways

  61. Brockhurst Community Centre

  62. Bryncynon Strategy

  63. Bryncynon Strategy

  64. Butterwick Hospice

  65. Cancer Research

  66. Cancer Uk

  67. Capability Scotland

  68. Care & Repair

  69. Carers Centre

  70. Caribbean Centre

  71. Caribbean Restaurant (Streatham)

  72. Carlisle Park

  73. Carr Vale Allotments

  74. Cash Convertors

  75. Castle Gresley Community Centre

  76. Cat Haven

  77. Cats Protection League

  78. Cauwood day services

  79. CCA Furniture Outlet

  80. Cerebal Palsey Care

  81. Changing Lives in Clevedon

  82. chapletown youth community centre

  83. Chesterfield FC Community Trust

  84. Chestnut Tree House Shop

  85. Children in Distress

  86. Children Scrapstore Reuse Centre

  87. Children Trust

  88. Childrens Society

  89. Chopsticks North Yorkshire

  90. Circulate

  91. Citizen Advice Bureau

  92. Claire House

  93. Clic Sargent

  94. Comfort Kids

  95. Community Association - Trefechan

  96. Community Re-Paint

  97. Community Resource Centre

  98. Community Voice

  99. Complete Professional Care

  100. Compton Hospice

  101. Congburn Nurseries

  102. Cooke Computers

  103. Cooke E - Learning Foundation

  104. Co-op

  105. Corby Boating Lake

  106. Cornerstone

  107. Cornwall Hospice Care

  108. County Durham Furniture Help Scheme

  109. Croydon animal samaritans

  110. CSV Media

  111. Cusworth Hall

  112. CVS Furniture

  113. Dan's Den Colwyn Bay

  114. Dapp UK

  115. DC Cleaning

  116. Deans

  117. Debra

  118. Demzela

  119. Derbyshire Timber Scheme

  120. DHL

  121. Dial Intake

  122. Didcot Railyway Museum

  123. Disabled Childrens Services

  124. Discovery Community Cafe

  125. Dogs Trust Glasgow

  126. Dogsthorpe Recycling Centre

  127. Doncaster College

  128. Doncaster Community Centre

  129. Dorothy House Hospice

  130. Dorset Reclaim

  131. Dovehouse Hospice Shop

  132. Dragon Bands

  133. Durham Wildlife Trust

  134. E Waste Solutions

  135. Earl Mountbatten Hospice

  136. East Anglia Childrens Hospice Shop

  137. East Cleveland Wildlife Trust

  138. East Durham Partnership

  139. East Midlands Islamic Relief Project

  140. East West Community Project

  141. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

  142. eco Innovation Centre

  143. Elleanor Lion Hospice

  144. ELVON

  145. Encephalitis society

  146. English Landscapes

  147. Enhanced Care Training

  148. Enterprise UK

  149. Environmental Resource Centre

  150. Essex County Council

  151. Extra care Charitable Trust

  152. Fable

  153. Family Support

  154. Fara

  155. Fare share Malmo Food Park

  156. Featherstone Rovers

  157. Fenland District Council

  158. First Fruits

  159. FN! Eastbourne

  160. Foal Farm

  161. Food Cycle

  162. Fops Shop

  163. forget me not childrens hospice

  164. Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy

  165. Fountain Abbey

  166. Fox Rush Farm

  167. FRADE

  168. Frame

  169. FRESCH

  170. Fresh water christian charity

  171. Friends of St Nicholas Fields

  172. Furnish

  173. Furniture for You

  174. Furniture Project

  175. FurnitureLink

  176. Gateway funiture

  177. Genesis Trust

  178. George Thomas Hospice - Barry

  179. Geranium Shop For The Blind

  180. Glasgow Furniture Initative

  181. Glen Street Play Provision

  182. Goodwin Development Trust

  183. Govanhill Baths Community Trust

  184. Greenacres Animal Rescue Shop

  185. Greenfingers

  186. Greenscape

  187. Greenstreams Huddersfield/ environmental alliance

  188. Grimsby District Health care charity

  189. Ground Work

  190. Hadston House

  191. Happy Staffie

  192. Harlington Hospice

  193. Hart Wildlife Rescue

  194. Hartlepool Council

  195. Hartlepool Hospice

  196. Hartlepool Prop (Mental Health)

  197. Hartlepool Trust Opening Doors

  198. Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling Project

  199. Havens Childrens Hospice Shop

  200. Havering Country Park

  201. headway

  202. Healthy Living Centre

  203. Hebburn Community Centre

  204. Help the Aged

  205. helping hands

  206. High Beech Care Home

  207. High Wycombe Central Aid

  208. Hillam Nurseries

  209. Hinsley Hall Headingley

  210. Hobbit Hotel

  211. Holmescarr Community Centre

  212. Home Start

  213. Homemakers

  214. Hope central

  215. Hospice of hope

  216. Hounslow Community Transport Furniture Project

  217. Hull Animal Welfare Trust Hull

  218. Humanity at Heart

  219. I Trust

  220. Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO)

  221. Intraining Employers

  222. Ipswich Furniture Project

  223. Iranian Association

  224. Islamic Relief

  225. Jacabs Well Care Center

  226. Jesus Army Centre

  227. JHP

  228. Julian House Charity Shop

  229. K.T. Performing Arts

  230. Kagyu Samye Dzong London

  231. Keech Hospice Care Shop

  232. Keighley & District Disabled

  233. Kier Services – Corby

  234. Kilbryde Hospice

  235. Killie Can Cycle

  236. Kingston Community Furniture Project

  237. Kiveton Park & Wales Community Development Trust

  238. LAMH

  239. Leeds & Moortown Furniture Store

  240. Leicester City Council

  241. Leicester Riders

  242. Leicester Shopmobility

  243. Leicestershire Aids Support Services

  244. Leicestershire Cares

  245. Lifework

  246. Lighthouse

  247. Linacre Reservoir

  248. London Borough of Havering

  249. London College of Engineering & Management Woolwich

  250. Longley Organised Community Association

  251. Lyme Trust

  252. Lynemouth Resource Centre

  253. Mackworth Comm. Charity Shop

  254. Making a Difference

  255. Marie Curie

  256. Mark2 (marc)

  257. Martin House Hospice

  258. Mary Stevens Hospice

  259. Matalan

  260. Matchbox

  261. Matthew25 Mission

  262. Mayflower Sanctuary

  263. MDJ Lightbrothers

  264. Meadow Well Connected

  265. MEC

  266. Mental Health Support

  267. Midland Railway Trust

  268. MIND

  269. Miners Welfare community centre

  270. Mistley Place Park

  271. Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal Regeneration Partnership Scheme

  272. Moore Cleaning

  273. Morrisons

  274. Muslim Aid

  275. Myton Hospice

  276. Nandos

  277. Naomi Hospice

  278. National Railway Museum

  279. National Trust

  280. NDDT

  281. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

  282. Necessary Furniture

  283. Neighbourhood funiture

  284. Neterlands Dog Rescue

  285. New Life Church

  286. Newham Volenteers Group

  287. Newport City Council

  288. Nightingale House

  289. NOAH enterprise

  290. North East Lincs Motor Project

  291. North London Hospice Shop

  292. North Ormesby Community Shop

  293. Northumberland County Council

  294. Norwood

  295. Old Nick Theatre

  296. One 0 One

  297. Open Secret

  298. Overgate Hospice

  299. Oxfam

  300. Papworth Trust

  301. Partner Shop

  302. Paul Sartori Warehouse

  303. Paws Animal Welfare Shop

  304. PDSA

  305. Pegswood Community Centre

  306. Pennywell Community Association

  307. Peterborough Streets

  308. Pheonix Community Furniture

  309. Pilgrim Hospice

  310. Placement Furniture Project

  311. Platform 51 Doncaster Womens Centre

  312. Playworks

  313. Plymouth Food Bank

  314. Plymouth Play Association

  315. Plymouth Volunteer Centre

  316. Pound stretcher

  317. POW Shop

  318. Powys Animal Welfare Shop

  319. PPE Paving

  320. Preen Community Interest Company

  321. Primrose

  322. PRINCE & PRINCESS OF WALES

  323. Prince of Wales Sherburn in elmet

  324. Princess Trust

  325. Queen Elizabeth Foundation

  326. Queens Walk Community

  327. Queensland Multi-Media Arts Centre

  328. Rainbow Centre

  329. Rainbows End Burngreave

  330. Real Time Music

  331. Recycling unlimited

  332. Red Cross

  333. Refurnish

  334. Regenerate Community Enterprise

  335. Remploy

  336. Restore

  337. Rhyl Adventure Playground Association

  338. Right Time Foundation

  339. RNID

  340. Rochford Council

  341. Rosalie Ryrie Foundation

  342. Rosliston Foresty

  343. Royal Society for Blind.

  344. Royal Wotton Bassett Town Council

  345. RSPB

  346. RSPCA

  347. Rudenotto

  348. Rudyard Lake

  349. S & S Services

  350. Saffcare

  351. Sainsburys

  352. Salvation Army

  353. Santosh Community Centre

  354. Sara

  355. Save the children

  356. Savera Resource Centre

  357. Scallywags

  358. Scarborough Council

  359. SCD Fabrications

  360. School of English Studies

  361. Scope

  362. Scottish Cancer Support

  363. Scottish International Relief

  364. Scunthorpe Central Community Centre

  365. Seagull Recycling

  366. Seahouses Development Trust

  367. Second Chance

  368. Second Opportunities

  369. Sedgemoor Furniture Store

  370. Sense

  371. Sesku Acadamy Centre

  372. Shaw Trust

  373. Sheffield Reclamation Ltd - Reclaim

  374. Shelter

  375. Shooting Stars

  376. Shopmobility & Community Transport - Access

  377. Slough Furniture Project

  378. Smythe

  379. Sneyd Green

  380. Somali Community Parents Association

  381. Somerfields

  382. Somerset Wood Re-Cycling

  383. South Ayrshire Council

  384. South Bucks Hospice Warehouse

  385. South Wales Boarders Museum

  386. Southend United Football Club

  387. Spaghetti House

  388. Spitafields Crypt Trust

  389. Splash fit

  390. St Barnabas

  391. St Catherines Hospice Trading

  392. St Chads Community Centre

  393. St Clare's Hospice

  394. St Davids Foundation

  395. St Elizabeth Hospice Charity Shop

  396. St Francis Hospice Shops Ltd

  397. St Gemma's Hospice

  398. St Georges Crypt

  399. St Giles

  400. St Helens House

  401. St Hughs Community Centre

  402. St Lukes Hospice

  403. St Margarets Hospice Scotland

  404. St Oswald's Hospice

  405. St Peters Church

  406. St Peters Hospice

  407. St Raphaels hospice

  408. St Vincents

  409. St. Catherines Hospice

  410. St.Theresa's Charity Shop

  411. Stages Café

  412. Stannah Stair Lifts

  413. Stef's Farm (Education Farm)

  414. Step Forward

  415. Stocking Farm Healthy Living Centre ( Sure Start)

  416. Stockton Council

  417. Stone Pillow

  418. STROKECARE

  419. Strood Community Project

  420. Strut Lincoln

  421. Sudbury Town Council

  422. Sue Ryder

  423. Sunderland Community Furniture

  424. Sunderland North Community Business Centre

  425. Superdrug

  426. Swindon 105.5

  427. Sycamore Lodge

  428. sydney bridge furniture shop

  429. Sypha

  430. T&M Kiddy's Kingdom

  431. Tara Handicrafts

  432. Teamwork

  433. Teesside Hospice

  434. Tendring Furniture Scheme

  435. Tendring Reuse & Employment Enterprise

  436. Tenovus

  437. Tesco

  438. Thames Hospicecare

  439. Thames Valley Hospice

  440. Thanet District Council

  441. The Ark Shop

  442. The Art Organisation

  443. The Charity Shop

  444. The Childrens Society

  445. The Childrens trust

  446. The Crossing

  447. The Good Neighbour Project

  448. The Greenhouse

  449. The Harrow Club

  450. The Hinge Centre Ltd

  451. The Isabella Community Centre

  452. The Island Partnership

  453. The Kiln Cafe

  454. The learning community

  455. The Linskill Centre

  456. The Listening Company

  457. The Octagon Centre Hull

  458. The Old Manor House Riding Stables

  459. The Princess Alice Hospice

  460. The Range

  461. The Reuse Centre

  462. The Rising Sun Art Centre

  463. The Rock Foundation Ice House

  464. The Shores Centre

  465. The Spurriergate Centre

  466. The Undercliffe cemetary charity

  467. The Vine Project

  468. The Welcoming Project

  469. The Woodworks (Genesis Trust)

  470. Think 3E,

  471. Thirsk Clock

  472. Thurrock Council

  473. Thurrock Reuse Partnership (TRUP)

  474. TLC

  475. TooGoodtoWaste

  476. Top Draw

  477. Traid

  478. Trinity Furniture Store

  479. Troed Y Rhiw Day Project

  480. True Volunteer Foundation

  481. Tukes

  482. Twice as Nice Furniture Project

  483. Twirls and Curls

  484. Ty Hafan

  485. Tylorstown Communities First

  486. United Churches Healing Ministry

  487. United Play Day Centre

  488. Unity in the Community

  489. UNMAH

  490. Untapped Resource

  491. Urban Recycling

  492. Vale of Aylesbury Vineyard Church Project

  493. Vista Blind

  494. Walpole Water Gardens

  495. Walsall Hospice

  496. Wandsworth Oasis trading Company Limited

  497. Wat Tyler Centre

  498. WEC

  499. Weldmar

  500. Well Cafe

  501. Wellgate Community Farm

  502. Wellingborough District Hindu Centre

  503. Western Mill Cemetary

  504. WH Smith

  505. Wheelbase

  506. Whitby Council

  507. Wildlife Trust

  508. Wilkinsons

  509. Willen Care Furniture Shop

  510. Willington Community Resource Centre

  511. Windhill Furniture Store Shipley

  512. Woking Community Furniture Project

  513. Womens Aid

  514. Womens Centre

  515. Woodlands Camp

  516. Worsbrough Mill & County Park

  517. Xgames

  518. YMCA

  519. York Archaeological Trust

  520. York Bike Rescue

  521. York Carers centre

  522. Yorkshire Trust

  523. Yozz Yard

  524. Zest

  525. Zues Gym

OP posts:
LunaLoveg00d · 30/07/2016 17:29

Or without the left-wing spin, "List of companies prepared to give people who have been unemployed for a time some work experience, or who want to help young people get work experience and increase their chances of a paid role".

Many of these organisation are charities. Charities do not set out to exploit the unemployed as the Mirror and the left would have you believe.

LurkingHusband · 30/07/2016 17:30

Charities do not set out to exploit the unemployed as the Mirror and the left would have you believe.

Although, by some reports, they certainly set out to exploit their donors ....

OP posts:
LunaLoveg00d · 30/07/2016 17:33

What point is it exactly that you are hoping to make? That people who are unemployed shouldn't be helped to develop skills to increase their job chances? That they should be paid? The majority of people working in charity shops are volunteers and don't get paid. That unemployed people should be allowed to do what they please and shouldn't be asked to work?

WibblyWobblyJellyHead · 30/07/2016 17:36

Workfare is disgusting. It means employers can get free labour instead of offering paid jobs. There is no benefit to society from it at all.

Thanks for the list, I will be boycotting as many as possible.

LunaLoveg00d · 30/07/2016 17:39

Yup, boycott all of the charities and charity shops because they aren't paying their JSA people getting experience and building their CV. Just like the rest of their volunteers who as the title suggests, aren't getting pai either. Hmm

RJnomore1 · 30/07/2016 17:40

It's only work experience abd valuable if it actually leads to employment. Let's see the stats on that.

It's utterly exploitative and there's a shocking amount of charities on there. I will be making careful note and doing my best to ensure I do not contribute to then in any way in the future. At least Tesco etc are honest that they are there to make profit out of people.

Brokenbiscuit · 30/07/2016 17:47

I have less of an issue with charities using unpaid staff than I do with big companies that operate on a for-profit basis.

LunaLoveg00d · 30/07/2016 17:52

The Mirror have no interest in giving the facts about employment - they have a clear agenda to push which is that we should all throw our hands up in horror that the poor people who are supposed to be LOOKING FOR A JOB are asked to undertake work experience in settings to give them experience with cash handling, customer service etc in return for their benefits.

Don't get why charities are being demonised either - you are aware that in your average Oxfam shop, open 6 or 7 days a week, there will be ONE paid member of staff? Nobody else is getting paid either.

Asking someone who has been out of work for a whole year if they are over 25, or 9 months for 18-24 to get back into the habit of going to work regularly is not exploitation.

Sometimes I think I'm living on a different planet where it's OK not to work, and OK not to take opportunities to help you get out of your current situation.

SheSparkles · 30/07/2016 17:52

I too don't have an issue with people doing unpaid work for charities, in fact there should probably be a bit more of that. However I have a HUGE issue with companies using them as free labour.
There are a couple of companies on that list I'll be boycotting now, so thanks for sharing the list

Hagothehills · 30/07/2016 17:56

I have been on one of these workfare schemes a few years ago. I was forced to work 35-40 hours per week for three weeks stacking shelves in b&m for £50 a week (I was 20). It didn't matter that I had a job as a chef (chosen career, this was an entry level job with opportunities for lots of professional development, I now have a diploma thanks to this job) but that didn't matter. It didn't matter that the work I had to do bore absolutely no resemblance to what I had lined up. The only reason for the delay in starting was waiting for the place to open as it was a start up business. So for me personally it felt very much like exploitation/slave labour. That being said I put the absolute bare minimum into that placement safe in knowledge that my dream job was starting in a few weeks (and it was my dream job I absolutely loved it there and only left because I couldn't keep up with the hours with ds).

On the other hand, there was another woman who was on the same scheme as me who ended up working with me at the same b&m branch. She did want to work there and put in the effort to prove to the manager that she was right for the job and lo and behold she got it and was over the moon.

So I'm a bit 50/50 on these schemes. They most definitely can give people that break they might just need but they are also very very open to exploitation. (In fact that b&m manager said he his store would not be doing nearly as well without his half a dozen or so free work that he usually had courtesy of the workfare scheme)

TheFairyCaravan · 30/07/2016 17:57

If all these companies employed people in their vacancies unemployment would be reduced. If there's a job going just pay people to do it FFS!

YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake · 30/07/2016 17:58

I used to work for the Tendring Furniture Scheme and they always treated the workers well, in fact most chose to stay and volunteer after their placement was up. They were always considered for any jobs that came up (and normally got them), and were happy to give a reference to ones who went for other jobs.

BipBippadotta · 30/07/2016 18:03

I don't see what the issue is with workfare in charities. But private companies benefitting from free labour is galling, I think.

Ragwort · 30/07/2016 18:04

How old is that list - does Somerfields even exist any more? Hmm

HelenaDove · 30/07/2016 18:50

Bip you honestly cant see the conflict of interest there would be in a homeless charity reporting someone for a sanction that could then cause homelessness Confused

Im not surprised to see housing associations on there. It would explain some of the botched repair jobs.

I also spotted at least one care home. Shouldnt ppl working in something like care actually want to be there.

Because im damn sure we dont want a repeat of Winterbourne View!

Ragwort · 30/07/2016 19:12

I'm not sure I believe that list - I work (paid role) for one of the organisations listed and I can say 100% that we do not take people on 'work fare'. We do have volunteers for certain roles but we are constantly told never to take anyone on 'work fare'.

Mistigri · 30/07/2016 19:15

I would be OK with claimants working free for charities as long as this was voluntary.

Definitely not OK in the private sector. There is a tried, tested, legal and fair way of ensuring your future employees have the right skills: apprenticeships.

AndNowItsSeven · 30/07/2016 19:16

Wow all those charities exploiting vulnerable people, makes be sick, hypocrites.

Mistigri · 30/07/2016 19:16

ragwort it may be a list of companies and charities that have, at some point, been involved in workfare schemes. I believe a number of charities dropped out because of the bad publicity.

HelenaDove · 30/07/2016 19:18

Has anyone else experienced New Labours New Deal I did 15/16 years ago. Funny how no journo wanted to know then!!!

Rag the list could well be out of date.

LunaLoveg00d · 30/07/2016 19:36

So the list is out of date - not that it ever stopped the red top press using incorrect facts to push their agenda.

RortyCrankle · 30/07/2016 20:51

Why is it unreasonable for people to work for the money they receive whilst unemployed?

prh47bridge · 30/07/2016 21:31

It's only work experience abd valuable if it actually leads to employment. Let's see the stats on that

According to a number of independent studies work experience participants spend more time in employment in the 2 years following starting work experience than those who do not take part in work experience. The average benefit to participants in approximately £1,950.

For employers the work experience participants are cost neutral. In other words the benefit of having someone who you don't have to pay roughly balances out with the costs.

prh47bridge · 30/07/2016 21:34

There is a tried, tested, legal and fair way of ensuring your future employees have the right skills

The point is that these people are not necessarily future employees for the organisation offering work experience. They will often use their experience to gain employment elsewhere.

Mistigri · 30/07/2016 21:34

It's not fundamentally unreasonable to place some obligations on claimants. But

  • if they are doing work, they are employed. They should be paid the minimum wage.
  • "employing" claimants for nothing reduces employment levels: the work would otherwise be done by someone else, with an employment contract subject to NMW legislation
  • consequently, the result of workfare is to subsidise employers, reduce the number of jobs available, and to drive down wages.