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Original poster

up to £1000 for sending Kids to school/findign work when on benefits?

11 replies

3andnomore · 15/02/2008 22:48

here

I am not being funny, but is this really a good way to spend tax payers money?
Surely up to £1000 is not particularly much over a whole year, so, surely it would not really encourage anyone anyway...and, tbh...I ratehr have the money spend on the families having to work/having to send Kids to school enforced on them, then giving the families the money for being disfunctional...I really don't think it would make a blind bit of difference...and the women in teh TV interview saying that "it would help to have that bit of extra money, so, you could bribe your Kids to go to school, and on time...even if it is just giving them £10-£20...making it sound like that was nothing...made me feel, like...hm...if you think it's nothing, then why don't you try to earn it rather then be on benefits...because, on a basic wage of say £7 (and that is a good basic hourly wage) £7 is only nothing when you earn it, not when you spend it...

made me angry...

OP posts:
alfiesbabe · 15/02/2008 22:58

So these people are doing us all such a huge favour by agreeing to look for a job that they should be paid for it? And then they might get a bit more for getting their kids out of bed and into school, and, ooh, agree to give up smoking and you'll get another handout!
Blimey, I've heard it all now.

Original poster
3andnomore · 15/02/2008 23:04

so, tis not just me who thinks it's a) not fair, and b) won't work anyway?

I have to say, I think it's stupid....and tbh, I think the people rewarded should be those that actually give a Job up or have a child and are working...surely this could be seen as just another one of those nice little grants to have Kids for...(and I am not talking of people who are on benefit in general, I know many very decent people who do have to claim benefits and hate doing it, but it is the only thing they can do at the time...however, I do believe there are equally people who are playing the system...

OP posts:
alfiesbabe · 15/02/2008 23:10

course it's not fair. If you want to create a culture where people don't see handouts as an alternative to work, then you need to reward people who play by the rules, not those who flout them. Taking a job rather than living on benefits (assuming you are healthy and capable of work) and getting your children to school are basic responsibilities - not something to be rewarded for!
Has the world gone mad?

misdee · 15/02/2008 23:13

what a load of twaddle.

Pesha · 15/02/2008 23:22

When I was on IS I wanted to do training courses but couldnt afford to. A few years ago there seemed to be loads of courses at my local college that were cheaper/free for people on benefits. Now there are hardly any. They should use the money to provide training not pay people to do it.

PeachesMcLean · 15/02/2008 23:23

The article says that the UK goverment is trialling extra payments for people who go onto training schemes, ie to get them into jobs, ie playing by the rules. It says that the stopping smoking, healthy living stuff is in the US, and not being trialled here. This is about getting people into jobs, they need skills first.

People here find it difficult to get off benefits cos they don't have the right training. Very often, people aren't in a position to go straight into a job because they don't have any skills. That's the bit in the article about needing skills.

I think getting the right skills for people and then getting them into work is important. Very difficult to go straight from long term umemployment into a job. As the article says, jobs in this country require higher skills.

Finally, disadvantaged doesn't equal disfunctional.

MAMAZON · 15/02/2008 23:29

i am an experianced proffessional.
i had to stop working when i left my abusive partner as i did not have the support network around me to help with teh care of my autistic son.

i recently went to the jobcentre as i want to go back to work.

i was told that i would be financially WORSE OFF if i returned to my job.

anything that prevents people from being in teh position i now find myself is a good thing

alfiesbabe · 15/02/2008 23:35

Mamazon - it's madness isnt it. The only solution is to make work pay - ie even the lowest skilled, most boring job gives you a significantly better return than living on benefits. While people are virtually no better off (or even worse off as in your case) when they go out to work, there will always be people who take the easy option and choose to not work. There needs to be a far bigger gap between benefits and minimum wage.

MAMAZON · 15/02/2008 23:39

well bizaarly enough if i took a job with a lower wage i may have ended up better off as i would have got other benefits and allowances.

it is just odd.

i never really believed the argument about the benefit trap before but here i am living it.

Original poster
3andnomore · 15/02/2008 23:40

but mamazon, would up to a maximum of £1000 realy make that difference? I might be ognorant...
must admit, I didn't read the actual article, but believed it was the same as the report I saw earlier on teh news, and there it was put differently...and training was not mentioned...I do believe that collesge caourses, etc...as long as they lead to employment 9rather tyhen hobby courses)....should be paid for, so that people can better themselfs...

OP posts:
alfiesbabe · 15/02/2008 23:41

Absolutely crazy. You are a professional and have experience, you want to work yet cant afford to. As i said, the world's gone mad

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