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Chicken Run

Member Since Jul 2003
NSC Patron
Jul 17, 2003
19,811
Valley of Hangleton
So the Chancellor wants those on long term unemployment benefits out doing community work, bet that's gonna go down well lol. Good scheme though.
 




StonehamPark

#Brighton-Nil
Oct 30, 2010
10,133
BC, Canada
It's long overdue.
Although I think the new rules should apply to those who've been on JSA for 3/6 months, not as long as a whole year.
 


Barrel of Fun

Abort, retry, fail
The principle of getting out and about, gaining experience, increasing levels of self-esteem is a good one, but it will be exploited.

I befriended a homeless Iranian, a trained Chef de Partie, and Marks and Spencer took him on a two week 'job trial'. He was run off his feet and eventually replaced by another job trialist and so it continued. Pre-tax profits £500m.
 




trueblue

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,955
Hove
The principle of getting out and about, gaining experience, increasing levels of self-esteem is a good one, but it will be exploited.

I befriended a homeless Iranian, a trained Chef de Partie, and Marks and Spencer took him on a two week 'job trial'. He was run off his feet and eventually replaced by another job trialist and so it continued. Pre-tax profits £500m.

Quite. Another cheap labour scheme to benefit the Tories' friends in big business.
 




dougdeep

New member
May 9, 2004
37,732
SUNNY SEAFORD
Fair enough, but the work should be paid at minimum wage. Why should people work for slave rates?

But having said that, this will be yet another failed Tory policy!

Spot on. And at the end of the day if someone refuses to work there is nothing they can do about it. They won't be allowed to starve.
 


StonehamPark

#Brighton-Nil
Oct 30, 2010
10,133
BC, Canada
Fair enough, but the work should be paid at minimum wage. Why should people work for slave rates?

But having said that, this will be yet another failed Tory policy!

I imagine they'll only work 8-10 hours per week therefore the JSA benefit payment would be equal to minimum wage.
 


kevtherev

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2008
10,467
Tunbridge Wells
Fair enough, but the work should be paid at minimum wage. Why should people work for slave rates?

But having said that, this will be yet another failed Tory policy!

Why should people get money for nothing???.....They don't have to do if, they just lose their benefits if they don't. Seems fair enough to me, in fact it's a fantastic policy.
 






vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
28,273
The principle of getting out and about, gaining experience, increasing levels of self-esteem is a good one, but it will be exploited.

I befriended a homeless Iranian, a trained Chef de Partie, and Marks and Spencer took him on a two week 'job trial'. He was run off his feet and eventually replaced by another job trialist and so it continued. Pre-tax profits £500m.

Yes, this scheme will be another big boost for those who, as David Cameron repeats time and again, " work hard and want to get on ", yes, Employers ! These marginalised members of society are struggling to get workers to take up temporary or zero hours contracts on the minimum wage. This could be a huge boost to their businesses.
 


supaseagull

Well-known member
Feb 19, 2004
9,614
The United Kingdom of Mile Oak
So the Chancellor wants those on long term unemployment benefits out doing community work, bet that's gonna go down well lol. Good scheme though.

This is where the north south divide kicks in.

I've always said that there is no reason for anyone in this part of the country to be long term unemployed. There are and always have been jobs for 99% of the population. So for our neck of the woods it's probably not a bad policy.

However, things are totally different in other parts of the country where still, there is little or no work and there are around 20 applicants per job. This is where the policy falls down.

Rather than have a blanket wide approach to this,it would make sense for the government should tailor this policy geographically dependent on the local unemployment rates.
 




drew

Drew
NSC Patron
Oct 3, 2006
23,622
Burgess Hill
I imagine they'll only work 8-10 hours per week therefore the JSA benefit payment would be equal to minimum wage.

It's going to be for 30 hours a week so not only will they be earning less than the minimum wage, they will not be able to actively find full time jobs during those hours.
 


StonehamPark

#Brighton-Nil
Oct 30, 2010
10,133
BC, Canada
It's going to be for 30 hours a week so not only will they be earning less than the minimum wage, they will not be able to actively find full time jobs during those hours.

Is that 'up to 30 hours per week' depending on how much money the claimant is taking in benefits?

Either way, they have 3 choices:

1: Work for your benefit
2: Sign in at the Jobcentre 5 days a week
3: Attend free training sessions

They're in no way, shape or form being forced to work for their benefit.

Edit: Just read it is confirmed 30 hours per week regardless, plus 10 hours of 'active job searching' per week.
Makes it all more appealing for them to get into full time paid work then.
 


Justice

Dangerous Idiot
Jun 21, 2012
20,681
Born In Shoreham
Will they wear orange overalls with unemployed printed on the back to? I wonder if all those in favour would give the scheme a jolly well done thumbs up if redundancy or some other misfortune happened to them and they ended up being a victim of modern day slavery.
 




Kalimantan Gull

Well-known member
Aug 13, 2003
13,439
Central Borneo / the Lizard
Is that 'up to 30 hours per week' depending on how much money the claimant is taking in benefits?

Either way, they have 3 choices:

1: Work for your benefit
2: Sign in at the Jobcentre 5 days a week
3: Attend free training sessions

They're in no way, shape or form being forced to work for their benefit.

Edit: Just read it is confirmed 30 hours per week regardless, plus 10 hours of 'active job searching' per week.
Makes it all more appealing for them to get into full time paid work then.

Is that legal? Pay someone less than the minimum wage? and isn't it providing fewer 'real jobs' on the job market?
 


macky

Well-known member
Dec 28, 2004
1,653
Brilliant idea Just a long as there is good training offered to help people find employment That maybe offers more than the minimum wage I somehow doubt it will though and surely if these jobs need there Then they should be available anyway ?

So why not just offer these people proper jobs ?
 


CheeseRolls

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 27, 2009
6,231
Shoreham Beach
Why should people get money for nothing???.....They don't have to do if, they just lose their benefits if they don't. Seems fair enough to me, in fact it's a fantastic policy.

You do realise this is a two way street ?

The principle is fine, but the danger is that you replace "real jobs" with work schemes, trapping those who are willing to work As already mentioned, it can become another opportunity for unscrupulous businesses to get free labour.
 


StonehamPark

#Brighton-Nil
Oct 30, 2010
10,133
BC, Canada
Is that legal? Pay someone less than the minimum wage? and isn't it providing fewer 'real jobs' on the job market?

I imagine it's 'voluntary' work as the claimant will be 'choosing' that option. The benefit isn't technically a payment for the 30 hours work.

I doubt many/any claimants will choose this option anyway.
Much easier to sit in the dole office for half an hour a day or sit in a classroom.
 




Dave the OAP

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
46,762
at home
Why should people get money for nothing???.....They don't have to do if, they just lose their benefits if they don't. Seems fair enough to me, in fact it's a fantastic policy.


If they lose their benefits and can't work, are you suggesting they starve?
 


Scampi

One of the Three
Jun 10, 2009
1,531
Denton
This is another Tory policy that at first glance seems reasonable, but as soon as you start thinking about has enormous holes in it. First thing i'd like to know is what will be the cost of the additional resources daily attendance at a job centre and the community work.
 


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