General Chat

Public services are to be cut in a bid to reduce the national debt. What cuts would you make?

I would be very unpopular because I would make it a condition that to receive job seekers allowance you must being doing some kind of voluntary work or community project or on a course. I would have match advertised jobs with the people on jobseekers and if someone claiming refuses work then the benefit stops.

This would ensure that skills are gained, maintained or improved upon. The claimants keep their self esteem and the community projects whether be doing an old persons garden or helping with the charities. It will also have the effect of dissuading a benefits culture.

I know that many unemployed are not claiming by choice but there are jobs available maybe not what one would choose to do but better doing that than claiming.

I would also cap child benefit in as much stop it for anyone who earns over £50,000.

Well I agree. some get their money too easy. They should be made to work for it in some way. ie The roads pavements were so bad in winter that, a lot of people were hurt.Sick and elderly stuck in houses and the councils could not cope.

There are many people fit and healthy who could have helped out saving councils money and at the same time earning their benefits.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. This country needs to stop being seen as a soft touch.

Hah.... the DWP have just said that I am now fit for work. I am not. My consultant is furious.

So... you would have me re-surfacing roads, or digging people's gardens, or painting and decorating someone's home, when I can't even manage my own without help.... not outside help, hubby and son. I only want a stamp paid, so that I can have my pension. I worked hard, and provided a stable home while my husband went around the world (and within the uk) doing his Military work... not whingeing, just stating a fact.

But.... I got ill. With cancer, so couldn't go looking for work when we had just moved here at the end of hubby's 34 years service. And now I am still feeling the effects of the treatment, but do not tick any of the boxes... not physically disabled enough all the time (it is spasmodic), and not mentally ill.

But by your reckoning, I should be made to work? The only way I can get my stamp paid is by signing on for jobseekers. Wage wise, my hubby falls on the cusp.

So .... who will crack the whip at the hundreds and hundreds of people like me?

Edit... I worked full time incidentally, with the most vulnerable members of our society, in varying roles, and it was both physically and emotionally hard work. I was excellent at what I did. But there is no way I could do that... I wouldn't even be considered for interview... plus I am 56 in two weeks time... go figure)

But...they're cutting the provision of courses too...4 -8 weeks to learn a new skill, along with all the others on the same course, who are then chasing the same few jobs..... 200 people applying for 1 job was the figure given locally recently ...and there will be more unemployed soon from the centres they are shutting down eg:

"24 May 2010 ... HUNDREDS of civil service jobs are to be lost in Coventry after the new government announced £6bn of cuts."


The problem is , in theory that's great, untrained workers doing voluntary work...but who supervises? and who pays out the compensation if the job is done badly by someone not trained for it? and would you really want someone in your gran's garden or decorating her living room that you knew nothing about , and who knew nothing about gardening or decorating ?

in theory its a good idea, but who decides who should do the work for benefits????

like daff she cnt work, but that many people cheat the system genuine people are penalised! people who have worked all there lives but due to ill health r unable to work, should they be put to work to???

what about he likes of me a single parent thro no choice of my own, who would need to pay for chilcare to go out to work voluntary?? "im currently updating me trianing to go back to work, but what about others not so lucky who cant get there littuns minded?

and why should somone made redundant from a job thy love be made to fix roads! instead of carrying on there job search for a job there trained in,

so yes in theory make al the people on benefits work but who would make sure the right people are being put to work for there benefits???

There are people employed to mend roads.......perhaps they should lose their jobs, become unemployed and fix the roads for a pittance!

I'd abolish child benefit altogether and increase child tax credits and give extra money to families on benefits.

Most familes don't need child benefit, if they are honest, only those on low incomes.

If it isn't abolished altogether then it should stop after 2 children.

Gwynne

and of course if you DO take a low paid job following redundancy, you instantly lose the chance of claiming to have your mortgage interest paid as is now possible for a period of time ...so not only working for nothing or little, but homeless too.... so then the council have to find you accommodation which is paid for by......?

i would get all fit and able bodies between 18..30 working for there benifits..... then the 30.. to ..45 ... but think they should get a wage to ..to cover fares to work .. older than this lots have worked and paid taxes .. so let the younger ones go out .. plus dont all jump on me ..i think every pensioner and disabled could pay 10p on public transport.. no family allowance to those who earn more than 50 grand or credits.. i remember a saying long time ago.. help is for the needy not the greedy......

daff appeal its disgusting ..

Daff obviously the DWP have got it wrong in your case and I expect many more. To my mind your consultant should be the one to say whether or not you are fit for work.

My friend a classroom assistant has breast cancer. She completed treatment in February and is now making plans to return to work in September. She acknowledges she cannot do everything she could before without getting extremely tired but feels she wants to try, part time initially to see how she goes. I admire her for this. Obviously every case is different and not everyone will be in the same position as my friend.

I am not advocating the sick are forced into work but those on jobseekers allowance who are able to work but not necessarily wanting to work.

I know some cant work through health etc. and yes there are kids to look after. It's the ones who wont move their ass's and try for a job.Or they are too fussy. Thats why we have so many people from abroad working, because they arent scared of hard work.

My Oh lost his job about 30yr ago. He was lucky and was out of work for three weeks. If it had gone on any longer he was prepared to do anything that came up.,even though he had spent years training for his job.
We still had a house to pay for and kids to feed.

I have a friend who's been unemployed for over a year.
He's 58, a carpenter and has never been unemployed before.
He's a very skilled carpenter, with over 38 years experience but....
He gained his experience 'on the job' - didn't attend 'carpentary lessons' and get a certificate stating that he can mend a table.
Nowadays, unless you have a 'certificate' you, apparently, know nothing!!!

Is he a 'scrounger'?

He was speaking to a young lad in the centre. This lad had gone on one of the courses offered by the Job Centre. The course was in 2 parts. Jobcentre paid for the first part - unemployed lad was meant to pay for the second - though where he was meant to get £500 from was a mystery!
So from this example, it seems like there are hundreds of half trained unemployed people out there, unable to finish training!

The other 'problem' my friend has, is that he doesn't own a computer - wouldn't even know how to turn one on - but all the Jobcentre say is 'look on the computer' - what are the Jobcentres paid to do?

Daff dont start me on the DWP

People are employed as roadbuilder etc... But the roads are in a sorry state.

I don't have a problem with someone who has been made redundant from a job they love doing a different job whilst trying to find another position. I have worked three part time jobs in the past to make ends meet, two of which I hated but it just spared me on until my current job came along.

Childcare is an issue but would be happier paying for childcare than long term unemployed who have no intention of getting back to work.

It is not working for nothing it is earning the jobseekers allowance.

well in that case raise the benefits to minimum wage, and emply them properly!

Rose you ask who would supervise the unskilled workers. The experienced volunteers who do sterling work for nothing.

I know of an incident in the local benefits office where a self employed joiner had gone to the office as he had fallen on hard times with £1.50 in his pocket. He never even approached the desk because in front of him in the queue was a young man demanding an emergency payment when his phone rang which he answered and was heard saying to the caller that he would meet him in the pub in 15 mins he was just getting his beer money. The self employed man walked out disgusted. The one getting his beer money should not be able to claim.

Stray has an excellent point.

Making people work full-time for benefits rate is actually about the same as slavery.

Do they get all the benefits usually associated with a job? Pension plans, vacation time and pay? Do they pay in to whatever government benefits schemes apply to employees?

Not to mention the issues raised about supervision, skills and the safety of the public and individuals the work is being done for ... and who is liable if something goes horribly wrong when a benefits-paid worker is supervised by a volunteer ... and what non-profit organization is going to want to take any of that on ...

The state pension for a single person is £97.65
- pretty paltry you have to agree.

Jobseekers Allowance for a single person is:
£50.95 16 - 24
£64.30 25 or over

Rent and council tax is paid, but out of that you have to find the money for bills and food. If you are then expected to 'work' to earn your benefit, you'd have to take money for clothing and bus fares out of that, too.
As it stands, if you earn more than £5 a WEEK, benefit is stopped, copious forms have to be filled in and you're back to waiting for the process to 'kick in' - which can take weeks.
In times past, if you got work for a week, you declared it and kept most of the money you earned and went straight back on the dole..
The current system really doesn't encourage people to go for short term jobs, where they may have the opportunity of staying on/getting proper employment with the firm.

"Rose you ask who would supervise the unskilled workers. The experienced volunteers who do sterling work for nothing."

Oh I see that makes sense...... so you have an experienced volunteer who could supervise each individual as they did gardening or decorating for example ? having first checked both of them out on the CRB of course. Are we recruiting these volunteers from the retired sector? or are these other unemployed people who happen to be 'skilled' unemployed "volunteers"?