Emergency Employment Program?

[chem1st]

Shouldn't we have an emergency employment program.

 

We have unemployed people and some disallowed to work and we have work that sometimes needs to be done with urgency.

 

I'm thinking, clearing roads & pavements that can't be gritted.

 

With the nature of the work being temporary, there isn't time to offer these jobs to people in the usual manner, it's also going to cause a lot of trouble for the whole multitude of council staff to process benefit off/on claims and possible legal implications.

 

Shouldn't we have an emergency employment program where the unemployed can be paid on top of benefits.

 

We have the figures available for UC which will be introduced in a few years time, current minimum wage rates will £1.42 - £2.07 NET for benefit claimants.

 

Surely we can run a program to employ people on top of their benefits for £2.50 or so per hour to deal with things like the snow. You could even offer such spontaneous temporary work to asylum seekers who are banned from working, whilst their claims are processed (which can take years).

 

I don't know how much the economic loss to the snow is estimated at, but surely having an emergency employment program has got to be win-win for all.

[Berberis]

People should be responsible for the pavement in front of their homes like they are in other countries.

[Cyclone]

Sounds like an interesting idea, but how do you get these people to where they are needed...

[chem1st]

Sounds like an interesting idea, but how do you get these people to where they are needed...

 

The job centre has every claimants details. They can create a map of this using google earth, couple this with a map of the gritting routes and snowfall and bobs your uncle.

 

All claimants could be sent a text message, and those most needed could be rung.

 

Shovels & local council branded hi-viz could be given out at the jobcentres in early november for those whom haven't been issued already for a very small portion of benefit perhaps. Then for the following months people are equipped and the council/dwp know where they are.

 

To check the work had been done, someone employed permanently would need to drive along the cleared road, so it would be very hard to scam such a system.

[ricgem2002]

will this will be another condition of their entitlement to claiming benefit ? what with workfare as well the government will be getting a whole army of workers . pity they wont be getting a wage for it

[chem1st]

will this will be another condition of their entitlement to claiming benefit ? what with workfare as well the government will be getting a whole army of workers . pity they wont be getting a wage for it

 

I can't see workfare working. Forcing people to clear snow for less than the legal minimum and no net increase would be morally wrong and lead to a lot of trouble.

People scraping by who can't afford heating forced to work in the cold ain't going to go down well especially whilst others are getting cold weather payments and are ineligible for workfare, you'll just end up having many more filing for disability and a few kicking off and being violent whilst the decent people down on their luck are taken for a ride.

[Cyclone]

The job centre has every claimants details. They can create a map of this using google earth, couple this with a map of the gritting routes and snowfall and bobs your uncle.

 

All claimants could be sent a text message, and those most needed could be rung.

 

Shovels & local council branded hi-viz could be given out at the jobcentres in early november for those whom haven't been issued already for a very small portion of benefit perhaps. Then for the following months people are equipped and the council/dwp know where they are.

 

To check the work had been done, someone employed permanently would need to drive along the cleared road, so it would be very hard to scam such a system.

 

My point was though, how do they get to the location to be cleared, there won't be jobless people living alongside the parkway or even every city centre street.

[chem1st]

My point was though, how do they get to the location to be cleared, there won't be jobless people living alongside the parkway or even every city centre street.

 

There are people living fairly close to the parkway if needed, but the main roads are covered quite well by the gritters and flow of traffic whilst the residential areas are the ones that are not.

[emerald1978]

good idea in theory, but council workwear should not be handed out for people to keep at home until they would be called in, im not saying everyone would but theres bound to be the odd person who would misuse the unform to gain entry into peoples homes or commit some sort of crime. call me cynical if you want but you here too many stories about bogus workmen gaining entry into peoples homes and stealing stuff.

[Cyclone]

And what about side streets where everyone works...