ryder8904 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 If long term unemployed were forced to do work in the community to continue receiving benefits then there should be something in it for them. For example if I lost my job right now I would be entitled to one benefit... contribution based job seekers allowance for about 6 months. Then I would be entitled to nothing because my household income (partners) is above a certain level (I believe its £6000 maximum), if my partner did not work I would be entitled to income based job seekers allowance as well as other benefits such as council tax and housing benefit. Now... lets say I have been out of work 6 months and have not yet found employment, if I was then forced to do work in the community to get £60 per week (or what ever income based JSA is) then I say the amount of hours you work to get the £60 should be worked out using minimum wage. To earn £60 minimum wage is about 10 hours right? The above is something I would have no problem with if I had been unemployed for 6 months and was no longer entitled to JSA payments which would be needed to eat and attend job interviews. There has to be something in it for the unemployed, whether thats extra training, free bus travel, continued entitlement to JSA while they need it... you cant just make them work and gain nothing from it. It will just create an army of depressed unstable people. What use do employers have for them then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJC1 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Just because you are unemployed doesnt mean you have no prospect and need retraining. There are plenty of well educated, well qualified people who can't get regular work because the economies bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryder8904 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Just because you are unemployed doesnt mean you have no prospect and need retraining. There are plenty of well educated, well qualified people who can't get regular work because the economies bad. Correct but if work is not coming in and you have plenty of free time surely it would be great to have the option to do some training. Personally I think they should encourage and make it possible for the unemployed to attend part time classes at Sheffield College if they want to. Right now that would make you a "student" which of course means you cant claim JSA even if you are looking for work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthenekred Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 What is the view of members on able people who are claiming benefits and not working to help maintain the community surroundings such as? Litter picking, What about coming down heavily on litter louts? Removing Graffiti, " " " " " " " " " on "vandals? Clearing leaves Biodegradable, nature will do the job. Snow clearing etc. What snow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheffDon Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 No sorry, I disagree with you. The idea is that while they are on benefits, they help improve their own community. Hopefully it will encourage them to look for proper employment. I am not saying that all people that are on benefits are not seeking for employment, but there are quite a few that now just live off the social and do not give a toss about work. No, or offer them a paid job doing it. What a stupid question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andygardener Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 No sorry, I disagree with you. The idea is that while they are on benefits, they help improve their own community. Hopefully it will encourage them to look for proper employment. I am not saying that all people that are on benefits are not seeking for employment, but there are quite a few that now just live off the social and do not give a toss about work. Given that we pay these benefits to people to allow them to look for work surely dragging them off to pick up litter or whatever is going to prevent them from spending their time looking for work. As for the ones that can't be bothered to look for work, why try and drag them off to do community work when we can just stop paying them to sit on their backsides. Let them be as idle as they want, with no money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheffDon Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 Rosa someone that is a full time carer in my books is same as working. I am in full time employment after being made redundant twice. I have never been on the social and in the evenings I do volunteer work with youths to help them with their homework etc. I am not having a dig at anyone, it is a general poll. In my books any job is better than being on the social as this will cripple the country into deeper recession. I am a qualified engineer, but I am working in a retail job until I find something that is within my field. An honest day’s work is a hundred times better than relying on the social. Also, if i ever have to rely on the social, I would carry out any of them duties. I am assuming then that SheffDon would kindly oblige with all those tasks then if he is not working and on benefits?? Hmm Im sure! What most conservatives et al fail to realise is that punishing people on benefits never gets people back to work. It's incentives people need and proper support. Also how does anyone know that the person who is able bodied and on benefits is not a full time carer for a partner or parent etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryder8904 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Given that we pay these benefits to people to allow them to look for work surely dragging them off to pick up litter or whatever is going to prevent them from spending their time looking for work. As for the ones that can't be bothered to look for work, why try and drag them off to do community work when we can just stop paying them to sit on their backsides. Let them be as idle as they want, with no money. The problem is those who are not actually trying to look for work and are happy to sit back and do nothing because they are relatively comfortable. The government needs to be stricter with people who are not really looking for work instead of just picking on the easy targets. During my brief period of unemployment a few years ago I had the misfortune of dealing with one of these power mad job centre "advisers" who was so negative and horrible, she was genuinely a disgusting human being. There was a job listed in the past 2 weeks which she said I should have applied for (despite me having applied for various other jobs and supplying proof). I explained why that job was not suitable, but she determined to punish me. So she "referred me to a decision maker" based on this issue who decided to not pay my JSA for 2 weeks as punishment for this sin of not agreeing with my "adviser". This caused me some huge problems for those 2 weeks, I literally went without food. If I ever saw that woman I would happily punch her in her old bitter, twisted face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheffDon Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 I did not say replace bin men, street cleaners etc. I said improve your own community and I gave a few examples, but there are many ways in how one can improve a community surrounding. Look at project HERB in Sheffield and tell me what you think. Its not a problem working for their benefits, its about exploitation. its a slippery slope. Get them to clean the streets, what happens to all the street cleaners then they get dumped onto the social. Then the bin men, then the gardeners, etc etc etc. Im sure a lot of people agree they should be contributing but not at the expense of themselves being exploited or others losing their jobs. ---------- Post added 04-01-2013 at 18:18 ---------- Did you complain about the individual? I agree with your first two points. The problem is those who are not actually trying to look for work and are happy to sit back and do nothing because they are relatively comfortable. The government needs to be stricter with people who are not really looking for work instead of just picking on the easy targets. During my brief period of unemployment a few years ago I had the misfortune of dealing with one of these power mad job centre "advisers" who was so negative and horrible, she was genuinely a disgusting human being. There was a job listed in the past 2 weeks which she said I should have applied for (despite me having applied for various other jobs and supplying proof). I explained why that job was not suitable, but she determined to punish me. So she "referred me to a decision maker" based on this issue who decided to not pay my JSA for 2 weeks as punishment for this sin of not agreeing with my "adviser". This caused me some huge problems for those 2 weeks, I literally went without food. If I ever saw that woman I would happily punch her in her old bitter, twisted face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkey69 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 being unemployed myself i find that general day to day living is rapidly getting to the point where even the prospect of the government not removing benefit is looking closer and closer. its not a question of if but when, in general i think it would be a good idea what people don't realize is that a lot of unemployed do work and earn money on the side. if they had to be at a placement to receive benefit it would soon whittle those types out of the system because they could earn more doing their on the side jobs. and personally i would love the chance to work again!, even if it was for only six months. you have no idea how soul destroying unemployment really is. and at least you could keep warm all day in a cosy office space!! wonderful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.