Well Would You ?

[johnny.5]

a slight tangent on previous thread
would you travel upto an hour to work
then work 1 hour paid work
then travel 1 hour back home again
(for what looks like to me )
37p

[sherrardk]

It’s not nonsense, if you earn below a certain amount then the benefits cap is applied and the amount you are entitled to is reduced https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Benefit-Cap/Am-I-affected-by-the-Benefit-Cap

[fiction-factory]

That might be right, sherradk, but I think it only applied only for people who are getting the sorts of weekly benefit level that are above the post tax earnings of many who work full time and don't get any benefits, and even then there are exemptions, eg DLA

[johnny.5]

ok the scenario
you live 5 minutes walk away from you factory
your colleague
lives 50 minutes drive away
you are both asked to attend a training session
the session lasts 2 hours
you will get paid for 2 hours work
but your colleague will be paid 4 hours
is this fair ?
should you both be paid the same ?

[fiction-factory]

Why would the other person be paid for 4 hours for working 2 hours?

[johnny.5]

a condition that they would demand other wise it would not be worth their while

[fiction-factory]

I work for what I think I'm worth and what I need. If somebody else negotiates something different then good luck to them. They'll be the first to go if employer needs to cut costs.
I don't see what you are getting at though - are we still talking about the 37p?

[pixie374]

Yes, Johnny... legally, nobody should end up worse off, for attending a training course.
So that does make sense.

[Gromit]

Time at work is when you clock in and clock out and does not does not include your travel time.

A company might pay a manager (who is leading the meeting) but not to an ordinary employee.

[pixie374]

For training courses... nobody should end up "out of pocket" so it is standard to pay different amounts, depending on travel time, etc.

[fiction-factory]

I'm not sure where this is going or what it's achieving so I'll bow out

[THECORBYLOON]

SHERRARDK, you said, "You get to ‘keep’ 37p out of every pound and you are also encouraged to take jobs paying below the minimum wage."

Why would claimants be encouraged to work for an employer breaking the law?

What action would be taken against those claimants failing to accept or apply for such employment?

[sherrardk]

TCL, about May my husband lost his job and we had to claim universal credit. Part of the patter included the ‘would you be willing to travel an hour each way, blah blah,’ and included a bit about taking a job, even if it was below minimum wage. At the end of the day they are interested in the amount you earn, not how much per hour you get.

[davebro]

er - no.

[THECORBYLOON]

SHERRARDK, did the Claimant Commitment (CC)give a figure for the hourly rate? If it did, what rate was it?

I am thinking they may have used a CC that quoted a previous rate for the National Minimum Wage.

[sherrardk]

No hourly rate are given. Maybe it’s because this is a rural county with low pay rates or something that they mention jobs paying under the minimum wage (farm work and stuff). I remember thinking at the time that it didn’t sound right (or maybe I didn’t listen properly).

The whole system is a nightmare and I can’t see how people get to swindle the system, it’s hard enough to navigate it if you do it honestly (himself got a new job quite quickly, thankfully).

[Gromit]

The purpose of Universal Credit was to simplify the benefits system and save money.

It is clear from sherrardk confusion, that it has failed.
No money will be saved, but more people will fall through the cracks in the system (and that will save the Government money).

[THECORBYLOON]

The CC would normally include the following,

"I’ll look for and take any work I’m able to do, that:
•pays [NMW] an hour or more
•is within 90 minutes' travel from my home"

Obviously I don't know what was said to your husband or what all was in his CC but I think there must have been a misunderstanding as the Jobcentre could do nothing if he refused employment paying less than the National Minimum Wage (NMW).