Long term unemployed

[sp1214]

With nearly 4 million claiming long term benefit can this government really solve the problem of getting the fit to do some type of work?

It has been suggested that they could be made to reapply for benrfit ever 12 months. Would this be effective?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7358113.stm

[rojash]

How did you convert 3.4 million into "nearly 4 million"? And why do you assume that all these people are unemployed? It's possible to be working and still get income support (which should perhaps be renamed "Subsidy for Employers who pay crap Wages".

[youngmafbog]

Whatever the accurate figure I think most sane people would agree it is too high. (Probably is over 4m with the way any Govt does accounting!)

I'm not sure reapplying every 12 months is the answer. We just need to get tougher. Effectively if there is a job you can do, and lets face it thre is generally some job someone can do, then you should be made to take it. Add to this a system of credits and vouchers that cannot be spent on fags and alocohol and maybe we start to get somewhere. Thats the stick now we need the carrot. For starters we raise the lower tax threshold to take people out of the poverty trap and re introduce the 10p tax band. To cover this loss raise the middle and upper bands tax rate. It is preposterous that people anywhere near min wage pay any tax. Next dump the tax credits system. It is far too complex

As for the 'crap wages' I'm not sure what you propose to do about that. Wages are all relative, put one up and everyone around says 'my job is better so I want more' and you are back to square one. Of course if you are some sort of commie then fine but then again whose going to slog 12 hours a day in a stressful environment liek I do when you can get the same for making tea. Certainly not me!

[DarkMajes71c]

Give them 6 months then they have to work in a private sector factory with government support (through staff)... rebuild British industry through putting doll blaggers and illegal immigrants in forced work. Pay them in food and shelter and allow those with citizenship a day a week in order to seek a proper job (obviously not the same day for all of them). 3 years minimum term for illegal immigrants to gain citizenship by working for it. After which they gain the privilege of looking for a job like the other government funded unemployed. Cheap labour for industry and motivation enough for doll blagging scum to get a job. Chain gang style labour should also be implemented for those who refuse to work, cleaning out sewers, placements with willing companies to keeping England looking pretty. Forced sterilisation for doll blaggers who use having kids as a means to earn more money they are breeding out the hard working intelligent people!!!

Rant over.

[ludwig]

A really good way of helping to get people off benefits and into employment would be to increase taxes on the lowest paid by abolishing the 10p tax rate...or maybe not.

[Mamjet]

Some suggestions:

Extend YTS schemes to 35 years old and under.

Open up the mines again.

Bring back National Service.

Build autobahns and invade Poland.

Sterilise the McCann family from Dewsbury.

[saintpeter48]

there are thousands of jobs out there, low paid i grant you, but these lazy b??tards dont want to work. most have not paid into the system yet expect lots out of it by knocking out kids right left and centre, ie the matthews mother, they expect a house, a living etc. f??k them i say, if they dont find a job within 3 months put them out working in community, working for local councils cleaning high streets, etc. stop all benefits tomorrow and they'll be queueing around the block begging for a job.

[R1Geezer]

There's enough jobs for everyone who wants one. Therefore unemployed are either can't work or won't work, the former should be verified and the latter should be treated along the lines that mafbog suggests. Give them a place to live fine and give them vouchers that buy food, not bl00dy white lightening and old Holborn and bleeding scratch cards. It should not be a carreer move to be on the rock and roll. Stop child benefit for chav mums who consider horizontal jogging to produce sproggs as there occupation. The rest of the world must pi55 itself at our soft touch system, no wonder we are full of romanian pikies!

[sp1214]

It just shows there is massive abuse of the benefits of the system when a former mayor was filmed running along the touchline at a football match. How many more?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/73 58641.stm

[abstibus]

Do the figures include Northern Ireland? A lot of dossers around here. - can't work, won't work.

[THECORBYLOON]

In the link it states "In all, 3,352,820 people claimed benefits such as incapacity or disability, income support and jobseeker's allowance for the period.
Bereavement benefit, carer's allowance and disability living allowance were also included in the figures."

Folk can work and still claim Bereavement Benefit, Incapacity Benefit. Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance or Income Support, so I'm not sure why there is the assumption that none of those on benefit is working legitimately.

Ulster has its own Social Security scheme and is not included in the figures.

[LAW_DROP-OUT]

Mamjet had some good suggestions,,,notably , sterilising her from Dewsbury...... blah blah blah,,

[LAW_DROP-OUT]

does this include , remote scottish islands,,,,

[rojash]

Exactly my point, THECORBYLOON, and subsequent posts which continue to assume that all these people are unemployed demonstrate beautifully how the phrasing of the original question influenced opinion. With skills like that, sp1214 could probably get a job at the DM.

[LAW_DROP-OUT]

ill contribute with an answer soon,,,

[LAW_DROP-OUT]

some years ago, i was signing on, and WORKING WITH MY NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBER at the same time (iwas on a night shift )......... this i did for about three months, -then i stopped the night shift job....some months later, I had to speak with an official from JOB CENTRE PLUS - and they said "some one was using your N I number btwn - Sept = Dec 2004 .....working at ???? company I said to the official no "that was me " ....(on the night shift and recieving - J S A ) ....... I worked it out that I recievd in Job seekers allowance �600- six hundred quid- anyway the official told me ok....we will be writing to you in due course....... they did , i was expecting a letter saying that they would want the �600 - back in monthly installments,,,,,,,when i did read the letter the came to an amount of �150 --- is what I should pay them back ! ....that was fine with me,,,,,so i made arrangements to reimburse them for �150 ...they call it an "overpayment ".....so i had to pay them a quarter of what i was not really entitled to recieve,,,i was sort of quids in ,,,,,really ---- this was JOB CENTRE PLUS , (not housing/council tax benefit - i will point out )......

[LAW_DROP-OUT]

LINESMAN ..........r there any out there,,,,running the lines while on "the social " ....the linesman weve seen on TV, had one hand on his "flag"....on sunday mmorning,,,,,,,,and the other HAND , stretched out, to recieve that "incapacity benefit cheque " (more than likely,,,,,,the benefit went staright in to his bank a/c)//////////////// cheque is figure of speech !