How do we get the unemployed off the dole?

[rov1200]

Geo Osborne is going to reduce the benefits bill by an extra £4bn by getting the unemployed to take jobs:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11250639

but Boris Johnson says we need more immigrants to tackle the skills shortage in London. Why can't they be found from those already here?

[R1Geezer]

stop giving them free money, simples!

[jno]

the word 'skills' may be the clue. Not everyone has them; those who do have some may not have the ones required.

[modeller]

You are right R1G #stop giving them free money, simples! # .
We all know of people who could work but don't. I know of one person who hasn't worked for over 20 years. He recently retired on pension ( how was that possible being as he hadn't paid for it ? ) and he made the comment that now he wouldn't be criticised for not working. So he was well aware what others thought about him but not enough to get a job.

[4getmenot]

what about the people that do need help? That have a mortgage to pay? That have been looking for jobs and been having interviews. Sorry but they need to step up at Job centre. I went to a 'back to work' meeting and we were supposed to fill in a form about how you thought meeting went, what they could do better etc' and hand it in at end of meeting. I'd filled mine out through meeting. At the end the lady went to collecft them and someone said 'do I have to fill it out?' And she said 'oh dont worry about it I'll let you off this time' then everybody else said 'well do I have to do mine'... Ridiculous! She should have said 'yes you'd be expected to fill out alot more forms when applying for jobs'

[4getmenot]

They should pay money on the basis of how many jobs you have actually applied for

[gadgetgeek]

Unless you are actively proven to be looking for employment then maybe courses should be set up to give people the skills we are short of. Be cheaper than paying them to have, for some, an easy life. If not that then how about working for charities, or hospitals, local community projects and earn the money!

[modeller]

jno In my area we don't have genuine unemployment . Everybody can get a job if they want one .
We are surrounded with trading estates,

[ummmm]

I agree with the courses options. If they don't attend they loose benefits. At least it might give some a kick start and a bit of confidence.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

Benefits should be paid to claimants who have..or families have paid in sufficient amounts over the last 20 years.This would weed out the 3 generations of scroungers we often hear about!!

[ummmm]

In theory yes...but what about the housewife who gave up work to bring up the children and then years down the line the husband buggers off...?

Some people need better help. Some people need a kick up the backside.

[fairkatrina]

I agree that those who sit on benefits without looking for work should be penalised, but I also think employers have a greater responsibility to take people on, which I suppose comes back to government spending / banks investing etc.

All I know is that 4 years ago I took a gap year between my BA and MA to earn some money to pay for the Masters, and I didn't get a job until 6 weeks before the MA started; I applied for literally hundreds on hundreds of jobs and most companies didn't even acknowledge the application - soul destroying after a while, let me tell you - and when I did get an interview I was always told at the end that I was either over qualified or under experienced - or both! I eventually got a job through an employment agency I'd signed up with before I'd even finished my BA.

The jobcentre were less than useless, my advisor was more interested in discussing what her daughter was going to have to do to prepare for uni (as I'd just been apparently I was the uni oracle) and when I'd been on jobseekers for 6months they sent me on a two week course where I got to play quizzes with other doleites and at the end of it we had a day out canoeing in Wales, all at the taxpayer's expense. There was nothing at all job-orientated about any of it, but if I didn't go they'd stop my jobseekers - explain that! It's no wonder people don't bother working, the dole isn't really enough to support someone on its own, but if you get on disability, or have your rent paid for you as well it must be very lucrative if your only other option is minimum wage.

[salspotters]

If you really want to get them out looking for work cut housing benefit down to a max of £100 a week.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

As I said ummm...if the FAMILY has paid enough in then benefits will be paid

[fairkatrina]

that's a pretty loose definition of family though, bright spark. I don't like the idea of all my exes claiming benefits based on the tax that I pay...

[BRIGHT SPARK]

Its fair katrina....you could claim from the taxes they have paid

[modeller]

I used to employ people and many of them didn't want the job they just wanted me to sign the form to say they had been for an interview.. They use to turn up in scruffy clothes , unshaven and speaking in a rough or totally inaudible manner. I told the job centre what was going on but they were not interested.

[dotty.]

How would you deal with the unemployed shop lifter I had in work today? She had £400 worth of goods from 6 different stores in her bags and about her person, she is apparently on the dole, on methodone, with a pre-school child at home, yet she spent 3 hours shop lifting today and is not locked up awaiting charges. What job do you think she could get that would give her child care, the money for her methodone prescriptions and enough to pay her fines?

[ummmm]

But that would just make claiming benefits even more difficult. You'd have to start producing things to prove that the relationship existed. If you were never married it could start to get complicated..

[dotty.]

*now locked up.

[salspotters]

http://www.dailymail....ed-1k-week-house.html

Bet this man could not get a job on the same amount of money he gets in benefit.