Brilliant Idea

[brionon]

Unemployment is Soaring so lets encourage those already out of work to find a job. Politicians ? Dummies.

[weeal]

Its gotta be a joke eh lol

[LoftyLottie]

Listening to the news just now, what I understood is that people will be expected to do unpaid work in the community if they still want to receive their benefits (which will remain at the same level), whilst they look for paid employment. Is that such a bad thing?

[Ice.Maiden]

But where are all these sudden jobs in the community going to come from??? If they were there anyway, or could've been created - why weren't people paid to do them?

[LoftyLottie]

Well true, but how many people would actually apply for low paid community jobs, say sweeping streets, tidying gardens, if they got more or benefits. If they have to do them whilst on benefit and still get more than if they were proper paid jobs, then they have no excuse not to work - and the community benefits.

More of the job losses are in the higher paid categories now anyway!!

[LoftyLottie]

But I know what you mean Icey. They could paid more for these low paid jobs and might get more people applying and coming off benefits. But personally, I there are a lot of people who have become so used to living on benefits that it has become difficult for them to adjust to working again and they need something to get them back into a working routine.

I haven't worked for a couple of years and I would find it very difficult now to get back into a working frame of mind.

(I am a pensioner! So I have an excuse - I have done my fair share of work!!!! ;o) )

[naomi24]

Hospital cleaners could do with a bit of help. There aren't nearly enough of them.

[jake-the-peg]

Wake up this is simply playing to the crowd.

It's politicians playing the "I'm tougher than you" game.

They come in fits and bouts - Either Crime or illegal immigration or social security scroungers or whoever the bogey-man of the week is.

This is nothing to do with actually reducing the jobless figures and everything about not being in a position where your political opponents can call you soft.

As so rightly pointed out above this sort of initiative at a time when nobody's hiring and everybody's laying off is completely ineffective.

[Eve]

They could at least create some more public friendly jobs, street wardens, comunity support roles, hospital cleaners as said above.

[Gromit]

The timing of this is significant.

For the last ten years the Government have been saying they will reform the benefits system. The problem has been that it is bound to fail because it is an almost impossible task.

By introducing these measures now (assuming the Tories vote for it and head off a Labour MP rebellion) the result will not be more people working and off benefits.

And when it fails the Economic situation will be given as the excuse and not that the plan is half hearted and unworkable (no pun intended) in the first place.

So why would the Government embark on a course that is bound to fail? Simple points scoring as mentioned above. They can claim they are tougher than the other parties (on an easy target).

[Gromit]

Great quote from Purnell:

"Work is good for people. Leaving people on benefits is the cruel thing to do."

[cazzz1975]

"More of the job losses are in the higher paid categories now anyway!!"


not at all, factories and companies are closing at an alarming rate and there are not enough jobs for the thousands who are made redundant from the shop floor to the management.

Apparently the worst is still to come

[elginred]

As I understand it, they are going to be given work whilst on benefits. Their benefit rate will not increase, but they will be contributing towards the community.

In my mind, this is a good thing. After all, these people would be claiming benefits anyway, so let them do a job rather than claiming for nothing. It's not actually going to cost the country any more than it is now, and there might not be suitable permanent employment, but it's giving the country something for the money that we put in to the system.

I'm sure most of us know of a public area, park, beach, playing field etc, that could do with maintenance. Why not let those already receiving government money (in the form of benefits) earn it for a change!!

[TheGrump]

Because of the dreaded ELf Un Safety rules, etc. You can't just expect people to go and pick up litter surely. They have to be dragged away from Jeremy Kyle on their 42" plasma, taxied to a site, dressed in HIVIZ jockstraps and all the other parephenalia, and then recieve the appropriate skills training, risk assessments, CSCS accreditations, and do method statements. Just not viable.