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| Britain |
| Jobless Britons could be made to do manual work |
| 2010-11-08 |
| [Emirates 24/7] Britain's long-term unemployed could be forced to carry out compulsory manual work or risk losing their welfare benefits under plans being put forward by the government, newspapers reported on Sunday. The US-style scheme would see the long-term jobless ordered to take up four-week placements in order to get them used to having a full-time job. The idea is part of major reforms, due to be unveiled this week, to make cuts to Britain's huge welfare bill, reduce dependency on benefits and weed out those earning money but not declaring it, papers said. "What we are talking about here is people who have not been used to working having both the opportunity and perhaps a bit more of a push as well, to experience the workplace from time to time," Foreign Secretary William Hague told BBC TV. "The vast majority of people in Britain will think that is the right thing to do." Shortly after the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition took power in May, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith unveiled plans to simplify the complex web of benefits available to reduce errors and inefficiencies. Duncan Smith said the system had become regressive and was not giving people the right incentive to work as many were financially better off unemployed. Under his plans separate benefits for items such as housing, income support or incapacity will be replaced by a "universal credit" system whereby individual households would get a single welfare payment to ensure those in work would be better off. The Observer newspaper said that in return, long-term unemployed would be told to take up work placements of at least 30 hours a week for a four-week period. If they refuse or fail to complete the programme, their jobseekers' allowance, worth 64.30 pounds a week for those over over 25, could be stopped for at least three months. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #10 1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. |
| Posted by: rammer 2010-11-08 21:26 |
| #9 It's against the Bible! See Luke 16:3 "To dig I am not able, to beg I am ashamed." |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-11-08 14:35 |
| #8 is just make work for bureaucrats. 'moose - to them that's a feature, not a bug. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-11-08 10:47 |
| #7 In the US, because we are awash in food, there should be a wide open "workfare" program for any citizen in exchange for food. Think of it as inexpensive day labor for labor intensive but otherwise minor stuff. Any adult who shows up and works for, say, four hours, gets a days food for them, their spouse, and each of their children, on a debit food stamp card. If they work eight hours, they get two days worth of food. Importantly, for this program to be a smashing success it should be utterly simple. If they have ID, and they work, they get a debit card, no other questions asked. A big problem with a lot of these programs is that they demand, on top of demand, from legitimate recipients, to the point where any value of the program is negated. The bureaucrats want to keep intrusive records, and combine it with other programs, and add mandatory classes, and sign-ins on the other side of town, and counseling, conduct surveys, etc., ad nauseum. It wastes a huge amount of money and is just make work for bureaucrats. It hinders, not helps. Parasites won't do any work, so wouldn't be interested in a program like this, wanting free stuff instead. But for the frustrated unemployed, this would be something for them to do to keep occupied, while trying to get real work. There might even be the opportunity that if they show up for eight hour shifts every day for some weeks, they can start being paid minimum wage to *manage* the other workers. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-11-08 09:08 |
| #6 According to the governments legally binding Minimum Wage criteria, for workers aged 21 and over, they should pay £5.93hr £64.30 lol |
| Posted by: kojack 2010-11-08 08:25 |
| #5 Colorado has something like this. You have to help after 2-4 weeks or you will lose the benefits. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2010-11-08 08:01 |
| #4 The irony is they all vote "Labour". |
| Posted by: Spot 2010-11-08 07:55 |
| #3 People sweeping the streets would give that homey, old time sovietski feel that's missing from the PUKE (Peoples Republic of UK-Europe) |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2010-11-08 07:46 |
| #2 The US-style scheme would see the long-term jobless ordered to take up four-week placements in order to get them used to having a full-time job. "US Style scheme" of the 1930's possibly. I've seen nothing like it recently. Convicts picking up roadway litter is controversial enough. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-11-08 05:40 |
| #1 The usual suspects have their knickers in a twist over this: "Officials have confirmed that the white paper will include plans for some claimants to spend at least 30 hours a week for four weeks engaged in a 'work activity' placement, such as picking up litter or gardening. Claimants who refuse to do such work could lose benefit for at least three months. In an interview with the BBC, Williams said that he had 'a lot of worries about this aspect of the plan. 'I don't immediately think it's fair,' he said. 'People who are struggling to find work and struggling to find a secure future are – I think – driven further into a downward spiral of uncertainty, even despair, when the pressure is on in that way. Quite often it can make people start feeling vulnerable – even more vulnerable as time goes on – and that's the kind of unfairness that I feel.'" God forbid that the jobless should ever feel any sense of vulnerability! That might make them feel more inclined to do some work. The horror. Better to let them continue in their invulnerable jobless purgatory. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2010-11-08 03:57 |