Who would be willing to work for benefits?

racheyg

Interested in hearing, if made redundant, would you be willing to work for your benefits? I have never really agreed with benefits (in general terms), and if I happened to be in receipt I would definitely do 'voluntary' work to keep up my skills.

Just wondered if anyone else felt the same, there is a clear lack of people needed to help with charity work etc.

Numpty_Monkey

I would if the benefits were paid to the minimum wage level

racheyg

Yep, good point.

bristol_pilot

No. The benefits are like a claim on an insurance policy (I would only get contribution-based JSA). I have paid hundreds of thousands of pounds in 'premiums' (taxes) over the years, so if it comes to my time to claim I'm certainly not willing to pay again by working for benefits. Furthermore, job searching - if done properly - is an almost full-time job anyway and any work-for-benefits scheme effectively prevents claimants from obtaining employment.

PasturesNew

Numpty_Monkey wrote: »

I would if the benefits were paid to the minimum wage level

For many people they are.

Minimum wage, aged 22 and over, is £5.73/hour.
For a 35 hour working week that is £10,446 per year.
After tax/NI that is a takehome of £751.

JSA at £60.50 is £262/month, which means single people in this position whose rent and council tax are more than £489/month are receiving more than minimum wage

PasturesNew

bristol_pilot wrote: »

... job searching - if done properly - is an almost full-time job anyway

This is very true.

ceridwen

I do think that one has to bear in mind that - besides the time spent jobhunting if on benefits - that one HAS to have a noticeable extra amount of time to cope with that INCREDIBLY low level of income. The only way I would have a hope in hell of literally not starving on that low an income would be by using my extra time for shopping around/growing as much food as possible/foraging/downright "skipping" outside supermarkets for food/walking absolutely everywhere/etc.

minnie123

bristol_pilot wrote: »

No. The benefits are like a claim on an insurance policy (I would only get contribution-based JSA). I have paid hundreds of thousands of pounds in 'premiums' (taxes) over the years, so if it comes to my time to claim I'm certainly not willing to pay again by working for benefits. Furthermore, job searching - if done properly - is an almost full-time job anyway and any work-for-benefits scheme effectively prevents claimants from obtaining employment.

That is very true - but not everyone is like you. I see many people on benefits who I see standing outside the pub in the morning waiting for it to open and also lots of people on benefits doing nothing to get a job. I believe the job centre needs to keep a tighter watch on people. On JSA you only need to actually go to the job centre once every 2 weeks. Maybe you should have to visit and show yourself to be job seeking every working day unless you have a proven interview etc..

This is just an idea but something like this needs to be put in place.

ceridwen

I see the point you are making - but the $1,000 dollar question is always - Just how do you differentiate between Career Claimants and the Genuine Unemployed? Well - okay - the number of children is a hefty clue - loadsa children means almost certainly the person is a Career Claimant and I guess theres others.

The thing is - if someone like myself became unemployed - then I would be a Genuine Claimant - and I would resent to H**l and back being humiliated/made to waste my time in such a fashion due to something that wasnt my choice or fault.....so just what does one do?

minnie123

I don't know something needs to be done though. I do think only having to attend the job centre once every two weeks is not enough I think maybe you should have to attend twice weekly. I mean if you are looking for a job it is useful to do so. Also I think some sort of system needs to be put in place to stop people who bladder all their benefits on fags and booze and plasma tv's. Maybe it would be better to issue benefits in the form of vouchers that could be exchanged for essential - food / fuel etc..

Obviously I don't have the answers - just throwing a few ideas around.

Numpty_Monkey

minnie123 wrote: »

That is very true - but not everyone is like you. I see many people on benefits who I see standing outside the pub in the morning waiting for it to open and also lots of people on benefits doing nothing to get a job. I believe the job centre needs to keep a tighter watch on people. On JSA you only need to actually go to the job centre once every 2 weeks. Maybe you should have to visit and show yourself to be job seeking every working day unless you have a proven interview etc..

This is just an idea but something like this needs to be put in place.

What about the people just made redundant ,

which this Board is about, its not a benefit Discussion thing
A good question was asked by the OP


We are trying to get back into work