JCA and community service?

DrDoo

Hi all,

Apologies in advance if this is naive - i have never received JCA nor do i pretend to know the "rules and expectations" etc.

A friend of mine has been in receipt of it for nearly a year - he made a comment that he purposely didn't look for a job for 3 of the weeks because he helped his uncle paint a house for some extra cash. was I right to be appalled by this?

and then I made the comment that maybe he could get involved in community service rather than play his computer games all day (this was also his admission).

Why haven't the government brought in this kind of scheme? surely it would keep the tax payers happy and help the job seekers gain some experience (in this case I'm aiming towards those that don't have much work experience rather than those that have worked the previous 20 years etc) and I don't mean community service like picking up rubbish but more like working in community centres - painting buildings etc?

Does something like this already exist?
Again if this comes across as incredibly naive I do apologies, like I said JCA has never been a part of my life

marydot

There is a scheme called New deal where people have to attend. But as for community service i dont think that exists, as for your friend telling you his business thats a bit stupid, as he never knows who can report him at any time.

12 months is a long time to be on jsa, as i was claiming jsa for this time period,but now I am working full time. Living on benefits is not a life of luxury as £65 per week is not that much to live on, i have been there and done it so i know what it is like.

Vader123

People don't like having to "sign on" for JSA nevermind do anything else for it.

When it snowed people didn't want to go and sign on.

You want to see the fury at New Deal on these threads.

"What you mean I have to do something with my day?!?!?".

Vader

pinkshoes

I spent 10 weeks on JSA (in 2004), and would have LOVED to have done some sort of community service to keep me amused, as it's so dull staying in all day with no money to spend.

I mentioned to the (stuck up) woman in the Job Centre that I already volunteered at an old people's home for a few hours a week, and was told that I wouldn't be entitled to JSA unless I gave it up!! Utterly ridiculous!

Obviously I lied and told her I'd given it up, but I still went along! It was only playing scrabble and entertaining old folk, but it kept me busy and kept them occupied!

kingfisherblue

My daughter had to claim JSA for a few weeks last year, before she found work. She has been a volunteer in Guiding for five years and she expelained this to the JC. They had no problem with it, although they did say that if a job came up, she might have to alter her hours of volunteering or give it up. They actually said that voluntary work is a good thing, as it shows commitment and loyalty, as well as teaching you skills that are important in the workplace, such as teamwork, basic admin and using your initiative.

My daughter found work with an agency, so she can fit her hours around her voluntary work. Currently she works about 26 hours a week for the agancy (plus travel time, about 25 hours a week :eek:). She also does Brownies (1.5 hours) and Rainbows (1 hour), plus planning and preparation at home for Brownies and Rainbows (about an hour a week). And sh'e completed her first OU course and is waiting for her second one to start. She hated being on JSA, as she found it boring and much prefers to work.

donnajunkie

DrDoo wrote: »

Hi all,

Apologies in advance if this is naive - i have never received JCA nor do i pretend to know the "rules and expectations" etc.

A friend of mine has been in receipt of it for nearly a year - he made a comment that he purposely didn't look for a job for 3 of the weeks because he helped his uncle paint a house for some extra cash. was I right to be appalled by this?

and then I made the comment that maybe he could get involved in community service rather than play his computer games all day (this was also his admission).

Why haven't the government brought in this kind of scheme? surely it would keep the tax payers happy and help the job seekers gain some experience (in this case I'm aiming towards those that don't have much work experience rather than those that have worked the previous 20 years etc) and I don't mean community service like picking up rubbish but more like working in community centres - painting buildings etc?

Does something like this already exist?
Again if this comes across as incredibly naive I do apologies, like I said JCA has never been a part of my life

what your friend did was illegal. personally i would only be appalled with things like this if it was regular and i would not only be appalled by the worker. i would also be appalled by the employer.
community service already exists for criminals. the unemployed are not criiminals. however i believe stage 2 of flexible new deal will be a work fare type scheme. so everyone will be doing what you say. of course it will no doubt mean the people currently employed to do these jobs will get finished and end up on jsa and doing the job for their benefit instead of a wage.
i do get your point that people who lack experience need help to get it. i think rather than having stupid courses like new deal it would be better if companies within a certain criteria should be required to have trainees and the government could subsidise part of their wage while they are in training.

DrDoo

Where have I implied that Job seekers are criminals? I purposely stated that the community service should be things like working in a community centres, and not picking up rubbish.

I think volunteering would be ideal - I had to volunteer at schools to get into my career field, it was an actual requirement, so it must be in good stead with other employers as well.

donnajunkie

DrDoo wrote: »

Where have I implied that Job seekers are criminals? I purposely stated that the community service should be things like working in a community centres, and not picking up rubbish.

I think volunteering would be ideal - I had to volunteer at schools to get into my career field, it was an actual requirement, so it must be in good stead with other employers as well.

ok, sorry. i just get used to that sort of view appearing in these forums. volunteer work can be good. i have done it myself. unfortunately the charity went out of business. that is what my luck is like, i cant even keep a voluntary job.

Oldernotwiser

marydot wrote: »

There is a scheme called New deal where people have to attend. But as for community service i dont think that exists, as for your friend telling you his business thats a bit stupid, as he never knows who can report him at any time.
.

Community service used to be one of the New Deal options; don't know whether that's changed now.

DrDoo

donnajunkie wrote: »

ok, sorry. i just get used to that sort of view appearing in these forums. volunteer work can be good. i have done it myself. unfortunately the charity went out of business. that is what my luck is like, i cant even keep a voluntary job.

I know a few people who have given the unemployed a bad name, namely my friend (and as for breaking the law with cash in hand money; that is just tip of the iceberg!) but i'm very aware that these people are in the minority and that most unemployed do not choose, nor want to be, unemployed.

I grew up on in a low income household so can imagine that living off £67 (?) a week is no life of luxury! Sadly, in this climate, people are forced to get by on pretty much nothing.

tsimehC

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Community service used to be one of the New Deal options; don't know whether that's changed now.

It's still there under VSO during the Options period in my area but with fND kicking in, it'll be scraped by June/July/October (?) to make way for Stage 4 (12-month) providers, a big waste of time and money if it's A4e doing that bit but I digress.