Let's help Duncan Smith - how would YOU improve the benefits system?

weehev

i've only briefly scanned the thread so my thoughts may already be covered.....but

1. benefits paid in food/clothing vouchers that cannot be used for alcohol/drugs/fags/50inch tv's
2. reduce benefits so its not a comfortable life
3. make people work for benefits, even if its just picking up litter, cleaning grafitti or even helping out in care homes/animal rescue centres etc
4. if convicted of a crime and fined - automatically take this from their benefits
5. stop jobseekers allowance after say 3 yrs, how can someone not find a single job in 3 years!!! if they can't its cause they are unwilling to take on certain jobs.
6. stop throwing money at schools, youth centers etc in poorer areas, thye do not appreciate it and its not making any difference
7. prisons - return to basic cells, no fancy food, computers, gym equipment etc - its supposed to be punishment!

richardvc wrote: »

Whilst I have no particular axe to grind against the unemployed etc because the majority aren't there by choice.

i seriously disagree - a huge percentage are quite happy to spend everyone else's money in the pub all day, they then have children who are brought up to do the same.

this topic makes me so mad - time to stop punishing those who spend all their life working hard only to lose half of it on tax for those who are too lazy/idle to do anything except take take take

Shakethedisease

huge percentage are quite happy to spend everyone else's money in the pub all day

Where's your evidence for this ? What 'huge' percentage of those on benefits ? How big is it ? 10, 20, 50 % ? How many currently on benefits actually really and truly don't want to work then ?

Do enlighten us.

bendix

Shakethedisease wrote: »

Let me guess... Slapper ???

I have no idea of your personal circumstances. And, frankly, little curiousity.

That you reacted so strongly to a throwaway line says more about your perception of yourself, than my perception of you. From my perspective, you're a few lines of type on an internet forum.

bendix

Shakethedisease wrote: »

As I thought . . .

Not enough guts to reply to a 'slapper'. !!!!!!.

LOL. With the greatest of respect (and I say that with tongue planted firmly in my cheek), perhaps the reason for my non-reply is not so much about you, as it is about not being online.

weehev

Shakethedisease wrote: »

Where's your evidence for this ? What 'huge' percentage of those on benefits ? How big is it ? 10, 20, 50 % ? How many currently on benefits actually really and truly don't want to work then ?

Do enlighten us.

i see it day in, day out with my work - ok i don't have the figures - as you don't have the figures for how many 'want to work'.

but one thing for sure is that there is far too many who don't want to work and have no intention of ever working.

but it will continue cause our country is so soft.

oh, and while i'm on - scrap the human rights legislation!! (or is that a new thread -:p )

Shakethedisease

I have no idea of your personal circumstances. And, frankly, little curiousity.

Strange ? Since you posted 'ah as I thought...' as a reply when I requested you to use the search button when you asked, quite specifically, for 'my story' ?

I do believe that you didn't bother to search. But I also believe that you posted the 'Ah, as I thought...' reply in order to 'infer' something negative about me and my personal circumstances to others who may be reading this thread. That's not on IMHO. You wanted people on this thread to think you'd read something about me that confirmed your stance on this thread re 'slappers'. Yet you didn't bother to read anything.

THAT says far more about you, and your predjudices.. than any wee 'perceptions' I may have about myself. In other words, you just showed yourself up to be a bit of a lightweight.
A big bundle of judgemental nothingness who can't even be bothered backing up his judgemental nothingness with actual facts.

Now move along luv. Some people here actually try to debate in a grown up manner with facts, figures, reasoning and a bit of emotional bias thrown in. It makes a forum interesting.
Asking for my story, not reading it, then posting 'ah as I thought' ..without actually reading a bloody thing in order to form opinions about what you 'thought' ( but will post it anyway)..is just basic attention seeking. Classic, 'clueless but pretends to know better than everyone else' behaviour and all too prevalent on some forums I frequent. I guess there's always one saddo like that around... at least I know who it is here.

bendix

Oh, but I did read it. Very briefly. Why wouldn't I? You yourself alluded to it.

And fascinating stuff it is indeed.

Honestly, why do you care so much? I don't.

MissMoneypenny

carolt wrote: »

Ideas on a postcard please; or better still, on this thread.

Or you can write your ideas on the government site

http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk/

Help us get more for less

The Spending Challenge is your chance to help shape the way government works. We need to reduce the deficit by cutting public spending in a way that is fair and responsible.

Pennywise

Anyone can find themselves unemployed for short periods of time, but I find it utterly bewildering that there are some who manage to be unemployed for several years, unless they have a disability.

Jobs come and go all the time. Even in disadvantaged areas, rural villages, etc., you can't tell me that there are NEVER any jobs, even for the unskilled etc.

There must be a reason why some people are long term unemployed and it's not that there aren't any jobs. Like a lot of others, I believe it's because it's simply not worth their while accepting a low paid job because they won't be better off enough giving up their time.

The Tory's are right to challenge the "not worth my while" attitude - let's face it, someone has to. Making life on benefits more difficult whilst at the same time finding ways to improve "back to work" training & work experience seems the right way to tackle the problem.

greytroot

Pennywise wrote: »

Anyone can find themselves unemployed for short periods of time, but I find it utterly bewildering that there are some who manage to be unemployed for several years, unless they have a disability.

Jobs come and go all the time. Even in disadvantaged areas, rural villages, etc., you can't tell me that there are NEVER any jobs, even for the unskilled etc.

There must be a reason why some people are long term unemployed and it's not that there aren't any jobs. Like a lot of others, I believe it's because it's simply not worth their while accepting a low paid job because they won't be better off enough giving up their time.

The Tory's are right to challenge the "not worth my while" attitude - let's face it, someone has to. Making life on benefits more difficult whilst at the same time finding ways to improve "back to work" training & work experience seems the right way to tackle the problem.

Well your assumptions are quite wrong there - after working in the same job for 21 years I found myself out of work for the 1st time in my life, with no qualifications only experience. For the last 3 years I have applied for everything from gravedigger to tennis court attendant with no success (I am also not disabled - whatever that has to do with unemployment anyhow). Feedback is usually think i would get bored or no qualifications.

So i moved locations in an effort to find employment (not suitable employment just a blinking job). After another year still no luck, but I dont waste my time either (work as a volunteer 3/4 days a week). By the way I was luck enough to have savings and am therefore unable to claim any of the so called unemployment benefits that is until my savings are diminished.

I will agree there are people that fall into your rant but this is not the "norm" from people I know.

Never been on a back to work thingy as I am not entitled........