Jobcentres send you 90 miles for job?

bestpud

I can see both sides tbh.

While we have a generous benefit system, people will always see that as the benchmark.

While I have no problem with working for very little/nothing/a 'loss' rather than relying on benefits, I'm not convinced I'd be happy to spend over an hour travelling each way on top of a financial hit!

I think that's expecting a bit much tbh!

I may think differently if I was young and had no dependents, but as a parent, I'd be weighing up a lot of factors and I'm sad to say, I'd probably decide it wasn't worth it.

I've not been in that situation so can't say for sure, of course, but that's my thoughts on it. I guess it's easy to take the moral high ground when we're only looking in.

bestpud

shairy wrote: »

To some people, this is acceptable. If such kind job can change a bit of their poor life.

I think that's the crux of the matter, as they'd actually be poorer!

seven-day-weekend

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote: »

My husband travels 57 miles there and 57 miles back to work every day.
Its not as if hes a youngster either he's turned 60 now and has had to do this for the past ten years.

I have a friend the same age who travels about fifty miles each way each day.

(ETA: HE is not on NMW though. He could not afford the travel costs if he was - has to go by car).

seven-day-weekend

chris1973 wrote: »

No offense, but on the flip side, the fact remains that there are some people out there in the world who have travelled across Europe to find work leaving their homes and families and using their 'life savings' to do it. Taking risks and venturing into a country they know little or nothing about, and may never even have visited, purely to work and seek a better life for themselves.

Often they can be found doing the Jobs most people dont want to travel 90 miles to do

Some of the young family men in my Spanish village (in a part of Spain where the unemployment rate is 40%) are going to Germany to work. Their fathers did this in the 1960s too. Spanish unemployment benefits are not as generous as ours, they are time-limited, how much you get depends on how much you have paid in and you have to pay rent/mortgage out of them.

So they are off to Germany, some of them leaving their families behind.

adindas

A lot of people in London commute more than 1 hour a day each way. Example people who are living in the North or in the South London and work in the inner London.

If you are using TFL Journey planner you will see that the travel time will already more than one hour. I know a lot of people who commute more than one hour a day (each way) in London.and they have been doing this for ages. The travel time will be even more if we consider people traveling from south and then work in the North.

Also there are a lot of unqualified teacher will need to travel more than one hour a day each way to a different school in a different location. There are many students which is even worse than people on minimum wage (as they they earn nothing or just work part time on minimum wage) need to travel more han an hour just to get a cheap accommodation in the south.

It seems that people who want to put effort on something will end up with something. People who do not will end up with nothing.

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

I'd have thought a 45 min each way commute was average in London. Most people travel for longer than that, I reckon.

HappyMJ

bestpud wrote: »

Wouldn't you receive some Housing or Council Tax Benefit if you were earning NMW?

No the income from tax credits (assuming nil income last year) is taken into account and when added onto the minimum wage of £228 (37.5 hours per week) makes a total of £280 income per week and then that cancels out any housing and council tax benefit. The following year tax credits would go down and then housing and council tax benefit can be claimed.

adindas

There are a lot of unqualified teacher need to travel more than one hour a day each way to a different school in a different location. The unqualified teacher who recently start their work just earn a little bit more than the minimum wage.

There are many students who are even worse than people on minimum wage (as they they earn nothing or just work part time on minimum wage) need to travel more than an hour just to get a cheap accommodation in the southern or Eastern part of London.

jazzy wrote: »

It's ridiculous to expect a minimum wage person to travel 90 miles a day. If on the other hand you are receiving a high wage then that is a completely different matter.

bestpud

adindas wrote: »

A lot of people in London commute more than 1 hour a day each way. Example people who are living in the North or in the South London and work in the inner London.

If you are using TFL Journey planner you will see that the travel time will already more than one hour. I know a lot of people who commute more than one hour a day (each way) in London.and they have been doing this for ages. The travel time will be even more if we consider people traveling from south and then work in the North.

Also there are a lot of unqualified teacher will need to travel more than one hour a day each way to a different school in a different location. There are many students which is even worse than people on minimum wage (as they they earn nothing or just work part time on minimum wage) need to travel more han an hour just to get a cheap
accommodation in the south.

It seems that people who want to put effort on something will end up with something. People who do not will end up with nothing.

That's a different mindset, as all those people are travelling in the hope of better prospects in the near future.

Being realistic, most people going for a minimum wage retail or factory job will have little or no chance of their situation improving anytime soon.

We can all excel ourselves when we have an end goal, but it's much harder if we see that slog as indefinite.

exprog

adindas wrote: »

It seems that people who want to put effort on something will end up with something. People who do not will end up with nothing.

Trite simplistic nonsense.


However, it is by no means entirely unreasonable for a travelling time of 90 minutes each way. But that does depend on it being affordable, some types of transport are a lot more expensive then others. If the only option is very expensive it could well be impossible on NMW.

FBaby

2sides2everystory wrote: »

v. the t|ts and twerps, you mean?

I am sick of the absolutely stupid comments by self-righteous people on here who are obviously very comfortable with their lot compared to the unemployed, be they the blissfully ignorant several years retired types or employees of the still cosseted public sector. You haven't a clue what it is like for people who have to visit Job Centres in 2011. Not a flaming clue.

Could it be that thoe self-righteous people you refer to are those who did bother to do the travel for minimum wage once in their lives, work hard, showed enthusiasm and pride in their job so they went up the ladder and feel frustrated that their taxes go to those who think that they have good reasons not to do the same and critisize them?