I start a Work Placement

szam_

red_devil wrote: »

Alot of workfare is in charity shops, they are mostly run by volunteers. They also have people in there who have been told by the courts to do community payback. Workfare is not about getting people into jobs at all.

Congratulations on missing my point entirely.

Tiddlywinks

AP007 wrote: »

See the thing is I don't know anyone personally who CHOOSE to live on benefits.

Unfortunately, I do.

Plus, some of the posts on this board do make me wonder about the attitudes of some 'jobseekers'.

I am absolutely not saying this applies to the majority BUT there are some that make themselves unemployable and that is a choice. I'm not talking about those with physical or mental impairments but those with the 'why should I' attitude.

I live on the Hants / Surrey border and there are areas of affluence and deprivation almost side by side.

I go into the local centre and see some people working really hard on essential services such as street litter picking, security, cleaning loos etc... probably for just minimum wage. They are picking up after another group of individuals who treat them like dirt for their jobs and who have no respect for their communities.

These are the individuals that don't see why they should get a 'McJob' or work for minimum wage. Who, when sent for work placements or interviews, will present themselves in a way that means they fail to get a job or reference.

How do you deal with the people who turn up for work experience / interviews or whatever wearing inappropriate clothing, demonstrating a bad attitude and generally being difficult? They still get their benefits which, in real terms, pay them nearly as much as that chap scrubbing the loos and scraping up gum off the pavements - how is that fair?

To be clear, I do realise this is a small minority BUT these people are there and we are supporting their choice not to work.

melysion

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Unfortunately, I do.

Plus, some of the posts on this board do make me wonder about the attitudes of some 'jobseekers'.

I am absolutely not saying this applies to the majority BUT there are some that make themselves unemployable and that is a choice. I'm not talking about those with physical or mental impairments but those with the 'why should I' attitude.

I live on the Hants / Surrey border and there are areas of affluence and deprivation almost side by side.

I go into the local centre and see some people working really hard on essential services such as street litter picking, security, cleaning loos etc... probably for just minimum wage. They are picking up after another group of individuals who treat them like dirt for their jobs and who have no respect for their communities.

These are the individuals that don't see why they should get a 'McJob' or work for minimum wage. Who, when sent for work placements or interviews, will present themselves in a way that means they fail to get a job or reference.

How do you deal with the people who turn up for work experience / interviews or whatever wearing inappropriate clothing, demonstrating a bad attitude and generally being difficult? They still get their benefits which, in real terms, pay them nearly as much as that chap scrubbing the loos and scraping up gum off the pavements - how is that fair?

To be clear, I do realise this is a small minority BUT these people are there and we are supporting their choice not to work.

Thing is - if you stop someone from having anything at all - they become homeless, die in the gutter - or more likely - turn to crime.

What about food stamps and the like, rather than money? At least then they don't have any real power on what to spend their benefits on. There will always be the question of how to determine whether a job seeker is trying to get a job or not though I guess and I wouldn't want someone who is desperate for a job to suffer. AS you say - its a small minority.

Whats happened to GG by the way?

Denning.

AP007 wrote: »

So if I die from hypothermia as I have a broken window and no heating its not due to the fact I cant heat the room? Oh ok

That is the landlords responsibility. So no, in the same sense that dying on the route to work is due to a lack of money and having to work.

AP007

Denning. wrote: »

That is the landlords responsibility. So no, in the same sense that dying on the route to work is due to a lack of money and having to work.

What landlord?

You said you can live on £71 a week so broken window and a non flushing toilet or eat what would you choose?

Denning.

AP007 wrote: »

What landlord?

You said you can live on £71 a week so broken window and a non flushing toilet or eat what would you choose?

So you own a property in one of the richest countries in the world? Oh what poverty you live in...

AP007

Denning. wrote: »

So you own a property in one of the richest countries in the world? Oh what poverty you live in...

No I live with my mum who is an OAP ok so not I don't own anything thanks

paulineb_2

Ive posted on the boards before. Ive worked part time and I was worse off after rent and travel costs were taken into account. I didnt get enough hours to get WTC, I didnt even get my NI stamp paid, I was worse off than I would have been on JSA, but for my own sake and to get something on the CV I took the work.

I dont earn tons of money now, Im a freelance fitness instructor. If I wasnt doing that, Id probably still be sitting on the dole now. I do know what its like to live in a poor area where there are hundreds of people chasing jobs. I also certainly dont agree with everything the Govt are trying to do re workfare.

But there has to come a point where people take responsibility for themselves. I do know people who are happy to live on benefit. Some people on the estate I live on get a very decent amount of benefits. One woman has 6 kids and she'll get at least the equivalent of £14000 a year in benefits, proabably more. I do know kids are expensive as well, but with income support and child tax credits I bet she was better off than I was when I was on JSA of 71 quid a week. Theres no incentive for people like her to work because childcare costs are so high. I think shes worked perhaps a few weeks in the 20 or so years shes been here and I only know that because there was an issue about her being evicted for rent arrears which somehow I got dragged into (her mates threatend to burn my home down because she thought Id reported her for anti social behaviour, she was actually evicted for non payment of rent, I didnt report her or know anything about it until I was threatened).

It is a lifestyle choice for some people. Not all. I hear conversations on the bus where people have spoken openly about what they will do if they are kicked off what was the old Incapacity Benefit, fake an epileptic fit etc. Some people dont want to work. Some people want to work very much. I wouldnt label every single person who is unemployed as work shy, I know how tough it is. But some people dont want to come off benefits.

And some people dont make life any easier for themselves by trying to start poor me threads when other people who have been unemployed got off their !!!! and retrained and managed to find work. My brother was out of work for some time, he actually got offered two jobs with the civil service, but there wasnt a position for him at that time, they told him it would be 12 months. He retrained as a gym instructor and hes now a personal trainer.

I also dont think its necessary to have perfect spelling or grammar and I wouldnt necessarily label anyone unemployable. But there are things people who are on JSA can do. Volunteer, look into part time study. I know its tough, but some people really dont help themselves with their attitude.

No one owes anyone a living.

Tiddlywinks

I do think we should also differentiate between claimants' circumstances as that determines the household income.

A single able bodied person with no dependents and living alone will find it more difficult that another claimant who is part of a couple and has children.

One lone person will have to pay for 100% of the fuel, water rates, food, TV licence and general living expenses - whereas family units can spread the load.

paulineb_2

melysion wrote: »

Thing is - if you stop someone from having anything at all - they become homeless, die in the gutter - or more likely - turn to crime.

What about food stamps and the like, rather than money? At least then they don't have any real power on what to spend their benefits on. There will always be the question of how to determine whether a job seeker is trying to get a job or not though I guess and I wouldn't want someone who is desperate for a job to suffer. AS you say - its a small minority.

Whats happened to GG by the way?

Oh god knows, probably trying to think up something inventive for his next saga, sorry, thread.