Governments New Back To Work Scheme

elainebadknee

Hi

Ive been listening with interest on the radio today about the plans the government has to punish people who are unemployed and who refuse work, if they do so they have a three strike out system (once - benefit is stopped for 6 weeks, twice its 6 months, thrice its 3 years)...Now i know there are some people on the dole who just apply for job they know they have no chance of getting just to show jobcentre that they are "applying and actively seeking work".
What i want to know is what about the people who are prepared to travel but cannot get expense help from the government...Beleive me, i took a job in penrith, 60 mile a day round trip for a part time job and i tried to get interview expenses from JC, no way, they changed their rules about it, wanted me to take public transport (yeah right, get train at 07.30am for 11.30am interview and journey back isnt till 16.30)......Not use my own car...I did get job and employers paid interview money. Petrol was at an all time high so i wasnt even breaking even in wages....Then take into account the suposed help you get at jc...Its non existent, they dont look at your record of applying for jobs and they certainly dont encourage you or give constructive advice.....
Then the last issue which i must address is the amount of jobs in UK...There are jobs, but until we stop the influx of immigrants, then they will continue taking jobs which has bred the benefit culture (ie folk will get off their **** cos they would have to and maybe employers wouldnt get away with paying peanuts).....Also what about the single parent wanting a job but needing childcare costs help, oh thats right the government has cut them too...FAB!!
I know im going on a bit but i know what its like in a jc and not just my local one...I hear it in different towns alike.......
Its just another FIBDEM backtrack, i wish id never voted for Nick Clegg, i think a worm has more backbone than him!!!!! I think also the system is wrong but feel the new government is picking on the most vulnerable, easy targets to make up for huge defecit caused by previous govenrments/banks....
Elainex

daylily

Hi.
I also think that stopping people's benefits will cause a huge increase in crime.
Muggings, burgleries, car crime will, I personally think, all increase.
If people are not getting enough money to live on they will find other ways of surviving.
Surely the government cannot expect everyone unemployed to find a job :?: The jobs are just not out there :!: :!:

elainebadknee

HI Daylily

Well yes youre right...But also i cant stress the immigration thing strongly enough....We are the softest country to let in the amounts we let in AND claim benefits for their children back in their home country.....Its just not right, why should it be like this...I personally think the way the Ozzies were/are when you had to have so much financial income to enter the country and a proper trade should be brought in here......
Of course lots will argue with me that if they restrict immigrants then we wouldnt have such a diverse country to live in but do we need so much???

Elainex

skezier

Hi Elaine,

Their thinking is haywire.....

I so agree with Daylilly where are the jobs! Here its really bad for jobs and one of the main employers are closing so adding another 1000+ to the jobless...

I hate to think what will happen to people when they have no money...... Maybe there will be some kind of revolt when the liberals start to remember their own ideals..... Cris x

c4thyg

I'm now facing having to tell my boss, who gave me a chance to get back into science, that I can no longer do it. Why? Because DWP stopped my benefits this week. They claim that I must be being paid because there is no reason a person with a PhD would be re-training. I've been into the JC twice in the last month and declared everything I'm doing. They are now treating me like I'm being fraudulent. I'm fighting to get my benefits back and I've now given up even trying to get back to work. It leaves me out of pocket because childcare costs so much (they turned down my application for help). I want to know how they expect me to get back to work when all I get is inconsistent advice from JC and my benefits stopped because I get off my backside and try to help myself. I was so angry yesterday that I threatened on the phone to go down there and decorate their walls with blood! :oops: I think my point got made and I told them that I now have no intention of even looking for work. What a world we live in. I should never have come home to the UK.

Sorry about the rant. This thread got me annoyed all over again.

cythna

elainebadknee wrote:

HI Daylily

Well yes youre right...But also i cant stress the immigration thing strongly enough....We are the softest country to let in the amounts we let in AND claim benefits for their children back in their home country.....Its just not right, why should it be like this...I personally think the way the Ozzies were/are when you had to have so much financial income to enter the country and a proper trade should be brought in here......
Of course lots will argue with me that if they restrict immigrants then we wouldnt have such a diverse country to live in but do we need so much???

Elainex

I'm not so sure about immigrants taking all the jobs. It seems to me that people come here to work either because they have skills where we have a shortage (the NHS is full of people on this scheme-I think all our doctors and nurses are working in Australia!), or they come and do the kind of work that most people in the UK don't want, eg harvesting, cockle picking etc, which is poorly paid.

The kind of work we need is work that pays a liveable wage, and isn't a million miles from where we currently live. I'm old enough to remember a minister in Mrs Thatcher's government being asked, "Is there any wage that you would consider too low?", and he replied "No"! If that attitude still prevails, and IDS makes it look like it does, then we could all end up cockle picking yet...

Susan

lupin15

This is quite a minefield this topic. I think everyone knows people who "Sit on their arses doing nothing" and claiming money with no intention of working but there is also people who want to work but are unable to find work in their area and giving them a job to do which cost an arm and a leg to travel is hardly sensible.
The government have got to get people back to work it is costing the country to much money. Lets hope they find a good/fair solution to this.

Airwave!

No use in getting angry with the new government who are at least being firm and dealing with the problems. Get angry with the Parliamentary Labour Party who created all this mess over the past thirteen years.

When can we take the PLP to court for being so incredibly free with our money, what they have left is a legacy that will carry on for many a year, it was actually criminal, a huge givaway of taxpayers money!

Will they ever face a court in this country for what they did? I doubt it, because they claim to be POLITICIANS. Inept and incredible.
8) Its a grin, honest!

[Deleted User]

I have moved this thread to Chit Chat because it is more appropriate for this forum.
Moderator AN

joanlawson

My son-in-law was out of work for nearly a year. He is a civil engineer, and the construction industry was badly hit by the recession. Being unemployed hit him really hard; he had never been out of work since he left university over 20 years ago. He applied for every job which was available, but they were very few and far between, and every job attracted hundreds of other applicants. As time went on, he became very despondent, and quite depressed about the situation. Imagine how humiliated he would have felt to be sent off to do a menial job, under threat of losing the benefits for which he had paid taxes all his working life. It would have rubbed salt into the wound, and made him feel like a failure. Luckily, he eventually found a good job, but others might not be so lucky.

I think that many children will be the real victims if benefits are stopped for their parents. We already have one of the highest rates of child poverty in the industialised world, and I fear that this will increase.

Joan

lupin15

I have got a lad coming home (getting out of the army) and i am so worried for him. The lack of jobs in our area is terrible but he has done a course and is sending off for his SIA licence. We are hoping that it will help him to get another job. He has all the driving licence a young lad could have but because he is only 23 he can not drive for companies because of this (insurance he has to be over 25). This country is in such a mess but i suppose you can't bake a cake without breaking eggs so fingers crossed it does start to get better soon.

I found out an interesting fact...did you know that young people under 18 do not get unemployment benefit? College is not for everyone so some young people leave and if they cannot get work they do not get it. Thats a clever way of the government getting there figures lower.

elainebadknee

HI Cris

I think the FIBDEMS have done so much damage in this govenrment, I of course have never known a coalition gov before but now i do i would say its the worst thing to happen to our country in ages....
The revolt has already started with the students and while the minority anarchists who did the damage and made headlines for trouble not the subject of tuition fees....In a way why should we sit back and let them tickle our tums???

Elainex

elainebadknee

Im sorry this thread got you worked up again but it does highlight how inconsistent the JC are and I think they should lose their jobs and see how it is to be treated with shrugging shoulders and sighs instead of encouragement?

Elainex

elainebadknee

Hi Susan

Imsorry i disagree...My thinking is that if we limit the influx of immigrants then the employers who are paying badly would have to offer decent wages in line with legislation and then the brits would get off their bum cos it may actually be worthwhile....
I have worked somewhere last year where then was a polish girl and south african...The pole was so compliant and apologised for everything, even having a cold whilst the south african was arrogant and moany.....This was the first time id expereinced foreign colleagues and it wasnt great...

Elainex

elainebadknee

Hi Lupin

Well yes that the problem can you see the liikes of George Osborne, David CAmeron and Clegg taking jobs in cafes or supermarkets (which even in our #Asda takes three processes of elimination till you are selected for interview) instead of being politicians....
Fair never comes into it...

Elainex

elainebadknee

The new govenrment are just convinced that anyone on benefits are scroungers and never mind the bankers, the failing private companies and the fraudulent 3 (yeah right) MP's.........
Its a complete backtrack for FIBDEM and NC has ccuased so much bad feeling that he better had not return to Sheffield...

Elainex

elainebadknee

Hi Joan

Im so glad your son got a job and wasnt faced with this horrendous new system...Its people like this i worry about....And as for making people do the so called community work as punishment...Why is that not being applied to ex offenders as it was before or is it that the government is too soft to make real criminals pay for what they do too...I think yes...

elainex

elainebadknee

Lupin

What is an SIA course if i may ask?I think i read that if you got driving qualifications in forces then when applying for driving jobs outside of forces they are not recognised ...Please correct if wrong?
I knew under 18's didnt get JSA as brothers OH son is of that age and only gets about £44.00 a week or so...

Elainex

lupin15

elainebadknee wrote:

Lupin

What is an SIA course if i may ask?I think i read that if you got driving qualifications in forces then when applying for driving jobs outside of forces they are not recognised ...Please correct if wrong?
I knew under 18's didnt get JSA as brothers OH son is of that age and only gets about £44.00 a week or so...

Elainex

It is a licence that you have to pay £245 for to the goverment after you have paid £195 for the course and pass. It allows you to do security jobs. Just a bloody scam and another the goverment is getting money from people. the laugh is he has to wait upto 6 weeks to get it. Well i suppose they are over worked and under paid as a goverment office.
His licences will hold but most companies have a blanket insurance which does not cover drivers under 25 and he is only 24 years old and there for will not employ him...unless you know any different???

oneday

c4thyg wrote:

I'm now facing having to tell my boss, who gave me a chance to get back into science, that I can no longer do it. Why? Because DWP stopped my benefits this week. They claim that I must be being paid because there is no reason a person with a PhD would be re-training. I've been into the JC twice in the last month and declared everything I'm doing. They are now treating me like I'm being fraudulent. I'm fighting to get my benefits back and I've now given up even trying to get back to work. It leaves me out of pocket because childcare costs so much (they turned down my application for help). I want to know how they expect me to get back to work when all I get is inconsistent advice from JC and my benefits stopped because I get off my backside and try to help myself. I was so angry yesterday that I threatened on the phone to go down there and decorate their walls with blood! :oops: I think my point got made and I told them that I now have no intention of even looking for work. What a world we live in. I should never have come home to the UK.

Sorry about the rant. This thread got me annoyed all over again.

I have a friend who earns just above average wage and gets tax credits which pay for child care. I have another friend who works full time,single mum and gets over £200 in tax credits which pays her nursery fees whilst she works - surely you can get something - or are your earnings too high to qualify.
I know its annoying but the pooor **** at dwp is only doing what the government has told them so see your mp.

elainebadknee

Hi

Im glad your friends get help with their costs but some people dont get such help....When I was on a low salary £10,000 a year for a ft reception job I got wtc and it was only about £25.00 a month...I eventually got another job offer and was out of work for just over 7 days, they stopped my wtc becuase of this and never re-instated it despite numerous calls to HMRC and I wasnt earning more than the £12,500 that stops me qualifying for this measly sum....
Also you quote the "poor ****" at jc, they are awful, whenever i go in they are twiddling their thumbs and they certainly dont offer constructive advice as when i went for an interview 60mile round trip they wouldnt pay my petrol for me wanted me to take buses etc....They have a very cushy number so never ever do I feel sorry for them and anyone who does, go visit a JC and you'll see why sympathy is not in bounds from Joe Public....

Elainex

oneday

Elaine
I am not too overjoyed myself.....the one who is single who gets that big amount a week lives with her mother and has no household bills. I worked out she is better off than me and hubbie who work and have to pay for our roof, heating etc etc....
I do know someone who works at jobcentre who is very nice and very helpful. I havent been to one myself for years - maybe they are on short contracts??and dont give a good service as they think theyre going to be unemployed soon??

If youre a lone parent ? I would have thought you could get some financial help?

p.s when i said £200-thats a week!!

elainebadknee

Hi Oneday

First of all id like to state that im not a single parent, i live at home with folks.....Of course someone like myself will be better off as dont have to pay utility bills, etc....I do my share however with laundry....
Re staff at jobcentre, i cant praise them at all cos they do the least amount of work really with no real heart and soul put into it as far as i can see...It shouldnt matter if theyre on short term contracts, ive done those and it dont mean i can act non challont. The people at my jc need to wake up, one man started there years ago, his hair has now receedeed at the front, grown at the back, his collars are threadbare, others walk around in jogging trousers, whilst others are very abrupt and robotlike.....They twiddle thier thumbs as there's no jobs but they dont encourage either.....Ive heard the same story in numerous locations too...

Elainex