Jobcentre forced work for benefits scheme on the Isle of Wig

Grafter · Joined: 07 Apr 2011 Posts: 23

Workfare - compulsory work for benefits under the government Work programme - is being rolled-out across the country. It means unemployed people are forced to do unpaid work for multi-million pound companies in order to qualify to receive their benefits People risk losing benefits such Jobseeker’s Allowance an Housing benefit due to sanctions if they refuse to work for such companies without pay on mandatory work placements. There are calls for people to boycott any of the organisations benefiting from these forced labour schemes http://www.boycottworkfare.org/

I am interested in hearing from anyone on the Isle of Wight who has been forced to work for a company, shop, charity or any other organisation under the threat of having their benefits stopped if they refuse to comply. Also anyone who has refused to work for no pay and had their benefits sanctioned and and the affect that has had ie being made homeless due to Housing benefit being withdrawn.

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Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 326 Location: Carisbrooke

The Welfare State is costing a fortune.

Back when it was introduced, just after the war in 46 I think wasn't it?
It was an innovative idea, free health care for all and benefits for society's unfortunates. It only really worked, because the Country was rebuilding from being war torn, which lead to at least 70% employment and so the coffers going into the system outweighed what was going out.
It was the era of Great Britain, when we were world leaders in manufacturing near enough everything.

What went wrong? Well the rest of the world started to manufacturing cheaper. Most raw materials have to be imported into the UK, which adds to the final cost, and slowly over the decades we lost our competitive edge until now we live in a country that has lost all it's industry.

With an increase of population whether native or immigrant and with no jobs the Welfare State is in tatters. The scales are unbalanced more is now paid out than is coming in. Hospitals have shut wards and have long waiting lists, pensions are disappearing fast, the whole system is no longer sustainable.

Once upon a time there was a stigma to being unemployed and living off the state, now it's a social acceptance.

We have the best welfare state in the world, but it's also the softest. In Spain, if you become unemployed you receive state help for 4 weeks after which time if you are still not employed you have to rely on the Red Cross to feed your family. Whereas here well, we all know what goes on.

Why not have to work for your dole cheque? But not for multimillion pound companies. There's loads of jobs that local Councils can't afford to have done because of budget restrictions and the cost of labour. The libraries for instance, litter picking on the beaches and the miles of footpaths.

Doing a 40 hour week knowing you're only going to get your dole money at the end of it is a good incentive to get a proper job.

Grafter · Joined: 07 Apr 2011 Posts: 23

Well Wight portal where do I start?
You may have failed to notice that there have been protest going on in over 900 cities in 80 countries around the world about the corruption linking big business and politicians. But forget those for a moment and forget the disability denial currently taking place by the DWP using the private contractor Atos Healthcare who are being paid £100 million a year to remove people from sickness benefits using sham assessments. And forget that the Tribunal appeals against those decisions are overturned at a rate of up to 70%, at the cost of another £50 million a year. And forget that the US insurance giant UNUM have been advising the UK government for nearly 20 years on how to dismantle the welfare state and the NHS. And also forget that UNUM was called an "outlaw company" by the former California Insurance Commissioner due to their practice of disability denial in the US.
And consider for a moment, to use your example, the Council workers at County Hall, whose colleagues jobs are being decimated, why should the Council not make them all redundant when they can have a steady flow of unemployed people doing their jobs and it wont cost the Council anything?

And how about all the other island employers who could also get rid of their staff and replace them with an underclass confined to poverty by being forced to work full time for £67 a week when the minimum wage is £6.08 an hour. And if you show any form of descent, or go sick a report is sent to the DWP Decision maker to decide whether all your benefits should be removed at a stroke leaving you destitute.

I could go on but I think you get the gist, iwas going to supply you with a link http://unlawfulsanctions.org.uk/cgi-sys/suspendedpage.cgi where you could find a lot of other information on these topics but unfortunately i have just discovered that the website has been removed in the last few days.. This is a taboo subject which, perhaps, people are not supposed to talk about.

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 326 Location: Carisbrooke

Diversi-TIES · Joined: 09 Jan 2010 Posts: 77

I think this scheme has good and bad points. I doubt the short term unemployed will want to retrain/work in an environment totally alien to their previous/most recent work environment. I cannot see a former Vectis engineer willing to fill shelves at the new ASDA in Newport, just for the sake of being in work. The long term unemployed would I feel benefit from some work experience, but then where someone has lost their incapacity benefit and is now on JSA and still has poor mental health or poor mobility from lower back pain or a greater level of physical disability would bexxxxx IS a barrier to employment which I believe the Government ignores.

Diversi-TIES · Joined: 09 Jan 2010 Posts: 77

If an adult has their Incapacity Benefit, Employment Support Allowance, Carers Allowance, or someone of any age has their DLA, removed or the rate is changed we, No Barriers...., would like to hear from you. Please e-mail us of any changes, Alan Davies on alwidav@sky.com.

Grafter · Joined: 07 Apr 2011 Posts: 23

Grafter · Joined: 07 Apr 2011 Posts: 23

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 326 Location: Carisbrooke

Grafter · Joined: 07 Apr 2011 Posts: 23

And maybe I just have a genuine concern for, and faith in, my fellow man.

Perhaps not qualifying for benefits yourself could explain your apparent bitterness towards those who are entitled, those whose plight you sum up with "there's always work to be had for those that want it". However, this appears to be a philosophy you apply to everyone other than yourself given that you are unable to secure employment.

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 326 Location: Carisbrooke

I don't need employment, I'm self employed, I work for myself didn't you understand that bit of my post.

My bitterness, if that is what you want to call it, comes from my tax money being given away to people who have no intention of working, who have stuffed up the system for those with genuine needs.

Grafter · Joined: 07 Apr 2011 Posts: 23

I meant proper work

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 326 Location: Carisbrooke

Proper work?

What exactly do you call proper work. I'm self employed I repair computers, perhaps because I no longer spend 84 hours a week on a building site I'm not a proper worker is that what you're saying?

Grafter · Joined: 07 Apr 2011 Posts: 23

You said you were unemployable, and self employed partly through necessity. By proper work I meant legitimate declared earnings.

You say your bitterness stems from [your] "tax money being given away to people who have no intention of working"

Claimants who had no intention of working would be committing fraud. What evidence are you basing this statement on?

In the most recent DWP published figures for continuously reviewed benefits(Apr 08 - Mar 09) the level of fraud was given as:

Income Support 2.9%
Jobseeker's Allowance 2.8%
Pension Credit 1.5%
Housing Benefit 1.4%
Incapacity Benefit 1.0%

These figures are very low, are you aware of any official statistics that back up your statement, or is it based solely on your personal prejudice?

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 326 Location: Carisbrooke

Yes necessity because having arthritis and a stuffed up back is a major drawback in manual work, which is what I've always done, and so I am unemployable, not unemployed and not tax evading either.

I get by on what I earn, which is nowhere close to what I once used to make.

If they are the official figures then fantastic, but it's still an unsustainable system and changes have to be made.

What is your objection to people having to work for their benefits?
The so called savings the Government makes by cutting services are diverted to prop up the paying out of benefits, some to the people they made redundant to make the savings in the first place. It's a never ending spiral of robbing Peter to Pay Paul.