Iain Duncan Smith

[lindyloo]

and isn't there a rumour that Mr. Cam is planning to lower the minumum working wage???

hmmm-- I haven't been to private school, but even I can see that lack of jobs, lower wages, rising costs of everything, more vat in january, no housing, etc,.etc., spells disaster.

its a little bit scary that mr.'s Clegg, Cameron, Osbourne, and Duncan-Smith have by and large went from sheltered upbringing and posh schools, to cushioned politics and running the country!!!!

One thing I really want to know- will all of these changes be voted on, or do they have so much power that they can do exactly what they want? Irregardless of the misgivings of people who have far more experience than them?

[bubblewrap]

So, basically, you're just unemployable BW!

It's got to the stage after being on pension credits for 21 months now that I don't really want to work for a wage(work hard enough on the lottie).
The worst thing about being unemployed is the fortnightly visit o the joke shop.

[lindyloo]

What is pension credit? Is it the same as the state pension?

[bubblewrap]

What is pension credit? Is it the same as the state pension?

More or less it is only for the over 60s who have paid in 31 years or more "national Insurance" payments & who are long term unemployed.(don't know for how long)
I was on £48 JSA & went on to £108 pension credits(paid weekly)
The best point is you don't have to sign on, so no more trips to the joke shop.

[lindyloo]

ok, thanks.

[BrokenOphelia]

I think what is worst about this is it will come into place after the universal benefit system does. This means that there will be no distinction between those who are unemployed, ill and disabled short term and long term ill and disabled. This means everyone on the universal benefit will have to work doing jobs like litter picking to earn their benefit money which will be more hours than the minimum wage for that benefit. This means people will be forced to do things that are both unsuitable for them and also often dangerous as a disabled and sick person just so that they can survive. I think it is both wrong and idiotic.

It is wrong that people who genuinely need benefits are lumped in with those who are on benefits through their own choice because they can't be bothered to work. I live on ESA and the people who cheat and scrounge annoy me too, know why? Because everyone seems to think it is so easy to live on benefits, that you are infact rich but you are not unless you cheat. We scrape by and with the government plans I will probably be dead within the next 4 years so I am planning to emigrate as soon as my husband graduates, that is if we can still afford it.

[Snadger]

I wonder has all this been costed?
What percentage of the unemployed do the government deem to be scroungers.?
How much money will it put back into the economy getting these percieved scroungers to work for a couple of weeks.?
How will being stigmatised affect there future chances of employment?
What will administration costs be?
How will they match the person to the job?
Who will oversee this workforce?
Where lies the cut off point for being deemed long term unemployed?
Will we now have an unemployment agency as well as an employment agency?
Will we have people in wheelchairs picking litter with a bag attached to there wheelchair?
If this litter needs picking why not employ a litter picker, even if on minimum wage?
What other jobs will they find for the unemployed?

The list goes on.....................

Or has Iaian Duncan Smith just looked up and seen a flashing lightbulb over his head and thought "Oh what a spiffingly good idea this will be!"

[bubblewrap]

Will we have people in wheelchairs picking litter with a bag attached to there wheelchair

No spikes attached to the wheels!

[BrokenOphelia]

No spikes attached to the wheels!

I actually really don't find this funny mainly because I feel like I am being ethnically cleansed.

[Patchninja]

I actually really don't find this funny mainly because I feel like I am being ethnically cleansed.

Why?
If everyone is going to be working for 1 measly month - NOT necessarily litter picking (although that seems to be an obsession for some here) why would you be either stigmatised or "ethnically cleansed"?
You'd just be doing what perfectly normal people do day after day!

Why is being asked to work for your money an insult? Most of us do!

[Two_Sheds]

I feel like I am being ethnically cleansed.

Socially cleansed? It's the poorer people in society who risk being moved out of expensive areas, not particular ethnic groups

[pigletwillie]

Quite.

It's one of those 'crowd pleasing' policies, designed to distract us all from the real issues like our armed forces fighting (and dying in) dubious wars, big buisnesses creaming off ridiculous bonuses for fat cats, or the mess our higher education system has become.

May I refer you to the Rt Hon Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for those issues.

If at the end of the day, you object to a long term unemployed person being given 4 weeks experience of getting off the sofa and into a work routine, then there really is no hope of getting people to be responsible for themselves.

During the Labour years 2,5 million jobs were created yet our unemployed level stayed the same because a lot of people did not want the jobs going and eastern europeans filled the spots instead. Many people on the dole work the black ecomony too and its these people who have no incentive to get a registered job as in effect they get paid cash in hand and by the state. Genuine job seekers will find work eventually, difficult at the moment and it will take time but there is no excuse to be unemployed for year after year after year.

[bubblewrap]

May I refer you to the Rt Hon Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for those issues.

If at the end of the day, you object to a long term unemployed person being given 4 weeks experience of getting off the sofa and into a work routine, then there really is no hope of getting people to be responsible for themselves.

During the Labour years 2,5 million jobs were created yet our unemployed level stayed the same because a lot of people did not want the jobs going and eastern europeans filled the spots instead. Many people on the dole work the black ecomony too and its these people who have no incentive to get a registered job as in effect they get paid cash in hand and by the state. Genuine job seekers will find work eventually, difficult at the moment and it will take time but there is no excuse to be unemployed for year after year after year.

Will you be saying the same when you become unemployed & no one will employ you because you are too old.
I had worked almost continually since I was 16 but lost my last job at 57 I applied for at least 150 jobs but I was luck to even get a reply.
Most jobs on offer were either short term,part time or minimum wage or a combination of two or all three.

[lindyloo]

pigletwillie; you forget the fact that the population has grown, therefore the workforce expanded. at least the labour government tried to create jobs and housing, rather than being judgemental with no positive solutions coming forward.

[bubblewrap]

Socially cleansed? It's the poorer people in society who risk being moved out of expensive areas, not particular ethnic groups

So keeping the "working class" where they belong?
It's the rich(bankers & money dealers) who got us in the manure not the workers but they/we are being expected to carry the can.