In praise of Iain Duncan Smith's Welfare Reforms

The bit in his speech I have a problem with is "Indiviuals controlling their own lives". Many on benefits are, but there's a hell of a lot who are just not capable of this. Christmas and birthday presents for the kids are far more important than paying the rent. Simplifying the system is an excellent idea, but it's going to take a lot of people on the ground to support it - and that's not likely to happen.

And paying monthly in order to accustom people to the world of work and monthly pay packets? Who's he kidding.

That's at least five things he's failed at then, Papaoscar.
Maybe his problem is being the quiet man, so people take no notice of him in his office. So he has to be nasty to people he has power over.
Should we be grateful he has been nowhere near the NHS?

durhamjen Don't tempt providence…or the reshuffle fairy.

Sorry, Absent. I did think of that as I pressed the post button.

Anyone who still thinks IDS is a good man, he lied about his qualifications, twice.

Just noticed in today's paper that jobcentre staff are to be given incentives to get people back into jobs, not just off the dole. It's a start.
What surprised me, but probably shouldn't have, is that the DWP are being asked to collate figures for people who turn up at foodbanks because their benefits have been sanctioned. If you watched Benefits Street, you would have seen what happened last night.
I naively assumed that the DWP would collect these figures as a matter of course. Apparently about 5% of claimants are sanctioned each month. That's a lot of families without food.
Typing this while listening to the news. Why does the phrase "hardworking families" make me cringe?

I haven't seen that report, Durhamjen.
Did it say if jobcentre staff are being given incentives to get people back into real jobs, or do you think they are including unpaid work on the so-called back-to-work scheme in this?

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/28/jobcentre-staff-rewarded-work-dole&ei=ybTnUrzhMMua1AXJ-oG4CA&sa=X&oi=unauthorizedredirect&ct=targetlink&ust=1390918609808409&usg=AFQjCNG2tLkN9VP-QaDJ9WjYdNEjAbUV9Q

In the Guardian, of course. It does not say how they qualify jobs, but it's an all-party select committee chaired by Anne Begg. The committee also want a broader review into benefit sanctions, and whether they are encouraging people to find work. I would think they would encourage me just to stay in bed all day.

The sanctions are encouraging people to claim to be put into the support group of ESA. Some judges take the view that alcoholics would be a risk to themselves or others if having to undertake work related activities, therefore they get put in the support group.
Part of the trouble is that the DWP have not made clear what ' work related activities' are despite repeated requests for clarification.
If claimants who are in the WRAG group fail to conform to these activities they are sanctioned.
The only way they can be exempt is if they are in the support group.

One problem is that if you get sanctioned it's for 4 weeks minimum and up to 3 years. The jobcentre staff have to meet their criteria, otherwise they are sanctioned by not being given extra pay.
19% of all jobseeker's allowance claimants from 2008 to March 2012 were sanctioned, 1.4million people/families.
For the DWP to be told that they need to take urgent steps to monitor the extent of financial hardship caused by claimants losing their benefits, it makes me so angry. They bring in rules and do not think of the consequences.

Plus sanctions lead to loss of Housing Benefit, so eviction is on the cards somewhere down the line! This is happening to people who were wrongly sanctioned, and whose appeals against the sanctions are being upheld at a later date, but it's too late then as the damage has already been done.

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/zero-hours-government

To get Vince Cable to have a public enquiry into zero hours contracts.

durhamjen. Thanks - signed.

What is the exact definition of a hardworking family? I have visions of Dad, Mum and several children with caps on and shovels in their hands, marching off to work on Mi'Lord's estate, Granny stirring the cauldron of stew whilst Grandad digs the garden, can't get rid of this, so please re-define it for me someone!

Sounda like a hard-working family – apart from the fact that no one is knitting the children's jerseys or running up the odd skirt or pair of trousers margaretm74. Just for the record – exactly how much do MPs know about hard work?

duhamjen - thanks, signed

Is my memory right in thinking that people with drug/alcohol problems were put on to the higher/sickness benefit and often DLA in addition by Gordon B's initiative. The argument at the time was the additional money would be used to go to appointments at the drug/alcohol team etc and thus move back into work.
I found it just plain wrong that folks who had become unemployed had to manage on so much less than their drug/alcohol dependent neighbours

By the way, this doesn't mean I support IDS or the benefit changes

Signed - thanks jen!

Thanks to all those who have signed.
Iam, there was a Daily Mail article about this over two years ago.
When I want to check up on facts like this, I go on a site called
www.fullfact.org so I checked and their page on statistics for people on grugs is out of date and there are no statistics for this category on the DWP website, according to Fullfacts.
It's the same as the government saying that all workers except the top 10% have seen a rise in their money last year. The government and the opposition use different statistics to back up their claims, but the government will not say where they got their information from so you can check.
IDS gets a lot of his statistics wrong. He seems to always believe the worst case scenario if it fits his ideals.

That would be me, Absent, sewing by candlelight by the dying embers, knitting mufflers from wool gleaned from the hedgerows.

There is nothing new about Zero hours contracts, there has always been such employment. Zero hours contracts actually suit some workers who work to supplement their income or work around family ties.

There is maybe a problem with companies who solely use zero hours contracts as a method of employment. In that instance I agree there is a need to address the issue.

I do not however think people who prefer to work as and when they can, or choose to do so, should be forced to work x amount of hours when they will have problems within their family commitments to cover such a contract and may be forced to loose their job.

If your zero hours contract is your only contract, you have difficulty getting any mortgage or house rental.
You actually said in your first sentence that it's okay to supplement your income.
People on zero hours contracts do not have NI paid for them, or holiday or sick pay, etc.
Anyway, the government is going to have a secretive enquiry into zero hours contracts. If they need to have one, it should be out in the open. You are one person, I am another, and we both have differing views on this. We need to have a public enquiry. Is Vince Cable employing someone on a zero hours contract in his office? We ought to be told openly and honestly.

"You are one person, I am another and we both have differing views on this."

Durhamjen I clearly stated that if a company is solely using zero contract hours then there IS a need to address the issue.

I would also say that it is a folly to attribute zero hours contracts to any political party or a political parties time in government. All of the parties have council workers on zero hours contracts in various parts of the country, even the Greens in Brighton. It is hypocritical of any party to make themselves appear to be holier than thou on this matter.

I am however saying that the topic is not necessarily one sided and I think it is fair to raise the point that some people like the choice.

Which is why there is a need for a public enquiry into it, instead of a secretive one which is the plan at the moment.
That's what the 38 degrees petition is about.

Signed. Thank you durhamjen.