At last! A Labour policy that makes sense.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

^Benefit cheats’ are small in number, the cost less than is lost with tax avoidance or so I’m told^

I get what you’re saying Iam but I’ve also been reading up how social housing tenants in large cities ‘sub-let’ their apartments for astronomical monthly fees. They then bunk up or sofa surf with mates and share out the rental money.

It’s big business and has been for many years. Some grifters know all the scams …

Some years ago before the tories decimated the council coffers there were housing staff who went round public housing estates randomly knocking on doors to check who was living there.
Then the job cuts came and that process was cancelled in our council.

Skydancer

When my parents were young most people aspired to become wealthier. There was a lot of snobbery. I can remember one woman in our small town showing off about the weight of the chicken she was cooking for Christmas lunch. Women were judged by how white their net curtains were. People were trying to outdo one another and everyone gossiped. Now nobody could care less. Among some people pride and ambition have disappeared. They aspire to nothing except an easy life and hard work isn’t something they want to do.

There were always those who didn’t care though, in our parents generation too. Many were forced to marry, particularly if they got pregnant, and divorce was expensive and difficult, my parents tell some horrific tales of people they know who were neglected as children, feckless fathers who drank all their wages away etc. They did have to work, because there was no state benefit, but there were plenty of drifters, and tramps.

Wyllow3

Looked into spiking as it raised my interest:

Spiking is already illegal, but the commitment is to making it a specific offence. According to information published by the Metropolitan Police, spiking offences are covered by more than one law, but most come under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861

More on Starmers proposals in rest of the article

uk.news.yahoo.com/keir-starmer-reiterates-plans-spiking-090537478.html

Should have the read the whole thread before I posed.

When my parents were young most people aspired to become wealthier

When was that? How young were they?

When my parents were young adults there were more jobs and university was for the privileged few. In fact the majority left school at 14 and there would have been no thoughts of not taking whatever job was available; when they were young parents it was a case of trying to survive through WW2.

They did want to better themselves eg buy a house but not to become wealthy.

GrannyGravy13

I am amazed that the PM doesn’t realise this is already on statute books, before he has been on his promotional interviews today.

Isn't it that it is covered but is now going to be a specific offence in its own right. Not sure what difference it makes but I'm sure that's what they were saying on TV this morning.

When my parents were young most people aspired to become wealthier. There was a lot of snobbery. I can remember one woman in our small town showing off about the weight of the chicken she was cooking for Christmas lunch. Women were judged by how white their net curtains were. People were trying to outdo one another and everyone gossiped. Now nobody could care less. Among some people pride and ambition have disappeared. They aspire to nothing except an easy life and hard work isn’t something they want to do.

I've said this all along.
Basically, they make life a misery until you find a job - any job - with full time hours.

No way you could sign on as available for work from a different country.

You will be required to show that you have been actively seeking work, for 35 hours per week, plus attend training sessions, too.

Gin

If people claim benefits, unless they are sick, they have to show that they are actively seeking work with evidence to prove it. If they do not they will be sanctioned and benefit withheld. If they are in areas of high unemployment or if they are not deemed to be employable I suppose they can continue to receive payments if they have been applying for jobs.

I can confirm this. My youngest was unemployed from just before last Christmas until March. He certainly applied for many jobs. He also had to attend interviews at the job centre. He did get a UC and fares to and from the job centre. There is no way he could have survived on UC if he wasn't living at home.

MaizieD

Reading many of the posts here tells me that jobs are actually in short supply. Once again, we seem to have a government panicking more about the size of the benefits bill than being willing to put some money into creating jobs.

There are plenty of things that actually need doing but the government needs to lead the way. A population with little money to spare, and a fairly small market, at that, is not going to attract outside investment until the investors can smell potential profits..

In the three months to October 2024, there were approximately 831,000 job vacancies in the UK

There were 1.81 million claimants for unemployment benefit in October 2024

The qualifications of those seeking work may not match the jobs available.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

“Hard times create strong men,
strong men create good times,
good times create weak men
and weak men create hard times” ◀️ which I believe is the point we are at presently.

So true.

So presumably people will need benefits to top up their wages?

Grantanow

Of course those who can work should be in a job, apprenticeship or training but there have to be jobs, etc., for them to take up. Given the employers' NI increase, lower NI threshold and NM wage increase not to mention less trade I wonder if it will work out. 'On yer bike' isn't always possible if housing is unavailable where jobs are.

I am wondering this too - the new government legislation will surely mean there are a lot less jobs out there?

I work in retail and there is little to no recruitment and the jobs available have tiny hourly contracts.

Perhaps it would help if employers lowered their expectations. They all seem to want someone experienced in exactly the same job as they are offering, a level of qualifications far above that needed and an absurd amount of commitment. A local care home near me was recently looking for a laundry assistant, 16 hours per week, four days per week including weekends starting at 7.00am with 5 good GCSEs and experience, minimum wage.

MaizieD

Reading many of the posts here tells me that jobs are actually in short supply. Once again, we seem to have a government panicking more about the size of the benefits bill than being willing to put some money into creating jobs.

There are plenty of things that actually need doing but the government needs to lead the way. A population with little money to spare, and a fairly small market, at that, is not going to attract outside investment until the investors can smell potential profits..

Totally agree MaizieD

Who do you think is going to increase the benefits or even continue to pay them at the current rate, undines? The tories have spent last 14 years cutting them back as far as they possibly could, much to the approval of those who are now moaning about workshy youth..

And what on earth is a 'globalist agenda' when it's at home?

Reading many of the posts here tells me that jobs are actually in short supply. Once again, we seem to have a government panicking more about the size of the benefits bill than being willing to put some money into creating jobs.

There are plenty of things that actually need doing but the government needs to lead the way. A population with little money to spare, and a fairly small market, at that, is not going to attract outside investment until the investors can smell potential profits..

Oh yes, let's just stop the benefits and have a load more youngsters sleeping rough and committing suicide. Maybe with the new bill they are trying to bring in, their suicide could be 'assisted'. This is part of a wider social malaise that is not being addressed, but here we have a simple solution, by a LABOUR government - stop the benefits. No wonder 2 million people are signing a petition for another general election - which they have a perfect right to do because in a democracy you can also sign petitions, as well as vote, and more people are waking up to the globalist agenda of this government and the fact they do not care at all for this country or the people in it.

My grandson also got his degree in the summer..Companies dont even bother to write back now.. or acknowledge your email…Ive told my grandson to sign on and see if you get more luck finding a job with the job Centre..

Well thats because an awful lot of them make more money stealing phones, handbags, etc., or dealing drugs…

Where are all these jobs going to come from. No experience, no work ethic, no transport to get to work, no common sense, no respect for authority. Some have parents that still think they are children.

Please don't tar all young people as being work shy. My daughter finished uni with a 2:1 BSc degree this year. She's applied for over 130 jobs and heard back from just one which was a job in our local Coop. She interviewed and never heard back from them. Appalling treatment. It's soul destroying watching her trying so hard to find work.

Stillcrazy

Sad to say that I know if someone who is a qualified professional and chooses to work only 15 hours so that she doesn’t lose her benefits! I’m not sure exactly which benefits those are, but, knowing the family it seems to be a ‘culture’.

Benefits now take account of salary earned, not hours worked, but I get the jist.

Where do they think these jobs will be available? We will be cutting staff due to the budget not taking on new staff! Young people have had their wages increased too so if there is a choice between young and experienced staff we will be going for experienced. Added to which the new working rights for staff from day one will make us very wary of taking unexperienced people that have been on sick benefit ………

Sad to say that I know if someone who is a qualified professional and chooses to work only 15 hours so that she doesn’t lose her benefits! I’m not sure exactly which benefits those are, but, knowing the family it seems to be a ‘culture’.

ruthiek

In my experience the youngsters usually blame Covid or their mental health, however when you read about other countries they are not affected the same . The work I did had youngsters claiming benefit and our benefit system still pays well with added extras . Sadly I have also heard “ why should I work when immigrants don’t and they get money”

I have a daughter with a serious mental health condition who ironically works for the DWP! Our other daughter is autistic and is a primary school teacher. Both are very sure working gives them a purpose and a focus and a salary!