kaya'08
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2008
- Messages
- 6,363
- Reaction score
- 1,318
- Location
- British Turk
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Centrist
Ministers have defended their plans to force the long-term unemployed to do manual work or lose benefits.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander told the BBC the idea was not to "punish or humiliate" but to get people back into the habit of working.
But the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said the changes could drive people "into a downward spiral of uncertainty, even despair".
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith is to unveil the plans this week.
Under the plan, claimants thought to need "experience of the habits and routines of working life" could be put on 30-hour-a-week placements.
Anyone refusing to take part or failing to turn up on time could have their £65 Jobseekers' Allowance stopped for at least three months.
The Work Activity scheme is said to be designed to flush out claimants who have opted for a life on benefits or are doing undeclared jobs on the side.
BBC News - Ministers defend plan to force jobless to do work
My verdict:
I need to see the full plans that the scheme intends to initiate before i can make a valid conclusion - but so far so good. I believe in these times of austerity tough measures are in need of introduction, especially measures that will root out false claimants. It could save the government millions annually and get those who leech off tax payers money searching for a job.
Creating incentives to get off benefits are a positive step in economic recovery and vital for safe guarding fairness within society and i believe this is a positive new force in British politics.
There should be exceptions to the system. Those with disabilities and in search of a job should be exempt from this scheme.
The worries of some of the opposition is the fact that it does not address the root problem of a lack of jobs in society. Of course, this is also something the government will attempt to address as part of its long term economic strategy.
This government cannot afford to provide work-free benefits much longer. I believe even those who are genuinely in search of employment should inherit a responsibility of earning their job-seekers allowance by contributing back to the society that supports them.
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