Should people on benefits be forced to do voluntary work?

[milf2be]

i did voluntary work for red cross from the age of 16-18 whilst i was doing my a levels. during those few years (doing things about once a month) i:
did my first aid training
went on to do peer education teaching first aid, sex ed etc. (and won an award for it)
worked with young carers
did first aid at big events
designed leaflets and business cards they actually went on to use
worked in the shop
helped with a float at the local carnival/parade
started learning how to drive an ambulance.
i found all of that exciting, entertaining and rewarding. definitely not slave labour. i learnt some excellent skills and i had a good time doing it.

i dont see how it is any different from people going to work, im sure a lot of people are forced to go to work even though they dont want to because they couldnt afford to live otherwise. i dont see how its any different.

what do people think if they were only made to work a few hours a week? say jsa is £67.50, minimum wage is £6.08, so what if they worked 11 hours a week?

also, what if it were for proper charities instead of big companies? so like red cross, cancel research, RSPCA etc.?

and isn't the government supposed to be helping little and new businesses? couldn't people volunteer to help the businesses out then as the business got bigger it could hire those people?

But you CHOSE to do that, it wasn't a condition of getting enough money to live. I actually think most charities wouldn't want these people who, lets face it, would not want to actually be there. I also think that most charities would not be able to administer it unless the govt suddenly came up with a whole load of money to pay for the extra man hours/jobs that would be needed for supervising unwilling workers.

but it had a big impact on me getting a place at uni, to be able to study, to get a job, that i have to do to be able to live.

no people probably wouldn't want to be there at first, but maybe after time they would start enjoying it. they would meet new people, make new friends and gain some independence and actually want to work?

yes it probably would cost money at first, but surely it would save money in the long run? also creating more jobs cant be a bad thing.i cant say its a straight forward thing, but im sure when the nhs was started that wasn't cheap or straight forward either.

people who have jobs dont wake up at 6/7/8 in the morning and think "ooh guess what i really want to do today: leave my family and go empty some bins" (sorry there's a bin lorry going past the window ) but they HAVE to to be able to live. how should it be any different for people on benefits?

double standards if you ask me

also, i cant see any person that actually wants to work, turning down the opportunity to get out the house and learn some new skills and add something to their CV.

if they dont, well....they really dont want to work do they?

 

[Dragonfly]

Only thing that gets me is the pay, should be fair.least offer something extra so they can travel and live like someone who is working for a living.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

But if they're getting job seekers, chances are they are also getting housing and council tax benefits so it's not like they are paying rent or anything, right?

 

[milf2be]

But if they're getting job seekers, chances are they are also getting housing and council tax benefits so it's not like they are paying rent or anything, right?

yeah i also said this

i also said that what if they did volunteer work for 11 hours a week, that way they would be receiving "minimum wage", £6.08 an hour, so no way could it be considered slave labour. it would be a start. nobody has commented on that though

 

[Hellylou]

I do know a lot of people on job seekers are forced to attend courses to help them back into work, and if they don't attend, their benefits are sanctioned. They have regular interviews to discuss their efforts to find work, jobs are proposed to them to apply for etc.

Getting a job is not actually that easy. If you apply for a job, and get it, chances are you've beaten off a lot of other applicants for that job. How many of us have applied for jobs and been turned down? There will be a lot of competition out there and some people, especially those who are long term unemployed, or have criminal records, will find they don't get picked over other, more employable people. It's a competitive area, especially in some areas where unemployment is particularly high.

Emphasis should be made on helping the unemployed gain valuable skills to make them employable, but not forcing them into slave labour for massive profit making companies. If people then refuse to be helped into work, it might then be time to sanction benefits or similar, but I don't believe everyone out of work should be tarred with the same brush.

 

[Nibblenic]

I do know a lot of people on job seekers are forced to attend courses to help them back into work, and if they don't attend, their benefits are sanctioned. They have regular interviews to discuss their efforts to find work, jobs are proposed to them to apply for etc.

Getting a job is not actually that easy. If you apply for a job, and get it, chances are you've beaten off a lot of other applicants for that job. How many of us have applied for jobs and been turned down? There will be a lot of competition out there and some people, especially those who are long term unemployed, or have criminal records, will find they don't get picked over other, more employable people. It's a competitive area, especially in some areas where unemployment is particularly high.

Emphasis should be made on helping the unemployed gain valuable skills to make them employable, but not forcing them into slave labour for massive profit making companies. If people then refuse to be helped into work, it might then be time to sanction benefits or similar, but I don't believe everyone out of work should be tarred with the same brush.

Exactly this.

I also think its a misconception that people with young children arent on JSA. A huge amount of people have been made redundant in the last 2 years. I had a job and Lo in childcare, but i certainly cannot afford to do that to go volunteer. Certainly not on £64 a week. I dont get CTB or HB as my husband works. We've gone from me bringing £600 a month to £270. We've had to sell our car to cover the loss.

I think many people on this thread still are assuming things, its just not how things are anymore.

It isnt going to create jobs getting people to work for free, it will infact do the opposite. I think voluntary work should be just that, not forced though threatening peoples basic existence.

 

[Laura2919]

But if they're getting job seekers, chances are they are also getting housing and council tax benefits so it's not like they are paying rent or anything, right?

Depends. HA doesn't always cover all the rent and what about gas, electric, food? none of that is less because people are on benefits.

And some people on JS have children so the hours would have to fit around school time..

 

[Dragonfly]

You dont get DHSS help on JSA only income support. Least not where I am from so you would have rent to pay. And not everyone can get tax credits., even if you arnt working whole rents arnt paid either.

 

[Nibblenic]

No one here gets the whole of the rent paid, its is max 95% of a suitable home. Sometimes you can get some HB if one party is working and the other isnt, but I dont really get that. I know some couple where one is on 24k who still get some HB Ive never been able to claim it as they wont help you with a mortgage

 

[milf2be]

You dont get DHSS help on JSA only income support. Least not where I am from so you would have rent to pay. And not everyone can get tax credits., even if you arnt working whole rents arnt paid either.

but how is sitting at home, doing nothing, helping pay those bills? (sorry someone above you also wrote the same but i forgot to use multi quote)

 

[Nibblenic]

You dont get DHSS help on JSA only income support. Least not where I am from so you would have rent to pay. And not everyone can get tax credits., even if you arnt working whole rents arnt paid either.

but how is sitting at home, doing nothing, helping pay those bills? (sorry someone above you also wrote the same but i forgot to use multi quote)

ITs doesnt but you are provided with the most basic money to pay those bills and a few other I can think of off the top of my head. Commuting costs money, commuting 5 times a week costs a lot of money. There was one time where they were provided with money for travel costs and got a little extra to cover additional food/drink costs. This no longer happens.

 

[Laura2919]

No one here gets the whole of the rent paid, its is max 95% of a suitable home. Sometimes you can get some HB if one party is working and the other isnt, but I dont really get that. I know some couple where one is on 24k who still get some HB Ive never been able to claim it as they wont help you with a mortgage

Yes they can. Definitely can in my borough, you have to take your mortgage to interest only though and they help you. Although in the long run its not helping because you've only been paying interest.

If your council my borough pay all the rent but we have to cover water rates (included in the rent)

I am sure everyone on benefit gets tax credits if they have children.

 

[Laura2919]

You dont get DHSS help on JSA only income support. Least not where I am from so you would have rent to pay. And not everyone can get tax credits., even if you arnt working whole rents arnt paid either.

but how is sitting at home, doing nothing, helping pay those bills? (sorry someone above you also wrote the same but i forgot to use multi quote)

ITs doesnt but you are provided with the most basic money to pay those bills and a few other I can think of off the top of my head. Commuting costs money, commuting 5 times a week costs a lot of money. There was one time where they were provided with money for travel costs and got a little extra to cover additional food/drink costs. This no longer happens.

My friend puts £100 on her oyster every month to travel to and from work. How on earth would someone on JSA afford that when they only get £67.50 (around that) a week????

 

[Nibblenic]

No one here gets the whole of the rent paid, its is max 95% of a suitable home. Sometimes you can get some HB if one party is working and the other isnt, but I dont really get that. I know some couple where one is on 24k who still get some HB Ive never been able to claim it as they wont help you with a mortgage

Yes they can. Definitely can in my borough, you have to take your mortgage to interest only though and they help you. Although in the long run its not helping because you've only been paying interest.

If your council my borough pay all the rent but we have to cover water rates (included in the rent)

I am sure everyone on benefit gets tax credits if they have children.

Yes but your mortgage company will only let you take you mortgage to interest only if you are in at least 15% equity, my company wanted 25%. With the housing crash I dont think anyone who bought in the last 10 years is in that kind of equity, I was in 10% negative equity let alone a positive. Gotta love the recession

 

[Dragonfly]

You dont get DHSS help on JSA only income support. Least not where I am from so you would have rent to pay. And not everyone can get tax credits., even if you arnt working whole rents arnt paid either.

but how is sitting at home, doing nothing, helping pay those bills? (sorry someone above you also wrote the same but i forgot to use multi quote)

ITs doesnt but you are provided with the most basic money to pay those bills and a few other I can think of off the top of my head. Commuting costs money, commuting 5 times a week costs a lot of money. There was one time where they were provided with money for travel costs and got a little extra to cover additional food/drink costs. This no longer happens.

What she said, you dont get far traveling if you dont even have the money to get to work. Having been on jsa in the past and had a mortgage and by the way I got no help with mortgage as it was considered an asset I had to sell my house as I couldnt pay it on jsa. Maybe rules in NI are different but you do not get help with rent unless you are on income support and that way you have to be to ill to work.

I dont understand how its fair someone getting paid less than the person standing beside them for the same job, didnt woman fight for equal pay for years because of their gender and they do get equal pay now so how is this allowed? pay people fairly. By the way I also worked in a place I got paid less than males and when I questioned it I told I could be fired. That would have been a case for a union to take up had i not have left for another job anyway.

 

[milf2be]

You dont get DHSS help on JSA only income support. Least not where I am from so you would have rent to pay. And not everyone can get tax credits., even if you arnt working whole rents arnt paid either.

but how is sitting at home, doing nothing, helping pay those bills? (sorry someone above you also wrote the same but i forgot to use multi quote)

ITs doesnt but you are provided with the most basic money to pay those bills and a few other I can think of off the top of my head. Commuting costs money, commuting 5 times a week costs a lot of money. There was one time where they were provided with money for travel costs and got a little extra to cover additional food/drink costs. This no longer happens.

My friend puts £100 on her oyster every month to travel to and from work. How on earth would someone on JSA afford that when they only get £67.50 (around that) a week????

if you do volunteer work you normally get reimbursed for travelling costs (in my experience anyway) iv always had train tickets and petrol paid for.

i dont know what an oyster is?:S

 

[milf2be]

You dont get DHSS help on JSA only income support. Least not where I am from so you would have rent to pay. And not everyone can get tax credits., even if you arnt working whole rents arnt paid either.

but how is sitting at home, doing nothing, helping pay those bills? (sorry someone above you also wrote the same but i forgot to use multi quote)

ITs doesnt but you are provided with the most basic money to pay those bills and a few other I can think of off the top of my head. Commuting costs money, commuting 5 times a week costs a lot of money. There was one time where they were provided with money for travel costs and got a little extra to cover additional food/drink costs. This no longer happens.

What she said, you dont get far traveling if you dont even have the money to get to work. Having been on jsa in the past and had a mortgage and by the way I got no help with mortgage as it was considered an asset I had to sell my house as I couldnt pay it on jsa. Maybe rules in NI are different but you do not get help with rent unless you are on income support and that way you have to be to ill to work.

I dont understand how its fair someone getting paid less than the person standing beside them for the same job, didnt woman fight for equal pay for years because of their gender and they do get equal pay now so how is this allowed? pay people fairly. By the way I also worked in a place I got paid less than males and when I questioned it I told I could be fired. That would have been a case for a union to take up had i not have left for another job anyway.

nowhere have i said anything about big companies or people being made to do the same job as others and being paid less. i am talking about volunteer work such as for the red cross etc.

also you dont get equal pay necessarily.... my mum is paid much less than men at her work (even though she does more work then them) even though they have the same job. (just saw the last bit of your post, so you know this)

i dont see hpow its equality that some people can sit on their arse all day and get money while other people have to go out and work

 

[Nibblenic]

You dont get DHSS help on JSA only income support. Least not where I am from so you would have rent to pay. And not everyone can get tax credits., even if you arnt working whole rents arnt paid either.

but how is sitting at home, doing nothing, helping pay those bills? (sorry someone above you also wrote the same but i forgot to use multi quote)

ITs doesnt but you are provided with the most basic money to pay those bills and a few other I can think of off the top of my head. Commuting costs money, commuting 5 times a week costs a lot of money. There was one time where they were provided with money for travel costs and got a little extra to cover additional food/drink costs. This no longer happens.

My friend puts £100 on her oyster every month to travel to and from work. How on earth would someone on JSA afford that when they only get £67.50 (around that) a week????

if you do volunteer work you normally get reimbursed for travelling costs (in my experience anyway) iv always had train tickets and petrol paid for.

i dont know what an oyster is?:S

The funding has been stopped for people being re-inbursed for travel costs, they now have to be paid by the employer voluntarily. Which not many companies are willing to do these days

 

[Dragonfly]

You dont get DHSS help on JSA only income support. Least not where I am from so you would have rent to pay. And not everyone can get tax credits., even if you arnt working whole rents arnt paid either.

but how is sitting at home, doing nothing, helping pay those bills? (sorry someone above you also wrote the same but i forgot to use multi quote)

ITs doesnt but you are provided with the most basic money to pay those bills and a few other I can think of off the top of my head. Commuting costs money, commuting 5 times a week costs a lot of money. There was one time where they were provided with money for travel costs and got a little extra to cover additional food/drink costs. This no longer happens.

What she said, you dont get far traveling if you dont even have the money to get to work. Having been on jsa in the past and had a mortgage and by the way I got no help with mortgage as it was considered an asset I had to sell my house as I couldnt pay it on jsa. Maybe rules in NI are different but you do not get help with rent unless you are on income support and that way you have to be to ill to work.

I dont understand how its fair someone getting paid less than the person standing beside them for the same job, didnt woman fight for equal pay for years because of their gender and they do get equal pay now so how is this allowed? pay people fairly. By the way I also worked in a place I got paid less than males and when I questioned it I told I could be fired. That would have been a case for a union to take up had i not have left for another job anyway.

nowhere have i said anything about big companies or people being made to do the same job as others and being paid less. i am talking about volunteer work such as for the red cross etc.

also you dont get equal pay necessarily.... my mum is paid much less than men at her work (even though she does more work then them) even though they have the same job. (just saw the last bit of your post, so you know this)

i dont see how its equality that some people can sit on their arse all day and get money while other people have to go out and work

Not talking about charity shops. We on different situations here. I come from a place where people are looking for jobs that dont exist not sitting about doing nothing. Benefits are there to help people when they need it, when you loose your job its there it dosnt mean getting paid for doing nothing its supporting you when you look for a job so you dont end up robbing people for food or something. Thats the good thing about here they will look after their own, other countries you dont get that and theres far worse poverty and crime.

I am going to have to agree to disagree and stick to what I think of this if an employer is going to take on people for free and not pay them then I dont think its fair, they clearly have a job why cant they pay them for the work they do instead of creating more poverty and hardship. (excluding charity shops they dont pay staff). And the amount the government says you need to live on needs to catch up with the times to.

 

[marley2580]

Charities do reimburse travel costs etc yes, but who is going to pay for it? Charities don't make a profit, in a recession charities suffer as well. The charity I work for is looking at redundancies and cut backs because they are struggling to get money from trusts etc. It's all very well saying that more supervision etc would create more jobs, but again, who is going to pay for it?