DWP plots workfare for part time workers

[osdset]

Mark Hoban’s speech to the Policy Exchange today, which was thankfully interrupted by campaigners from Boycott Workfare, shows it is still full steam ahead of the welfare reform gravy train. Rarely has so much utter bullsh1t been proposed with a straight face as private sector vultures circle around the DWP in the hope of scrounging ever more tax payers cash as part of the lucrative welfare reform racket.

 

Hoban was speaking as the results are published of the DWP’s consultation exercise to help them come up with new ideas to bully part-time workers off in-work benefits. When Universal Credit is finally launched, all claimants unable to secure full time jobs will have to continually look for ‘more or better paid work’ or have benefits stopped.

 

The ideas suggested in the consultation by and large come from poverty drones such as G4S, Working Links, A4e and can be roughly summarised as give us more money. A string of ideas are proposed to “increase claimants motivation and break the inertia of low pay, support self employment and address particular barriers that prevent people from working more.”

 

As anyone who has ever attended any form of welfare-to-work training knows, what this means in practice is some jumped up tw4t spouting the latest the buzzwords at you for an afternoon and then threatening to stop your benefits. One proposal even seems to suggest that current employers should help their workers find better paid jobs elsewhere showing what a shocking lack of awareness of the modern workforce these so called experts possess. Predictably workfare and benefit sanctions lie behind many of the proposals.

Full story http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/dwp-plots-workfare-for-part-time-workers/#comments Edited June 30, 2013 by citizenB

[citizenB]

As more and more companies are only offering part time work, this is going to be rather interesting !!

[vengeancedemon]

There also seems to be a trend for Companies to take on "permanent" staff via a recruitment agency, therefore removing the neccessisty for the company to pay redundancies, period of notice etc. I have just taken such a job, driving a small van doing local deliveries variable 3 0r 5 day week. Job is very pleasent as is the principal and for my part, I dont worry if it does collapse( I dont think it will for a while) as I am semi retired and happy with that, but it is a worrying trend for "younger" workers

[dyfed]

So if jcp or wp instruct you to apply for a part time job you can turn it down because it wont take you off benefits?

[flumps1976]

Under the present benefits system the rules have changed recently in preparation for Universal Credit, the under 24 hour rule has gone and if you are "matched" to a vacancy that meets your JSAg and you don't apply without good reason or refuse the position if offered then yes a referral can be made to DMA.

[Nystagmite]

Flumps - what's this "under 24 rule?"

 

No doubt your boss will sack you if you say "I'm sorry; but I can't do that shift because I have to do workfare". Not so bad (please note: I am not agreeing with workfare) if you're lucky enough to not be required to work the same shifts every week. My mum used to have 2 jobs and both bosses knew this and she would tell them "I can't work that day because I'm working elsewhere".

[Guest]

"under 24 rule"? ...is that different rules for under 24's agewise?

[Nystagmite]

oops! I missed out the word "hour". Flumps is talking about some "under 24 hour rule".

[antone]

I don't know the current JSA rules, but you used to be allowed to decline a job (and not face santion) if it was for less than a certain number of hours per week.

[flumps1976]

Yes Antone it used to be that no referral could be made if a job was advertised as under 24 hours unless the JSAg specifically stated looking for 16 hours and the vacancy matched perfectly, the rules have now changed and if a job matches skills and jsag etc and the adviser matches the claimant to that vacancy, if the claimant then refuses to either apply or accept the position if offered then a referral can be made to dma to consider a sanction of JSA.

The 24 hours rule no longer exists for DMA

[ellie12022]

You used to only be expected to take a job if you were going to be better off doing it too, I'm not sure if that still applies?

[Mr.P]

Seeing as a significant number of DWP staff also claim tax credits and quite likely HB/CT, this is going to be fun to watch. Perhaps the unemployed customers will be signposting frontline JCP advisers towards better paid jobs at some point in the future...