Should we force unemployed and homeless people into minimum-wage jobs even against their wishes?

Question

In my view,working is healthier for the individual than not working.The people who are lazy/unemployable will mainly think that working is not such a bad idea after all and be thankful.I also think that if a job is unavailable in the area,then people should have to work for their benefits money.Please tell me why you agree/disagree with my statement.

Answer 1

I do think the unemployed should take jobs if there offered rather than take the money and run , maybe 3 hits and lose your dole should come into affect , all jobs should be equal or more than the dole (but thats easy as its only £59 pw) At the moment I work for myself and get just double that , but mine will rise with more jobs

Answer 2

I am unemployed but am looking. I live in a rural area that has had 4 factories close in the last six months. I get 351.00 social security for raising my little brother. that works out to less then 5000 a year. We receive food stamps and my brother gets a medical card and we receive rent assistance. I would work at any job there just isn't any here. So I went back to school to get a degree. There is a process here where I live where you have to show that you are looking for a job before you recieve money form Human services the problem with that is not everyone has that apply to them (I don't) and those that do simply have another kid sad but true and I know this for a fact. There will always be those that want the job that pays 10.00+ or they just won't work.Those people will fake illness or what ever else they need to do to keep getting that money. In fact they probably would find a job with the effort it takes to avoid one
Speaking for myself for a paycheck I would pick garbage up from the side of the road with no problem and if that didn't pay enough I find something else to make money. I have done everything from housecleaning to yardsales to ebay if you want it bad enough you will find a way some people just don't want it enough

Answer 3

I agree up to a point, but the only way for the system to be run fairly would involve releasing everybody who was a job seeker for any job interview which came up. The policy of granting unemployment benefit has always recognised that job hunting is a full time occupation and that has certainly been my experience when unemployed. This concession, however,might well be open to abuse. Suppose, for example, someone claims to have been invited to interview by phone and has no proof?

It would also be important to ensure that people were not forced to do heavy manual labour which was too much for them in their physical state -- I am thinking of not very strong women shovelling snow.

A further form of abuse would be to use such people as cheap labour in circumstances where otherwise people could be paid a fair wage for doing the work entailed and taken off the unemployment list.

So yes -- great in theory, but flawed in practice .

Answer 4

If they are unemployed and homeless. The first thing on your agenda is finding them a home. Then there must be some type of therapy. In my experience,everyone that is homeless is not neccessarily a bum or lazy. If you do your homework you will find that some of the so called bums, had high profile jobs and were professional. Some were professors, lawyers, doctors, ect....

If you look into their background, you will find 1 or 2 things or both.

1. That some have landed on the street because something totally devasting has happened to them. A good example is that one man who was a doctor, became homeless because he stopped caring. He lost his wife and children in a fire and he never recovered from the loss.

2. Some have some kind of pschological deficiencey, that they may not even be aware of.

I don't know if I like the stereotype in your statement, when you obviousley have not did enough research to make such a claim.
I have personally taking homeless people to shelters in cold winters, so they wouldn't freeze to death and during that time I have had their stories revealed to me.

Answer 5

Disagree:You cannot force people to do anything that they don't want to (not yet at least), and a high percentage of the homeless are suffering from some type of mental illness which keeps them from looking after themselves. On the other hand i see two generations of employable people sticking with the dole because the money and benefits are better then working, so assigning them some community task would be an excellent idea, lots of things could be done in the neighbourhoods.

Answer 6

Yes, I agree that unemployed should go for work. We can not have lazy hands. Lazy hands will make a person poor - poor not only in finances, health as well. If a person doesn't work for long, the brain stop thinking and the person become weak.

Everyone has to work, even my dad has tired long ago, I allowed him to do house work or going out for a walk or chit chatting with his friends. This will keep his mind thinking. Now he is 68 years old and he has learned how to use computer to do simple typing. He could remember some of the bible verses, and he could remember most of the keys on the keyboard, when he types he doesn't need to see the keyboard.

Answer 7

Nobody wants to be unemployed or homeless. Lets have a good dose of wage inflation. Print more money and create Full employment, making and doing real things. Create new and revive old industries with technology. Pour money into Research and Development. It's the Service Sector low wage economy that killed peoples spirit, motivation and self -respect. Build things that builds self confidence. The Romans had the best Low wage economy based on slaves, we call it the Service Industry. Start building factories again and give people Real jobs.

Answer 8

I think those that on long term benefits with no medical reason, and those that serially defraud the system should be told in no uncertain terms "work in order to receives benefits or do without completely" They will soon get jobs, if there're going to work for nothing they may as well look for better money.
But
You can't force homeless people to work. Without an address, you can't claim benefits and not only that but the majority of homeless people are there for underlying reasons not of their own making like mental illness and abuse.

We should be concentrating on those that defraud the benefit system, forcing them into work and then reinvesting in a structure to help those that are vulnerable.

Answer 9

That is a tough question to ask and answer. Most homeless and unemployed don't want a meager job. They feel the world has wrong them somehow and want something better in return. What they stopped realizing is the life is what YOU make of it. You live life, life doesn't live you, and it it does then you are doing it wrong. If you force them to work a job that they really don't like or even wanted then it just makes the life they try to live even that much worse. I think the homeless and unemployed need a small break, society treats them like bums and not like people. We say they are lazy and a burden, but what they really need his someone to listen to what say and find a way to help them find a way to get back to life.

Answer 10

Here's the thing. There are far too many people receiving government money for doing nothing but sitting at home and watching TV when they are able-bodied. Many are 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation beneficiaries of these benefits. I once saw a lazy slob being interviewed on the news that she demanded a raise on her paycheck; she was referring to her welfare check.

I say if you are able-bodied and you want that welfare check, those foodstamps, or any other aide then yes they should be forced to work or just go without. Period. There is no right to government aide because if there wasthen I could do the same and sit home and collect a check. But I can't and many people don't because they either don't meet the racial requirement, or make "too much".

Oh... we could take all the money we save by NOT giving it away to all these lazy bums and provide all of our seniors who have worked all their lives with free medical, dental, vision and affordable housing. Imagine that... the old people deserve more than these lazy bums.