People on benefits?

Question

This my own personal opinion but I think that people who are on benefits should have to do charity work as a way to earn the money the government gives them.
I understand that there are exceptions for disabled/longterm sick and single parents as they can find this very difficult. But what about the genuine scroungers who you see day after day in the papers and that live in my town moaning that they don't want to work cos they are better off on benefits and the ones that just won't won't work as it is easier to cash a dole cheque every week. If people on benefits were to earn them through doing charity work would this not make them feel that they are contributing to the society that is supporting them and help them find work as they will have some work experience to put forward to a potential employer?
I ask this as I have had some thumbs down on answers when I brought this up.
Value your opinions not your insults!!!

No I haven't got a load of money actually. My hubby works 16 hours a day trying to keep our business going and I work part time for extra money to help support us and my 2 daughters. I have been out of work several times and each time went to the job centre and applied for just about every job going until I got one. I would do the worst jobs possible if it meant keeping a roof over our heads.

I do know about single parents actually, my dad left us when I was 4 and my brother 2. My mum got no maintenance from my dad and she worked, shifting us between child minders, friends and family to bring us up. She didn't go on benefits and we didn't have money for treats and new things but every spare bit of time she had was spent with us and her love was all we needed. She was an amazing mum and still is now.

Answer 1

I agree with you.

I know someone who is a single mum who has a 12 year old child. She would actually be better off on benefits but instead chooses to work as she wants to set a good example to her child.

How can it be that the system actually punishes her for choosing to work and not scrounging off the system? It is madness.

The system needs to be completely overhauled to allow for greater tax-breaks and support for those who choose to work and contribute to our society and economy, with free support only being provided to those people who cannot work due to circumstances such as illness, disability etc.

Answer 2

The natural rate of unemployment is thought to be about 5%. That's the number of people a capitalist society casts aside when everyone acts independantly and rationally. Not all will be claiming benefits of course, but what country could find jobs for 5% of its population without taking opportunities away from profit chasers?

If you're focusing on the ones who don't want to work, then another problem comes into it: will they do the job to a decent standard? Will we just be paying managers to stand around and wait for a group of people to turn up 2 hours late only to do some shoddy work that has to be put right later?

My view is that if we're prepared to live in a society that is most efficient when 5% are not working, those 5% should be given a decent minimum standard of living whether they are prepared to contribute to society or not. If 6% want to 'drop out' then there's a problem.

Answer 3

I agree with you for genuine scroungers..they should be made to do some kind of voluntary work. I disagree with the single parent bit. I take it you're not a parent yourself, but if you are, with a partner. Before having my child i worked 5 days a week, 9-5.30pm in my full-time job then went out again 6-11pm sometimes midnight to my second job for 4 evenings a week. None of my friends saw me hardly cos i was always working but i wanted the finer things in life and foreign holidays twice yearly so i worked my butt off and enjoyed it. Little did i know my baby's father wasn't going to be around for long. Now i struggle on my own with no financial support from him yet i still go out to do a small job to bring in extra cash for my child and am doing computer courses, which i pay for, at the local adult education centre which hopefully will put me in line for a better job when i do decide to go back to work full-time.

Answer 4

I have done my time on the Rock'n'roll and was in the poverty trap a lot of the time I was claiming. I would have to have earned twice the minimum wage to enable me to earn more than I would get from Housing benefit, Council tax rebate and the dole. I wanted to work very badly, I hurt me a lot as the DSS sent me on jobs such as kitchen assistant and hospital porter that would have put me in hospital through not being able to afford to buy food. I DID do charity work for Oxfam and others to keep me in the work habit, when the DSS learnt of this they threatened to stop my dole as I was not available for work when I was working in Oxfam. Never mind I was contributing towards society's welfare, I was working and it had to stop. Please don't say that all those on the dole could do charity work, the DSS won't let you and will punish you if you do.

Answer 5

Principally I agree, but you do have to differentiate between the "scroungers" and the real people in need (loss of work due to illness, accident etc). Before one can release a global comment one has to do alot of homework first. This is very time intensive and costly, as well as all the other administration etc.
It would maybe be a good idea to try to organize alot of people receiving aid, explain your thoughts and ideas to the appropriate organisations, and maybe some of the unemployed could be trained to stop or control false claimers. It would definitely be easier for them to get a job from a job, and the job they would be doing would also suit you as in, you would not be so annoyed!

Good luck!
Just an idea!

Answer 6

I am a supporter of workfare, but the government has a way of really screwing things up in this department. More harm than good can come from it because politicians want to put their hateful two cents worth into it. I am on disability benefits from the Veterans Administration. I volunteer seven days a week as a volunteer minister. The work that I do is important and I have a direct positive effect on people's lives. The government's idea of volunteerism is so far removed from the church as to make our country appear to be totally atheistic. My concern about a government run program of workfare is that it would digress into a form of institutionalized slavery. Workfare, if it is ever to be instituted nationwide, must be run on the local level and be done humanely. After all, we are dealing with human beings, not draft animals. You do not work a human until they drop dead and then go get you another one. Most of the people in the inner city who are on relief are black, and I promise you that workfare would be violently opposed because they would see it as a return to the slave days of our early history. Slavery is never an acceptable option to get people to work. there is a lot of work that people who are receiving benefits could do---worthwhile work to make all of our communities better, but a system of slavery would be moving the clock backwards.

Answer 7

A lot of people are work shy nowadays as the Government has made it so easy for people not to work and many people are better off on benefits. I think people should have to work for their benefits (with the exception of those who are genuinely unable to) doing community work in their towns such as litter picking, gardening, street cleaning, etc. to make it a nicer and more attractive place. Also people who have never paid taxes or NI should not be entitled to benefits - if you haven't contributed why should you get anything?

Answer 8

lets not forget thousand of real jobs have been deliberatley distroyed, and working peopl depressed as a result. let them keep there dole for 1 year and wages from job within one year they will be running there own bussiness. People on the benefits are legalised in to staying down if they earn a bit extra to smile on the families face they are threatened with prosecution, if they can earn a bit extra let them. you will notice that overpaid parasites blood suckers and useless quangoes and many outhers who dont desrve what they get are not having their money taken from them are they. the jobless dont just get lousy money they are egnored and treated with contempt and just never listened to. which in turn demoralises, as regards work rewards for effort is required. the world is full of people that work and are deserving some are useless and showered with money.

Answer 9

To play devils advocate here...........

Some people are way better off on benefits than working for the minimum wage. They can get all their rent and council tax paid, dont have to pay for eye tests, prescriptions, school meals, school uniforms, school trips etc etc.

I agree that they should do something to put back into society what they get out. Charity shops always need extra help.

Answer 10

I have never been work shy or a scrounger
The point is that the government has made it so easy for people that some folk have lost the will and ability to work.....my opinion