Should people who dont work and claim benefit be forced to work for their local council....?

Question

My last question certainly rattled a few bones.... so here's the next one. Stop whatching day time TV start cleaning the streets, toilets, litter picking, helping the old, or should they continue to stay at home with their Sky Sports , Internet gambling, smoking and eating takeaways?

Andy H - yet again you miss the point - should they not contribute to society if society is contributing to their income?

Answer 1

Seems reasonable to me! Picking up litter and cleaning the streets would benefit the community and the individual. I've often thought this as I walk through our dirty litter strewn streets - how come so many people are on benefits when it's clear there's work to be done?

However, I wouldn't suggest helping the old as I'm sure there's a bunch of regulation around protecting the aged.

EDIT: I'd like to say that I'm only referring to people who are mentally and physically able to work, but don't, not people who receive benefits because they are unable to work for one reason or another.

Answer 2

Some kind of working system ( I think the US calls it Workfair) should be considered. Sometimes people who are on benefits become mentally unable to work, and its a long hard job getting them back into the right mindset. Along with bone idleness, which I admit does exist, you also have a fear of being inadequate and socialising with people you fear may consider you as a social inferior and other reasons. Sometimes its an achievement to get these guys into a classroom by 09:00 hours for 5 days per week. I worked with long term unemployed, and it was very difficult to convince a guy, 54 years old who had not done a days work in 35 years, on benefits of £458.00 per week, to take a job on less that £200.00 take home pay for a working week of around 45 hours.

Answer 3

I think there is a big difference between someone who sponges off the system and someone who desperately needs the help through benefit. More needs to be done to stop the spongers who are quite capable of working. I believe everyone who is capable of working should at least be made to do voluntary work until a paying job is found.

However many people have very genuine reasons why they need to claim benefits such as ill health, bereavement, disabilities some lone parents, people who are attending college and the list goes on. I gladly pay my income tax so that these people do not have to suffer any more then they are already.

Answer 4

My parents are disabled and they get no help from the Gov't. They recieve their social security they paid themselves. They do quailify for a small amount of heating assistance however. I find nothing wrong with benefits because in some cases people need them. How about a mom with a few children who was married and her husband died. No life insurance or little life insurance. She has been a stay at home mom so no secondary education. She would go out and get a job but daycare would cost more then she could get paid. In my state they have great programs for single moms. Childcare benefits are available to low income families so they can work. They have programs for people to further their education so they can get better jobs while they are recieving benefits. There are also laws about how long you can recieve benefits in the course of your life. You are naming some that take advantage of benefits but I am sure there are plenty out there that genuinely need them right now. Something needs to give somewhere so people don't need them. There was a time in my life that if my husband had died and left me a single parent I would have needed benefits. Luckily now we have a great life insurance plan that would set me up for several years while getting an education. Then of course there is the medical benefits people recieve. Just got the statement for my childs stitches he recieved. It was about $1300. Can you imagine what that would be like for someone who recieves no medical insurance? Low paying jobs do not offer medical insurance to their employees. $1300 for a 4 hour wait...a needle and some thread. Imagine that. So there are hardworking people out there that recieve Gov't benefits for medical. Just becareful please not to stereotype. I am sure there are some that are lazy and it angers me as much as you but others who do really need it.

Answer 5

Speaking as a person who is on long term Incapacity Benefit,I would love it if there was a scheme where I could be out doing some sort of work,interacting with people. It makes sense to me-not only would it help to keep our communities clean, and help others-but it would also help these people on benefits possibly learn a new skill,get experience,meet people,and generally build up their self esteem.
Yes,I do realize there are many on benefits who just don't want to work,and wouldn't want something like this. But for the genuine people out there who would rather not be on benefits-this would be a brilliant idea.

Answer 6

Choco lover and helen B : I'm handi-caped, partially paralyzed, yes, I can do something: I have worked for 47 years as a carpenter and had my own business. I'm on social security now, I'd love to work, will you give me a job.
I'm waiting for a spinal implant to help with the pain, it's so great at times I cry. I've had surgery twelve times due to a bone disease that's slowly eating me away.
I crave to work, we need a lot more then what the government pays. I wish you both were in my place, you'd see what I and people like me are going through.

You worked hard, so did I. I helped build a better part of Las Vegas, now I can't walk, what am I suppose to do?

Don't point your finger at me or people like me until you've walked in our shoes for awhile.

Answer 7

I agree about people who don't bother themselves to get a job when they are perfectly capable to. What about the rest of the people?

I know people who are clinically depressed who cannot face going out to work and are slowly getting themselves better so they can work again. Others may have disabilities which make it hard to get a job - not just because of their disability, but also because some employers discriminate against it. Also, the competition for jobs is intensely fierce, especially good jobs.

I finished my university course and had to come home. Despite having a degree, I could not find a job and had to sign on (only for a few weeks though, thank god). I was talked down to and made to feel really bad - I left the job centre after my weekly interview once in tears! This is despite me showing them plenty of evidence I was applying for plenty of jobs and following them up - even stuff like working in shops etc etc. In the end, the only work I could get was temping work!

Like I said, there are some who really take the mick out of the system and dopn't bother getting jobs. Those are the ones who should be made to work (though it can be difficult to distinguish who they are), but there are plenty of other people out there who are out of work for many entirely different reasons. I was one of them, albeit briefly. Please don't tarnish everyone with the same brush.

Answer 8

What a good idea. It is almost like community service for the lethargic.
Local councils are full of people who have great prospects but the often long process of working up the chain to gain a job that suits and that the employee is happy with can see good workers fall by the wayside.

Your scheme work provide workers to complete the more boring and unpopular tasks therefore enabling the regular employees to progress.

Instilling a work ethic. This will rub off onto their children of course.
It wiil reduce local authority taxes.
Provide a more skilled workforce.
Reduce the budget for benefits.

Sounds like everyone wins.

Please explore the prospect in other forums and lets have a pilot project and make it work.

Answer 9

I don't work and I'm on benefit, I'd love to work only nobody would employ me due to illnesses I have, I'm not on here all the time, I've got sky and I smoke which I'm trying to stop with the help of my doctor, I don't eat takeaways as I can't eat them and have to have soft food, I spend £2 a week on the lottery,gambling!, I do not sit in all day as I try to keep active and have an elderly Mother who I do little bits for. So if someone would like to employ me that would be great. I've had a few strokes have an electrolyte deficiency, arthritis down the right side of my head and jaw and in my knees. I used to own and run a business and pay tax, what a bad person I am. Lucky you only remember pride comes before a fall, I'm so glad that I'm humble.

edit; for those who gave me the thumbs down would you like to employ me?, I have sky tv as I rarely go out maybe 4 times a year on a special occasion. I don't drink alcohol either.

Answer 10

They should work on the enviroment such as clearing land of rubbish or recycling, making them work for the money will motivate them to getting a real job.


What about this as an idea, you can claim benefits but there is a limit to it of a maximum of six months, and it is purely a loan that has to be paid back.
This will mean there will be no massive and long term drain on this countries resources supporting these layabouts for years and years.