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A problem in England and a solution

I've seen plenty of threads moaning about things in England, but few offering solutions. So I thought it'd be a good idea if you post a problem- it could be anything- and also a viable solution,and why it would work.

I'll go first.
Problem- Long Term Unemployed
Solution- Introduce a scheme in which people who have been unemployed for say 6 months, on state benefits, to work for the government doing menial tasks, for say three days a week. There will always be work out there. If the person has a background and skills in a certain job, the government should try to cater to this.
If they have a job interview, they are excused. This incentivises people to work or at least sort themselves out with job interviews. It also means that those on the dole are helping our society. If they refuse, they are therefore not available to work and benefits should be stopped immediately.
I believe this type of thing has been used successfully in USA.

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Reply 1
Avatar for Fawn
Fawn
12
Oh hail thee prophet.
Reply 2
Avatar for Lukerchenko
Lukerchenko
Fawn
Oh hail thee prophet.


Why do you hail the prophet and not the guy without any legs?
You're forgetting that some people actually are not capable of work....
Reply 4
Avatar for bigmo7
bigmo7
17
xXMessedUpXx
You're forgetting that some people actually are not capable of work....


Your forgetting that a lot of people are lazy as **** too!

But on the other hand there is the poverty trap...
OK, so by this new "system" i've been off work 6 months now with severe recurrent depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder, (NOT claiming benefits might i add) yet have to go back to work. Even though i'm not well enough (and it would most likely aggravate my condition-leading to more time off).

Hmm that makes sense...
xXMessedUpXx
OK, so by this new "system" i've been off work 6 months now with severe recurrent depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder, (NOT claiming benefits might i add) yet have to go back to work. Even though i'm not well enough (and it would most likely aggravate my condition-leading to more time off).

Hmm that makes sense...


It's called a doctor's note. :smile:

And yes, the US did something similar in order to help them get out of the great depression.
Reply 7
Avatar for sulpicia
sulpicia
Its actually quite expensive for the government to create menial jobs. Lot cheaper to pay JSA.
Reply 8
Avatar for paella
paella
14
Leave people on the dole. There's no sorting out the people in long term unemployment in the age group 20-60. Thats how it is. Instead, concentrate on the youth. Say all private schools have to take 5% of their students from working class families in the worst environments (on the government). This should stop long term unemployment being a continuous trend, parents who were unemployed will not necessary have unemployed kids. Start government boarding schools which move kids away from an unemployment chav lifestyl, than then you have a solution.
Reply 9
Avatar for username279036
username279036
OP
xXMessedUpXx
OK, so by this new "system" i've been off work 6 months now with severe recurrent depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder, (NOT claiming benefits might i add) yet have to go back to work. Even though i'm not well enough (and it would most likely aggravate my condition-leading to more time off).

Hmm that makes sense...


Nah you're fine.
I should have specified Job Seekers Allowance. And also if it's medical grounds it's completely different. The point is if you're on Job Seekers allowance and not willing to work, you shouldn't be claiming.
sulpicia
Its actually quite expensive for the government to create menial jobs. Lot cheaper to pay JSA.


Is it? Administratively would it really cost more than the amount the govt. could save?
Reply 11
Avatar for sulpicia
sulpicia
FatboyGinger
Is it? Administratively would it really cost more than the amount the govt. could save?



Yes, I'm afraid so. Job creation is very expensive. Say for example we insist individuals do 10 hours of street sweeping a week in return for their JSA - probably the cheapest option. These individuals will need their travel paid, cleaning materials paid, a massive enforcement cost, who checks the work is actually done, high administration costs, childcare costs... the list is very long indeed.

If we actually want to create meaningful reasonably paid jobs, these costs increase exponentially.
FatboyGinger
I've seen plenty of threads moaning about things in England, but few offering solutions. So I thought it'd be a good idea if you post a problem- it could be anything- and also a viable solution,and why it would work.

I'll go first.
Problem- Long Term Unemployed
Solution- Introduce a scheme in which people who have been unemployed for say 6 months, on state benefits, to work for the government doing menial tasks, for say three days a week. There will always be work out there. If the person has a background and skills in a certain job, the government should try to cater to this.


Or better yet, send them to a facility where they spend their waking hours turning a giant lever which spins a magnet in a coil of wire and produces electricity for their society.
FatboyGinger
Nah you're fine.
I should have specified Job Seekers Allowance. And also if it's medical grounds it's completely different. The point is if you're on Job Seekers allowance and not willing to work, you shouldn't be claiming.

Ahhhhhhhh right

Yeah that's fair enough actually.

The two people i've know who were on JSA worked their asses off trying to find jobs and both were off it within about 3 months. Though obviously there are a lot that won't try.
paella
Leave people on the dole. There's no sorting out the people in long term unemployment in the age group 20-60. Thats how it is. Instead, concentrate on the youth. Say all private schools have to take 5% of their students from working class families in the worst environments (on the government). This should stop long term unemployment being a continuous trend, parents who were unemployed will not necessary have unemployed kids. Start government boarding schools which move kids away from an unemployment chav lifestyl, than then you have a solution.
~

That is ridiculous. The schools are private for a reason. It is the governments fault that not all schools are of a good standard.
Reply 15
Avatar for AP123
AP123
'Menial task' for the government have been outsourced to India already.
Reply 16
Avatar for BillV3
BillV3
14
FatboyGinger
I've seen plenty of threads moaning about things in England, but few offering solutions. So I thought it'd be a good idea if you post a problem- it could be anything- and also a viable solution,and why it would work.

I'll go first.
Problem- Long Term Unemployed
Solution- Introduce a scheme in which people who have been unemployed for say 6 months, on state benefits, to work for the government doing menial tasks, for say three days a week. There will always be work out there. If the person has a background and skills in a certain job, the government should try to cater to this.
If they have a job interview, they are excused. This incentivises people to work or at least sort themselves out with job interviews. It also means that those on the dole are helping our society. If they refuse, they are therefore not available to work and benefits should be stopped immediately.
I believe this type of thing has been used successfully in USA.


and this would lead to....

Problem: Far increased amounts of non able bodied people living in poverty
Solution: Give them disability pay......... oh wait we stopped that earlier.
Reply 17
Avatar for jaison2
jaison2
i reckon theres toooo many allowance being given to people sittng at home and doing nothing... like there are allowances for the number of kids u hve.... i saw this one in the newspaper... i reckon people have to stop being lazy and start to work....
Reply 18
Avatar for Econight
Econight
14
FatboyGinger
I've seen plenty of threads moaning about things in England, but few offering solutions. So I thought it'd be a good idea if you post a problem- it could be anything- and also a viable solution,and why it would work.

I'll go first.
Problem- Long Term Unemployed
Solution- Introduce a scheme in which people who have been unemployed for say 6 months, on state benefits, to work for the government doing menial tasks, for say three days a week. There will always be work out there. If the person has a background and skills in a certain job, the government should try to cater to this.
If they have a job interview, they are excused. This incentivises people to work or at least sort themselves out with job interviews. It also means that those on the dole are helping our society. If they refuse, they are therefore not available to work and benefits should be stopped immediately.
I believe this type of thing has been used successfully in USA.


Used by Roosevelt in the Great Depression, really did not acheive anything other than creating a placebo effect in my opinion. It's the war and lending to Europe that got America out of that deep pit.
Reply 19
Avatar for Maker
Maker
20
Any menial job will undermine the minimum wage and lead to unscrpulous employers sacking workers on minimum wage and employ the unemployed for even less.

Lets face it, some countries will always have more people than there are jobs for in the economy. For example, Ireland has always had large numbers of people emigrating to find work. The unemployed are mostly the result of changes in the number and types of jobs avialable.

Where I am, there are dozens of villages and towns with a high recentage of unemployed because of mine closures in the 80s and nothing to replace the jobs lost.

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