Welfare Reform: Criticism
Post Categories: Welfare Reform
Tags: benefits, DWP, esa, jcp, jobcentre, jsa, Welfare Reform
I was reading a great article on Welfare Reform (the Welfare Reform Bill 2009) however I greatly disagreed with the points made in the article so I decided to quote sections of it and comment!
The Welfare Reform Bill is to be a tough piece of legislation that will compel people in meeting with their obligations. It comes as no surprise and is long overdue. One of the first targets will be in removing 1 million people off Incapacity Benefit and into work. The entire benefits system is to be streamlined with Income Support being replaced with a leaner ‘out of work benefits’ system. The time has come by which those who “fiddle” the system should take account of what their obligations and duties are.
Removing one million people off “Incapacity Benefit”? Incapacity Benefit doesn’t exist. To the best of my knowledge the Welfare Reform Act 2007 replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support with an Employment and Support Allowance in 2008.
I don’t personally agree with classifying everyone who is claiming benefits to which they are legally entitled to as people who are “[fiddling] the system”. Those claiming benefits who are already executing their obligations deserve the benefits under law and are not receiving such money by deception or acting fraudulently.
It is to be realised that no one should be unfairly categorised as a criminal solely because they are receiving benefits and that a small percentage also receiving benefits are fiddling the system. This is slanderous and libellous. That person shall remain innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The Government has stuck a lot of resources in to catching benefit thieves and the majority of long term claimants who were illegally in receipt of benefits have been caught and prosecuted. I find it fair to say that the reason why any long term claimant is still receiving benefits is due to being fully legit and fulfilling their obligations.
I presume this is an attack on the “jobless” receiving benefits by someone in employment – being naive and not realising that Tax Credits are also a benefit.
The toughness of the Bill is in dispute at the moment – it is in parts far from being “tough” even though having caused great concern. The big concerns are in particular the Regulation elements which will or will not decide this. The Bill allows the Secretary of State the power to approve any Statutory Instrument regulations (subject to annulment by either Houses) to go with it tweaking the law with a vast scope.
Personally, one of the largest elements I am interested in is the increased sanctions. I have read the Bill and can’t see anywhere it mentions about how much it will be increased by, thus will be left to regulations to determine this. It appears the Government wants to cut claimants down by handing out possibly unlawful sanctions.
At current sanctions can be imposed for fraud – I am all in favour for this.
Sanctions work automatically once dismissed from a New Deal course (simply reading this site you will find out about how New Deal providers such as YMCA Training like exiting people for trivial and false reasons) and sanctions can also be applied for lateness and non-attendance.
These sanctions could seem good in theory but depends how they are implemented.
- Should someone be kicked off benefits for 6-12 months because the bus came late?
- Should someone even be sanctioned 6-12 months for waking up late?
- Should someone lose their only source of income for 6-12 months because they were turned away for not having the correct ID with them while signing on?
- Even if someone fails to do enough to look for work a week (say by one action too less than agreed) should they be plummeted in to poverty by losing all legal right and entitlement for 6-12 months?
Some of the above examples are by pure fate and one is bordering on a slight temporary disobeying of the rules – I think such a long sanction isn’t required for any of them examples. The sole purpose of benefits is to bring people out of poverty. If someone doesn’t do enough to look for work one week then they should be sanctioned for that week or maybe a few on repeat offending however should not be banned long term for it.
The Government is now committed in getting people off benefits and into work. Where people refuse to co-operate will result in claimants having their benefits reduced and this includes, amongst a package of measures to be announced, that people are made to do community or voluntary work in exchange for benefits if no full-time work or training course is found.
Refuse to co-operate with what? You mean if someone “refuses to get a job” because they remain unemployed after 6 months? The “community service scheme” is designed non-discriminatively for all jobseekers who have not found sustained employment. Refusing to co-operate will likely end in claim being terminated with sanctions applied and not reduction in benefits in most cases. Likewise those breaking the rules (you referred to it as “fiddling”) will have their claims terminated and possibly be prosecuted for it – not stuck in voluntary and community service work schemes.
This seems, at least, more fairer on the taxpayer who have, up until now, funded some very lavish lifestyles whilst thousands of hard working people are left with very little to show for their efforts, in some cases having worked all their lives.
I believe in reduction in benefit fraud so the taxpayers’ money can go further. It is to be noted that phrases such as “taxpayers’ money” and “public purse” are far from the truth. You don’t make a contribution due to generosity, you cough up being taxed to avoid going to jail. You have no ownership in the money. You only get limit chances to vote: nationally, locally and Europe – that is just to elect people not direct public expenditure in what you actually want to see.
No one alive in the UK has worked all their lives – absolute nonsense!
I am not sure what you mean by “very lavish lifestyles” – I noticed you used “some” – but I don’t see how unemployment benefit alone can give anyone an “very lavish lifestyle” – anyone?
It is pleasing to note, however, that the Government has listened and acted upon the advice of the Care Commission which will exclude those people looking after others in a caring capacity, in not being required to seek work. I would hope the government would now look and reappraise additional help given to carers as the service carers provide is essential in taking the strain off doctors and the NHS. I would thank the government, too, in taking stock of this issue as part of its welfare reform bill.
I agree with you on this one however let’s not get too excited until it is made law. Carers deserve this support; however, they shouldn’t be seeking unemployment benefit with no intention to seek work. Not very logical – I presume there is a caring allowance as an alternative?
All benefit claimants, though, will have to “prepare themselves for work”.
I think every jobseeker does that anyway – will be interesting what the Jobcentre sees as adequate though.
In recent years the government has invested heavily within the “Third Sector” which now has numerous and various opportunities available, offering positions that range from office to the outdoors. The benefits of work are important for mental and healthy wellbeing and, as the government has shown through its tax-credit system no-one can now be any worse-off in work than out of it.
Hilarious! The Third Sector basically is a backbone of non-profit organisations and charities aiming to fulfil a need which the Government fails to invest in or recognise where such objectives are not profitable or not intended to be executed to benefit owners financially.
This includes YMCA Training. Oh dear. Tax Credits last year reported a 1.2 million non-claimed awards totally around £¾ billion. Child Poverty has increased. They are making it difficult for people to claim the Tax Credits back and advising people to falsify forms for intention of getting it manually looked at to claim.
Being confined to benefits isn’t acceptable. Individuals have rights, agreed, but they also have obligations and duties which, equally, require discharging.
You make it seem that all jobseekers are dormant. Around 4.5% of the country’s workforce are temporary workers (“agency” workers) most of these are those who are jobseekers because this work isn’t sustainable they need to claim unemployment benefit to survive where temporary work can’t be found again.
Rather than looking at things fearfully rise to the challenge of new opportunities that will open new doors for many people. The government has invested heavily both within the “Third Sector” and by launching programmes that seek to encourage people to either learn new skills or by retraining for new jobs.
Name me one? New Deal? £75 Billion expenditure in total and no work placement or training?
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18 Responses to “Welfare Reform: Criticism”
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Sickness benefit, nightmare!
i work for a provider helping people into work whilst recieving a sickness benefit, my clients on the new Employment Support Allowance have to attend medicals regularly to be assessed for their ability to work! however they have to accumilate 15 points to prevent being shoved onto JSA…. the one key problem with the assessment is that it is a physical assessment and does not cater for those who have some serious mental health issues,thus resuting in a high majority of my clients not achieving the “15 points” then losing benefit and passed onto JSA therefor “work ready”? what a joke!!!!!!!!
nightmare nightmare nightmare, the system stinks and is too contradicting to be true!! and thats comes from me who is supposed to support the system and encourage people to have faith in me and my coleagues!
Basically from what I can gather and glean from the internet about the new welfare reform bill, it’s legalised bullying of the vulnerable within our society. MIND opposes the sanctions and numerous clauses proposed in this bill to basically FORCE people with diagnosed conditions back to work , WITHOUT the proper support in place. ATOS origin doctors are the governments henchmen and a lot aren’t qualified to make a judgement about a persons illness be it mental or physical and often make decisions that cause untold stress to the person forced back to work. A friend of mine appealed a decision last year to get her to go back to work, she appealed and luckily won the appeal, but her benefit was reduced for 9 MONTHS causing her hardship and depression. Atos origin challenged experts opinions that had diagnosed her condition, she is a of strong character luckily but imagine someone more vulnerable who isn’t. I believe this bill is illegal and an attack on human rights and should be abolished. The general public are being brainwashed into believing everyone on benefits are scroungers, the vile media whipping up lies by providing sensationalist examples, it rather reminds me of them highlighting one paranoid schizophrenic in a machete attack, putting fear into the public of all paranoid schizophrenics, just for their vile greedy agenda of selling newspapers. Truth is this ill thought out bill doesn’t have in place support for those with mental health conditions, or other conditions such as High functioning autism etc. , where you can fluctuate from day to day from being well to non functioning. Doctors surgeries were promised job support workers, have they got them yet?, no. These scum bag politicians, are nasty vicious narcissists who get into power with a minority of the vote yet impose their nasty experimental doctrines onto the rest of us, bet the majority of those on incapacity benefit do not vote labour again. Unfortunately the media has won their vendetta against people on benefits, whilst the rich tax evaders and corrupt politicians get off scott free. I hope that peoples consciences are clear whilst scapegoating the poor sick and vulnerable, not giving them a proper helping hand up with an unfair welfare reform bill, blaming them for the ills of the mismanagement of the country and an economic world recession, whilst the truth is vast amounts of taxpayers money is poured into black holes elsewhere.
trying to force people with conditions back into the workplace is not going to be easy,its very easy to make statements on policy,delivering is something else.
its a highly controversial attempt to remove sick people and fabricate statements that somehow they will be better off in the workplace.atos are well known at playing down conditions,this does not help the person who is suffering say anxiety and plagued with panic attacks’ or other mental disorders’.theres a real danger of sick people caught in a system where employment support allowance is stopped (always appeal) and being trapped in a job centre in less the then favorable prospects of securing employment and a increasingly hostile atmosphere and rules that frequently appear to be made up on an individual basis.
there is a tendency to suggest mentioning health problems after you have started employment,however if these do not transpire on an application form/interview it will highly likely to have the person back in the job centre rapidly because the person isnt acting in a same manner as a person without problems’.leaving a ill person open to instant dismissal.
charities such as mind are completely aware of this situation and if they did raise concerns these were not apparent until after difficulties are encountered,while it is illegal to discriminate against the disabled proving it can be very difficult,this can further add to an existing condition or cause a relapse of a previous one if that has not happened already.
you simply cannot wallpaper over subsidence cracks and hope all will be well.
Well said, John.
I can’t really add anything to what you have said other than to reiterate the point that it is a LABOUR government that is doing this. I just hope people remember this next year when desperate Labour politicians are after votes. Don’t believe anything they say about being the only party for working class people, they ditched Socialism in favour of Thatcherism 15 years ago when comrade Blair became leader. Champagne socialist hypocrites, the lot of them.
I have been on IB for years. In May I was sent forms to reassess my claim which has for the past few years been on an 18 month renewal. I never heard from them again. Am terrified they are considering me for one of these impossible medicals. Why such a delay? the benefit is still being paid. During this time I won a tribunal for DLA but that is only for a limited time. Will this go against me? Maybe the government thinks I am getting too much. The tribunal judges treated me a as a lazy liar. But then they awarded me the benefit.
Is this now a blanket policy for all claimants? I say again and again I cannot go through with the mental distress of a medical, and I cannot. Even if I get through successfully it takes me months to get over the humiliation, to be turned down would probably put me in a mental hospital, and I haven’t got mental health problems.
Been surfing a few disabiligy sites. Maybe time to stop. Am getting very upset. Wish there was some good news out there, but suppose no-one tells about the good stuff, or there really isn’t any. Help!
Hi everyone, I am on one of these Flexible new deal courses, I am unemployed through no fault of my own I have a few points to note here that some of you might like to hear – I am from Burton On Trent in Staffordshire the lady running my Flexible New Deal quoted to me “The Polish have a better work Ethic” how is this helping me to find work?
also a local Pub yes i will name it The Waterfront in Barton under Needwood” had vacancies these were advertised in The Polish shop Burton On Trent
Now I am in no way racist The Poles come here for a better life but how can I compete when these sorts of things happen to us? also alot of firms says they have a policy that will not employ people unemployed for more than 12 months? several Employment agencies have told me this! for someone who wants to work the system does not work for me!
It would be rather naughty for firms to disclose such a policy as they technically couldn’t discriminate on those grounds – although this said nothing stopping them.
As a general rule of thumb many business wont employ someone who has been unemployed for over 3 months. You might be able to say you done voluntary work etc. whether or not you have in that time, but when unemployment increases to 6 months, 12 months etc. they are unlikely to employ you. Sadly for those on Flexible New Deal at 12 month stage its very against you to secure employment. Those who are fast tracked at 6 months are more likely. It obviously depends on circumstances, local job market, industry, skill set etc.
If candidate A and B are identical (same skills, qualifications, experience, appearance etc.) with the only difference is one has a month notice period and the other can start immediately because they haven’t had a job for 4 months – the first person Candidate A will always win hands down.
“The Polish have a better work Ethic”
he should not be saying that to unemployed people,this “cheapening” of the uk workforce has been going on for some time,since the days of norman tebbit in the 1980s,as usual its convenient for them to “turn the tables” and try and portray unsubstantiated claims against the group.
with focusing further demoralizing statements on a group of unemployed people is totally counter productive.
Well, It is obvious how Polish people will work harder…
British/UK person on NMW… thats poor wages.
Polish person on NMW or below… thats very good wages compared to Poland.
Basically, its like stacking shelves in ASDA or Tescos and getting paid £8-9 hour for it. Work ethic is going to generally be better.
I however think this work ethic nonsense is wrongly distorted – it is typically defined betwen a lazy almost cowboy-ish builder and a polish worker doing the same job. The polish worker works more hours etc. whereas the UK counterpart probably does a couple hours a day but is the work standard the same? probably. It also depends on business model… if you have limited resources… do you send all your men (and women if any) to do one job then do the next 2-3 weeks down the road (perhaps lose the potential customer to a competitor)? Or focus on a rota system?
The issue here is comparing a rather dodgy or nevertheless unprofessional workman (you know the one who might not turn up for a week) or a con man (someone who takes all money upfront and does a little bit of work to make it legal – if the person didnt do any work it would be theft or fraud – if the work was poorly done or uncomplete then its a civil issue regarding breach of contracts – even if they make a mint from it) against a polish worker… (or Irish etc.) who has greater availability and puts in more hours.
Most UK builders are self-employed (or employed through a limited company they own and/or control) – most polish builders appear to be employed (i.e. they have to do the hours or dont get paid and lose their job).
The FND advisers needs to be careful otherwise they will be out of the job!
the poles are quoted as saying they find british people cold,they also tend to network better amongst themselves with others either established who put them into touch or know someone.
anyone who remembers any decades before the eighths will recall also people were more integrated in a street or neighborhood, today sadly this has changed because of suspicion and not infrequently fear.
the british are also known for working the longest hours in europe,this can go as unpaid also in overtime.
Another thing to consider is that many Poles will be liiving in very overcroweded houses to reduce the rent each person pays, that’s how they can afford to take a lot of the jobs that others can’t afford to take.
companies such as a leading appliance manufacturer in relation to refrigeration have left the uk and set up in poland,with the loss of employment here,the ethic profit related.
perhaps some will consider that before making comments in front of an unemployed person here,quite rightly pointing out how is this going to help me find work.
I think The Flexible New Deal should identify themselves as there comments to me are racist against an English worker
I seriously onject to the welfare reform bill.
1 It looks to me like they think everyone who is unemployed is a scrounger and thats simly not so.
2 The third part providers are a way of privatising the DWP but i think most are oblivious to this.
3 The third part A4E im with threatend me with sanctions on a whime. This should simply not be so.
4 No provision for disabled people as my provider A4E hasn’t got a clue.
5. The courses that they suggest are so poor. If they want to do something why not encourage people to retrain with grants for long distance learning such as microsofts elearning.
5 Having to jump through hoops for a pittence to try and keep self going. Leaving on the pultry amountthe dwp gives jobseekers/claimants.
6 The MP’S should lead by example when they not in parliament they should get paid what claimants get paid and see how they like the holiday. I can say right now i don’t beleive most of them would want to get out of bed yet alone job search and get yanked through hoops, pushed from pillar to post and treated shabily. Hell they shoudl go to the fnd providers.
7 or is that 8 the MP’S have just got a 1000 pound raise. AFter all the expenses they have claimed.
People on benefits need to be treated fairly. They should be given a full explanation of what is being done to them in our name
the welfare reform seems unfair
23/03/10
I waited until 11.99 am for the promise ofa phone call from andrea as she stated she would contact me with the details and the arrangements for travel. I havent received a phone call from anyone. I telephoned Mr T Hickman of the DWP and he stated that I need to address the issue with beacon. When I spoke to x stating that the taxi had not come. She said that she believed A4E were arranging it through their own contacts. So neither of us knew what was happening. Beacon did mention that A4E were coming round to the fact that they need to order a taxi for me.
I had a look around the beacon centre and it seems to be a great atmosphere and the people seemed nice.
The first post in this section is long and does not have name attached to it. How come?
I would think welfare reform intends switching people from what used to be
Incapacity Benefit to CHEAPER Jog sekkers allowance.
The unnamed first poster should look at MOTIVATIOn
of H,M.G Jonty