♥ 0 | UNEMPLOYED benefit claimants are to be forced to work unpaid if they fail to turn up to two interviews, or drop out of a jobseekers’ programme. The “two strikes and you’re out” policy will be unveiled this week by Chris Grayling, the employment minister, who is to signal an expansion of “mandatory work activity” schemes for the unemployed to begin later this year. They will be asked to work unpaid for 30 hours a week for up to a month. The schemes, which are now discretionary, involve community work, charities, the public sector or environmental projects. About 18,000 people a year are now believed to be sent by their advisers on the work programmes but Grayling wants to double that figure. The programme is focused on getting people who have never worked, or who have been unemployed for years, used to the discipline of getting up in the morning, turning up on time, working in a team and following instructions. The scheme, separate from unpaid work experience for jobseekers in private firms, has been criticised as “slave labour” by critics, who say it provides no meaningful work experience. Job centre advisers now have the discretion to put those who repeatedly fail to co-operate with work experience programmes on the unpaid labour schemes. Tasks range from sorting clothes donated to charities, to clearing up graffiti and working in charity shops. Whitehall sources said some who stopped claiming benefits after being put on a mandatory work scheme were later found to have jobs and to have been making fraudulent benefit claims. Statistics to be released this week will reveal how many have been referred to the mandatory scheme and how many have signed off benefits. It is also likely to show that most of those referred were male. A pilot scheme in the Midlands that pilots the tougher regime is due to report later this year. A Whitehall source said: “It is discretionary now but we are about to announce an expansion of the scheme and we will be expecting more from people in terms of searching for jobs.” The government has been criticised for forcing job-seekers to do menial unpaid work as work experience. Some jobseekers who have refused to do unpaid work experience with companies have been sent on the mandatory work activity schemes by their advisers. The schemes are designed to act as an incentive for benefits claimants to turn up to appointments. Those who fail to comply face having their benefits removed for at least 13 weeks. Fonte: Sunday Times di oggi. Marked as spam |
Benefits… Ora lavori (gratis) per il Council se vuoi i soldi….
« Back to Previous Page
« Back to Previous Page