Online recruitment specialist Recruitment Genius discusses the latest proposals from the Work and Pensions Secretary. Is being made to work for your benefits a draconian measure or is it a long overdue policy?
Since Ian Duncan-Smith revealed the welfare reform which vows to ‘see people better off in employment than on benefits’ a frenzied debate has been rumbling away. With one aid agency claiming it will ‘expose people to destitution’ and others seeing it as the ideal way of motivating people to find employment it has certainly got people talking.
Despite some preposterous claims doing the rounds it seems as though the proposals are not about getting unemployed engineers to sweep streets and out of work teachers to stack shelves but about motivating, and helping, those who are fit to work to find gainful employment. Who can argue with that?
Under the Work Programme those on JobSeekers Allowance may be required to undertake some voluntary work in order to continue to qualify for benefits. What is wrong with this? Wouldn’t any self-respecting individual rather be paying back their debt to society than simply holding out their hand? Frankly those that prefer the latter haven’t really earnt the right to disagree anyway have they?
The reality is the country is in a terrible state of affairs and drastic measures are called for. Admittedly the Policy could well benefit from some grass roots input but in principle can anyone really argue with it?
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