tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941116624675227992.post4364258403830447495..comments2024-02-29T10:55:43.449-08:00Comments on Watching A4e: New Deal on the BBCUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941116624675227992.post-40654317992876575662010-03-23T07:40:08.994-07:002010-03-23T07:40:08.994-07:00Margaret Becket's attitude to the unemployed a...Margaret Becket's attitude to the unemployed audience member on last weeks Question Time was telling. She, like all her ilk, just cannot see past the propaganda and the spin. She can't understand how someone can feel so fed up with being on the dole and being treated thus that they could voice a feeling of giving up. Her attitude was typical of these people; a schoolmarm 'pull your socks up lad' mentality. That's not what people need.<br /><br />The problem with the system is that it funnels everyone out of work to apply for the same few jobs. This is a complete hiding to nowhere. Instead we need to give people whatever money they need to live on while out of work and unable to otherwise support themselves and not treat it as some 'luxury'; even the word 'benefit' is wrong. Is it a benefit to have barely enough to keep the wolf from the door? Surely that'a basic human right!<br /><br />Until we introduce the citizen's wage and then treat 'customers' (a horrible word for people sigining on) as individuals with proper help accordingly nothing will change. And while we are at it, we need to drop the attitude that there is some urgency toward finding a job and thus the longer someone is claiming, the harder things have to be made for them. It's a lunatic logic.Ghost Whistlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04894623504179269430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6941116624675227992.post-23513926131507484572010-03-19T10:36:27.720-07:002010-03-19T10:36:27.720-07:00The UK, along with the US, are bottom of the table...The UK, along with the US, are bottom of the table for spendng money on providing opportunities for training and skill updating for the unemployed.<br /><br />If you have a history of irregular work you can be fast-tracked onto Flexible New Deal rather than having to wait. <br /><br />I have a distinct feeling, hope I'm wrong, that the government (whoever it is)will want to dump FND in favour of expanding Work For Your Benefits (Workfare). Manchester and parts of East Anglia have already been designated for a 2-year pilot study starting in October. TBG Learning have been shortlisted for the contract. And the usual suspects (A4e etc) are also keen to jump on the Workfare bandwagon. With rising long-term unemployment and fewer job vacancies it makes more financial sense to cut back on FND and expand Workfare. Well, that's just my opinion. I hope I'm wrong and that Workfare never get's beyond the pilot stage.The Teflon Donnoreply@blogger.com