Question:

Should the UK remove unemployment benefit?

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Instead people to have a choice:-

Employment

Social Project Work (for money while seeking employment)

Training/apprenticeship (for money while seeking employment)

Why should people who work or give back to communities subsidise others - afterall there is enough work as that is what immigrants are meant to be coming over for....

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  1. NO! people in work pay national insurance which is supposed to cover you if you need health care or become unemployed or unable to work though disability or health.

    The government could maybe ask people if they wanted to convert this to private insurances (which would pay out irrespective of your income if you were to lose your job).

    But the safety net should be there - if it wasn't we would be in the situation like the US where those who get redundant lose everything before they can find work again or those who are ill cannot get health care.

    we are supposed to be caring humans - this National insurance is a state insurance scheme for humanitarian reasons.

    The income you can get if working is much more than you get on any benefit, that in itself is enough to persuade people to get back to work.  Ra sing the minimum wage to allow for housing costs(say £10/hour)  and STOP housing benefit altogether (raising benefits to compensate) would work to incentives work much more but leave the safety net there.

    You never know when you need that safety net. one wrong step in front of a taxi could render you hospitalised and out of work


  2. totally agree, what a great opinion. same as the government should only pay for 1 or 2 kids, if you want more (i have) that's your choice you have to find the money to raise them. my father has worked all his life until a back injury recently (he is 62 almost) he cannot get a job because of age or an immigrants would work for less. his money is appalling how can you pay the terrific amount he has in tax/stamps!!(like most working people) to live off that pittance!!(or most working people over 50) crazy world this.

  3. I think that's a great idea.

  4. Great idea if you working, not so if you are unemployed.

  5. they should be provided with the necessary hand tools and be allotted a section of streets in their local area to keep litter free, in order to receive the benefits

  6. This question,valid as it is,in the coming years may be academic,as this country is in serious debt and in no position to repay the 1.4 trillion that is currently owed !!  It will be a bitter pill for civil servants and those dependant on benefits,to find that there is no money to pay them. Gone will be the days of promised,final salary based pensions for the public sector, I fear they will have to suffer the same fate as those, whose hard earned savings (pensions) were pillaged, to provide funds to pay their wages !  The money just aint there and the ability to borrow more is evaporating, along with the ability to service the current debt- this country is almost bankrupt !

  7. i am unemployed right now and i cant claim a penny! i have a mortgage 2 kids and high bills etc etc...but because my husband is in full time work i dont get any benefit at all.

    ive always worked and paid tax.

    the systems are unfair......unless you know how to work it! the less you do for the country the more money you get off the govenment -  its as simple as that! plain WRONG!!! yes unemployment benefit shuld be banned and lazy people should get ff their backsides and WORK! ....sorry rant over! lol

  8. To the person who said that these people have paid there contributions thats bull. I know people who went on benefits straight out of school and haven't worked a day in their lives!!!

    For those of you who are unemployed do you feel that it's unfair to ask you to do something, anything to give a little bit of your free time to help the community to pay back a little of what you have recieved? I understand that a lot of people have paid in but it's not a never-ending pot of money. My mum said when she was in Australia people had to do community work to get there unemployment money whilst looking for work, sorry but if you're fit enough to do then whats the problem? I'm not saying work people 40hours a week, maybe just one day a week or 16hours a week, I would do it I can promise you that! I know it's not always the persons fault they are unemployed but it's not everyone elses either. When I got married and moved I had to give up my job, I was unemployed for three weeks, I have NO qualifications but took any old job because it was better than nothing, and I didn't want to claim benefits. The benefit system is a safety net, just that - but people abuse it to the max and I'm simply sick to death of it! If people are unemployed for more than three months then they should be made to do something more about it, wether that be a training program or community work, even volunteer work.

    PS I am not talking about those on disability (although most of the people on it shouldn't be)

    EDIT: OMG I can't belive Obanpus has three thumbs down!! I completely agree with him, I don't even know why people have such a problem with that!? I seriously do not get it - like I say i would do it, whats the big deal, why does everyone want something for nothing?!!!

  9. Have you not heard of THE NEW DEAL?

    Labour introduced it in 1997. It is exactly what you have said but IT DOESN'T WORK.

  10. No they shouldn't, there are people out there who have lost jobs through no fault of their own, are actively seeking work, but if you live in an area that perhaps once had a thriving community, with factories,, businesses, and those move or go under, where do those people that were employed find work. It's never as simple as people seem to think. You could say they should move, but that's not always possible.

    I found myself in the position of being made redundant, at not a great age! and couldn;t claim anything for a time because how the system of benefits is paid. And finding another job was difficult being many employers out their do discriminate, there's no question about that. Your opinion is valid but its not necessarily a good one.

  11. Absolutely not!!!  Any one who claims unemployment benefit can only do so because they have made their contributions.  Any taxpayers and NI contributors deserve to be looked after when they are in need.

    What would be the alternative?  Would you like to see families homeless, children hungry/  Think again, my opinion is that these benefits should be increased along with state pensions.

    The people of this country deserve more than the bare minimum, which is all that they get.

    All that is needed for this to be affordable is to stop handouts to incomers!!!!!!

    Edit.  

    The people who get job seekers allowance, sick benefit, state pensions are not being subsidised by anyone, they have paid into the system, and are fully entitled to claim the benefits.

    The majority of immigrants coming here take the jobs that are very low pay.  If the employers paid proper wages, more British people would be able to afford to take them.

    It's the wages not the work that is the problem.

  12. I would scrap unemployment benefit. If you want money get a job, it really should be that simple.

  13. as far as I know people on allowances are required to go to the Job centre every week and provide proof they're looking for work.

    besides this I don't think it's such a lot of money that workers are giving to unemployed people.

  14. People who can work - should work.  If every person sat on their backside at home claiming job seekers allowance, had to do some kind of voluntary work before holding his hand out for his benefit - there would be a lot less jobs sitting in the job centre!

    My next door neighbours do not work at all - they live in the same kind of home as me and my husband, they go on holiday every year, they have new clothes, bikes, toys for the kids - and yet they do absolutely nothing to pay for it all.  How is that fair?  My husband and I have 3 children under 5 years old and both work - our neighbours have advised us we'd be better off if we were on benefits...

  15. No they shouldn`t,,not everyone who draws unemployment benefit does so out of choice,,many will find themselves on the dole over the coming months and years as the recession starts to bite,,perhaps you will find yourself on the dole as well,,

  16. No, thats a terrible idea. I went on it for a few weeks in between jobs and I immediately went off it once i got a job

    Its a good thing and the govt should just put more pressure on cheats and give more opportunities to get jobs

  17. No

    some people have paid taxes and get made redundant

    they should receive unemployment benefit  they have paid for it !!!

    i agree some lazy dossers milking the system but not everybody should be pounished for the feckless minority

  18. No!!! for people who are genuinely in need....I have worked for the past 20 years without ever claiming anything from the gov, until last year when I was made redundant from my job, I was reluctant to claim job seekers as I would rather work....as yet haven't found a job but now feel I have paid my NI and taxes and the amount I get does not even cover food bills...I'd rather work but don't have choice.Every time I sign on I am looked at by the job centre advisors as though I have no intention of finding a job and am hounded by them, why aren't the long term unemployed given the same treatment,

    It's very unfair the system

    People who have never worked or just come to UK and not contributed to anything the law should be strict with them.

  19. remove... no

    reform...yes

    for millions of people in the uk... thats their way of life.... its disgraceful...

  20. I think many people are objecting due to the wording of your question.

    I say this because your categories such as training and apprenticeships will act as a form of govt paid work, with an aim of giving these people better employment prospects.

    You can't take away benefits for people not on this system though, since I doubt you could operate these schemes with  100% inclusion of the unemployed. stricter rules are needed though, sometimes 'proving' you've been looking for work can  be way too easy. (and actually looking for work can be way too hard in the times we live in)

  21. The difference in the total benefit one recieves for working for the minimum wage (salary, tax allowances, govt credits etc) and the unemplyment benefit should be sufficiently large as to provide an incentive to work.

  22. No, but should make sure that the system is not being abused and those that do abuse the system should be dealt with harshly.

  23. Whereas I'm the first to complain about people on benefits and the system needs a good overhaul especially with the benefit breeders. What happens if I lose my job tomorrow, I've worked 20 years, and I’ve paid NI for these years and thousands in taxes. I would deserve unemployment benefit, like anyone else on here that has worked and paid contributions.

    However I would think there is a 'time limit' for claiming such a benefit. Everyone should be able to find some sort of work within 6 months.

  24. ive been unemployed for nearly 2 weeks now going to see the job centre ppl on friday i dont want to sign on but with todays standard of living through the roof i have no choice

    and at the moment its really hard to find a job where i live i hate not being able to do anything it annoys the c**p out of me

  25. Workfare is the only sane answer.

    If they are really seeking work then they cannot complain at having to do it!!

    Many countries use this and it is very effective in encouraging people to get real jobs paying better money and leads to almost nobody sponging off the state!!!

  26. b1oody h**l....tell you what lets bring back the workhouses and force them to work for £52 quid a week .

    The poor and vulnerable in our society need our protection not disdain .

    MOST people who claim benefits are honest people . For everyone who has a story of someone taking the p1ss I'll show you 50 family's trying to stay warm and eat .

  27. i get benefits.

    but i paid for them ten times over when i was working.

    probably keeping your silly a*ss in education and free milk.

    wait till your boss realises you have no value, and think again.

  28. It would be better if unemployment benefit was a safety net rather than a hammock!  It's supposed to be there for those in dire need, not just any lazy sod who can't be bothered to get a job.

  29. Yes.

    If you want to work - you will.

    If there is no work,then the unemplyed must be found community work.-clearing litter,etc.

    I have been unemployed and you are desparate for something to do.

  30. No, the majority of cases are genuine. The authorities ought to clamp down on the scum who do very well as benefit cheats
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