I usually pride myself on being up to date on the nasty politics of Westminster and the continued attacks on the poor, the unemployment, the vulnerable, the disabled, the homeless, the sick, children, low paid workers…….yeah I know it’s a long list and Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberals all take great pride in the kicking them every couple of days.
This morning, when I put on the news, I was actually shocked. Now it would take a lot to shock anyone anymore regarding the attacks on the above by Westminster but this one really takes the piss. Help to Work will mean that anyone unemployed for more than two years will have to sign on everyday at the job centre because according to Adolf Duncan Smith there are between 200,000 and 600,000 jobs at any given time. Now there are around three million unemployed so a wee problem there right off. Failure to attend will result in a four-week removal of benefit then for a second offence 13 weeks.
Add this to new tougher rules on JSA, which also kick in today, this change, will encourage people to not even apply due to the fact they won’t get any money thus making more people destitute. For those people unemployment for more than two years they will have to take part in a mandatory volunteer placement of six months, serious assault only gets three months community service, or they will have to meet a job advisor every day. So we might just see queues outside job centre’s, welcome to the 80’s people, the Tories are definitely back. Like in the 80’s there was Kinnock, one of the most ineffective Labour leaders of all time and now we have Miliband, one of the most ineffective Labour leaders of all time. The really sad thing is Miliband is in a really right-wing ineffective Labour Party and there is also an equally ineffective right-wing Liberal Democratic Party.
What happens now, will the job centre pay the bus fares to get there to sign on everyday? What if you live in the countryside or on the outskirts of the cities, are you expected to walk 6 miles there and back everyday? Could someone please explain to me why any of this can even remotely be classed as a decent society, better together anyone.
There will come a tipping point, once you start to starve people, people will start to fight back. If you keep pushing and pushing, if you keep using sanctions that are punitive and have nothing to do with improving life chances then you are going to put people into a corner with nothing to lose. What the hell is this country coming to and anyone thinking of voting no in September seriously need to look at themselves. Britain, if that’s what you believe in, is DEAD. There is little decency or honesty in this country anymore, the right-wing parties are being pushed further to the right by UKip and you want me to vote NO. Help to Work is the latest, and lowest, attack yet on the poor and I am disgusted this morning that the country I live in could for one minute think this is the right thing to do, the politicians today are the scum of the earth. Happy to have to nuclear weapons but unhappy to provide even the basics for its citizens. Shame on every one of them, for the record Labour abstained on the last votes on Welfare, if there have ever been a bigger bunch of COWARDS in this country I am yet to meet them.
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
If I on the island of Canna and have to sign on in Fort William, is this how I go about it? Ferry from Canna to Mallaig, on Monday, Wednesday or Friday arriving between 5 and 6pm. Also a ferry on Saturday and Sunday. Train to Fort William, arriving 1937 MWF. Overnight in Fort William and sign on Tuesday or Thursday. Back to Mallaig, but the train to catch the ferry leaves at 0830 and the bus at 0855. Problem.
Iain
It is just more attacks on people in difficult circumstances and has nothing to do with getting people back into work but about saving money from the ‘undeserving poor’ of the main political parties. I was thinking this morning when I heard this, wasn’t this some of the stuff that Adolf did in the 30’s onwards in Germany as a way of sowing discord.
There will come a tipping point though.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
OK, Canna’s a bit remote. Let’s say I live in Kilchoan in Ardnamurchan. No problem! I can get the bus at 0750 and be in Fort William by 1020. Back home again by 4pm. Plenty time to look for a job.
“unemployed for more than two years will have to sign on everyday at the job centre because according to Adolf Duncan Smith there are between 200,000 and 600,000 jobs at any given time. Now there are around three million unemployed so a wee problem there right off”
You are wrong here as it is fact at any given time there is actually only between 200,000 and 600,000 who have been unemployed for more than 2 years. The rest have been unemployed for less than 2 years so will not need to sign on every day.
I disagree with what they are doing but you should keep the facts in context.
Topham
It’s the bbc and IDS who were quoted as far as the job figure but will check it out anyway.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Topham
ONS have it as 880 000 long term unemployed which is 148 % on the 2008 figures. So we were all wrong by the look of it.
Bruce
Bruce,
Well there you have it. We were all wrong indeed!
Thanks for the search.
Sir Hatt
If you have to spend your days signing on, exactly how do you look for work? I agree that soon, very soon they will reach the tipping point, I want Scotland out of the Union before that happens and we should not send police or troops to help in this case.
Helena
On top of all that it was confirmed today that DWP will not be paying bus fares to get to the job centre. I hate the UK.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce