Iain Duncan Smith

[zazen999]

Do you want some peanuts with that grandad?

[bubblewrap]

Do you want some peanuts with that grandad?

Pork scratchings please or a tub of whelks.

[Snadger]

No I will still get a full pension & a bit more(serps)

Just checked mine out online. If I was four years aulder I could get 178 nicker a week!!!!!!!

Oh, and mines just a chaser ta very muchly Zaz!

[zazen999]

Oh, and mines just a chaser ta very muchly Zaz!

As usual eh?

[Snadger]

As usual eh?

Aye.........

[Two_Sheds]

It's like being in a pub with two old codgers....real ale anyone?

Make that three.
All my clothes come from Oxfam (except the ones I make myself). Shoes are normally from eBay (that gets the best ones, the charity shops don't get a look in).

And mine's a pale ale of some description, with cheesy chips

[zazen999]

Even with that Tilly Two-Sheds - you glam the place up [real ale or no real ale].

[Cosmo and Dibs]

Perspective:

Population - 61,792,000
Working age (16 - 65) = 62% of pop. = 38,311,040
Long-term unemployed = 772,000. Less than 2% of the working age population.

These 'scroungers' who are supposedly 'content' to live on JSA are not taking over the country! They, assuming they exist at all, are a tiny minority who may well be a burden on society even if their benefits were cut, through drug abuse, thefts etc etc. The people that these policies will hurt the most are the ones that play by the book, and do not deserve to be penalised.

Frankly, I'm shocked by some of the attitudes being expressed, it seems that the right-wing media are doing a great job of having us all turn on each other

Exactly!

To those who think living on £65 per week is cushy.....I suggest you try it, Mr Duncan-Smith!

I've also heard lots of people saying that families just have one child after another simply to get the extra child benefit. To put this in perspective, there are only 900 families on benefit who have 8 or more children. 900 out of a population of 62m.

[Two_Sheds]

Perhaps all the unemployed should move to where the jobs are.

Ah, that would be London. Which is shipping out all the poor people.

[Cosmo and Dibs]

Perhaps one way of getting long-term unemployed people (or unemployed people in general) into a working routine and to build their confidence would be to help and encourage them to obtain some voluntary work in the area they would like to work? i.e. if someone wants to work in retail they can work 2 days a week in Oxfam.

At the moment you are penalised and discouraged from doing voluntary work.

Another area which needs improvement is the training on offer. It is pitiful at present. Also, there is no help with applications or cv writing.

[Cosmo and Dibs]

Perhaps all the unemployed should move to where the jobs are.

Ah, that would be London. Which is shipping out all the poor people.

Ah yes......."get on your bike/get on the bus".

I wish someone would tell me where this utopian town is that has endless job vacancies!

[zazen999]

Another area which needs improvement is the training on offer. It is pitiful at present. Also, there is no help with applications or cv writing.

Actually, when I was on the dole earlier this year - I attended a few free courses and a CV and application and job interview technique course. I applied for a job the next day which I was offered and am still at now.

They are there - it's just you have to dig to find them.

[Two_Sheds]

At the moment you are penalised and discouraged from doing voluntary work.

I made that point earlier in the discussion, but nobody picked up on it.

there is no help with applications or cv writing.

There's plenty of pointers on the Net. This is just one (I'm not recommending it, it's just an eg.)

[Caro]

Actually, when I was on the dole earlier this year - I attended a few free courses and a CV and application and job interview technique course. I applied for a job the next day which I was offered and am still at now.

They are there - it's just you have to dig to find them.

Good on you Zaz. For getting the job particularly - congratulations. But also for having the motivation to find out what's available and making use of it. If you can find free courses and CV/application/job interview training, why can't others?

[Cosmo and Dibs]

But, it shouldn't have to be 'dug up' by the JSA claimant. It should be offered, or even compulsory for someone who has been unemployed for 1 year.