Unemployment and Benefits

[Fester]

According to this BBC NEWS article ,  The Youth unemployment rate in Spain is running at 45%

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13481592

Its a catastrophe.  

If this is true, then surely the rise of Nationalistic and Right Wing movements is imminent?

After all, there are many historical precedents for this...

What government could change its archaic way of thinking, to avert this inevitable problem...  I ask, what can be done?

[Ian]

If this is true, then surely the rise of Nationalistic and Right Wing movements is imminent?  After all, there are many historical precedents for this...

That exact thought crossed my mind as the pictures unfolded on the Beeb's news.  A lot is going to depend on how the international community manages what follows, but my thought is that when living standards plummet and youth unemployment rises rapidly, trouble inevitably ensues.  Hitler faced a very similar problem and solved it through a massive, government-funded construction programme and expansion of the armed forces, following a similar rise in right-wing performance.  

[DaveR]

After reading Fester's post, i was wondering if it would not be better for each unemployed youth to be assigned to a small business within Spain and they would 'earn' their benefit by working within that business, whilst at the same time learning some new skills, making new friends and providing the business owner with some free assistance.

[Trojan]

After reading Fester's post, i was wondering if it would not be better for each unemployed youth to be assigned to a small business within Spain and they would 'earn' their benefit by working within that business, whilst at the same time learning some new skills, making new friends and providing the business owner with some free assistance.

The British Government tried that in the early 1980's, with the YTS - Youth Training Scheme.

£23.50 per week paid by the Government and placed into a local business in a "work experience scheme" that lasted six months.

[Hugo]

I remember the scheme in the 80's and some at the time complained that it was just a means of getting cheap labour for the employers.   It did however enable young people to obtain work experience and obtain a structured and worthwhile way of life and in some cases it also let to them having permanent employment.
If you are going to pay people benefits for doing nothing then surely an incentive to have some work experience would be beneficial to everyone.

[Hugo]

I just cannot understand our immigration policy. It's said that we need the immigrants to boost our economy and I can go along with that providing it is not at the expense of jobs that could be done by the people of the UK.
What I cannot understand also  is why any type of benefit should be paid to them.  Are they here to work and support themselves financially or are they taking advantage of our benefit system?
If no benefits were paid would they then be so keen to come here and bring their families and dependants with them?

[SDQ]

For anyone who is interested.
It appears the benefits situation in Rhyl has hit the BBC radar. Next Monday's Panorama visits the town to report on the situation & speak to some of the unemployed to hear their story. Could be quite interesting.

[DaveR]

Must keep an eye out for that.

[Hugo]

Just finished reading an article in the Daily Mirror about a 20 year old girl on benefits who smoked 3500 cigarettes during her pregnancy and insists that it did the baby good!
She also said " I love having something to do  roll a fag,smoke the fag, watch TV"   
Surprise,surprise, but WORK wasn't mentioned at all. It's one four letter word that they never repeat, perhaps it's too offensive to them.

[Bri Roberts]

Must keep an eye out for that.

That reminds of a joke I heard recently.

A man is dining in a fancy restaurant and there is a gorgeous redhead sitting at the next table. He has been checking her out since he sat down, but lacks the nerve to talk with her.

Suddenly she sneezes, and her glass eye comes flying out of its socket toward the man. He reflexively reaches out, grabs it out of the air, and hands it back.

'Oh my, I am so sorry,' the woman says as she pops her eye back in place...

'Let me buy your dinner to make it up to you,' she says.

They enjoy a wonderful dinner together, and afterwards they go to the theatre followed by drinks. They talk, they laugh, she shares her deepest dreams and he shares his.. She listens.

After paying for everything, she asks him if he would like to come to her place for a nightcap and stay for breakfast. They had a wonderful, wonderful time.

The next morning, she cooks a gourmet meal with all the trimmings. The guy is amazed. Everything had been SO incredible! 'You know,' he said, 'you are the perfect woman. Are you this nice to every guy you meet?'

'No,' she replies.
 
You just happened to catch my eye.

[Fester]

Just finished reading an article in the Daily Mirror about a 20 year old girl on benefits who smoked 3500 cigarettes during her pregnancy and insists that it did the baby good!
She also said " I love having something to do  roll a fag,smoke the fag, watch TV"    
Surprise,surprise, but WORK wasn't mentioned at all. It's one four letter word that they never repeat, perhaps it's too offensive to them.

The word VERMIN springs to mind...once again.

Surely in the REAL world, she can't afford a fag, or a TV license, and certainly not a baby... I'm sick of it.  :puke2: :puke2:

[Hugo]

Following a conversation I had with an elderly friend I thought that I'd check out something for myself.  I hope that this loophole has been closed by now as it just makes my blood boil!       :rage:

Returning Polish workers encouraged to keep claiming British benefits
Returning Polish workers are being encouraged to continue claiming hundreds of pounds in benefits from British taxpayers.
By Martin Beckford and Matthew Day

6:46PM GMT 04 Nov 2008

Comment

 
Job centre staff in Poland say increasing numbers of people are coming back to their home country after losing work in the UK and Ireland.
They are hosting special meetings to explain to them that rather than signing on for Polish unemployment benefit, which pays just £120 a month, they should use a European Union loophole to continue claiming Jobseeker's Allowance from Britain at a rate of about £260 a month.
The rules allow any European worker who is already claiming unemployment benefit in Britain to continue receiving it for three months after they move elsewhere, earning them almost £800.
Latest figures suggest Britain's generous benefits system is paying out £170million a year to Eastern European migrants, with millions in Child Benefit going to children who still live in their home countries.
Renata Cygan, vice director of the regional employment office in the south-western Polish town of Opole, said: "In Opole we have had 553 people apply for Polish benefit – 200 more than last year.
"We've come to think that if somebody worked abroad then they should apply for the benefit in that country. Why should we pay? That is why we have organised these information meetings, so people know about foreign benefits."
She said her office had received 10 calls in just one day from Poles returning home from Ireland who wanted to keep claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.
According to the leading Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, another job centre in Rzeszow received more inquiries about how to claim British and Irish unemployment benefits in one week than it had all the previous year.
The Home Office estimates that as many as 100,00 Poles have returned home over the past year. Many more are predicted to leave as the British economy worsens, although the Federation of Poles in Great Britain claims only those who had no families or who were doing cash-in-hand jobs are likely to give up their lives in the UK.
Critics said it is wrong for anyone to claim benefits from a country in which they are no longer resident.
Mark Wallace, campaign director of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "A lot of people will be very surprised that the British benefits system is paying for people on the other side of the continent.
"It is meant to be a safety net for people in this country who are unable to work. It is a sign of serious mismanagement if the rules allow people to return to Eastern Europe and still live at the British taxpayer's expense."

[Hugo]

I'll have to give up watching TV programmes like the UK Border Force as I just get mad at the red tape that restricts these officers from doing their duty.       :rage:
When a suspected illegal immigrant is detained by the UK Border Force surely it should be for the suspect to prove who they are and where they have come from BUT it isn't.   Unless the officers can obtain a passport or other evidence from this usually uncooperative suspect they cannot deport him but will arrest him then later release him with certain conditions like reporting to the Police Station every week.
Needless to say that the vast majority of these illegals abscond and don't report back as requested.  Those that do comply with the  conditions get an allowance of £33.00 per day for their living expenses.
It's no wonder that the officers from the UK Border Force are dissatisfied with the restrictions put on them

[Trojan]

On the flip side to unemployed people claiming benefits, a Llanrwst lollipop man says he was forced to resign because CCBC were overpaying him by £1.30 which effected his benefits.

Councils across Britain are struggling to recruit school crossing patrollers, with some blaming a ‘benefits trap’ that means retired applicants would lose out by doing the job.

http://www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk/conwy-county-news/local-conwy-news/2011/07/21/llanrwst-lollipop-man-says-he-was-forced-to-resign-55243-29090585/

[Hugo]

This is an  anomaly but there are many others too such as some benefits being taxable and some benefits not but no one should be better off not working than someone who is prepared to work as it's just not fair.
With regard to the Polish people who have been laid off work and returned to Poland and have been advised to continue claiming benefits from Britain. This is just ridiculous as one of the benefits has to be Job Seekers allowance and they have to be in a position of being able to work but how can they be if they are now back in Poland.