most people want to work. most people want to earn a decent wage for the work they do.
there are some who don't want to work and live off the state.
of those who live off the state only a minority are living the life of riley, most people on social are not having fun and are living hand to mouth.
david cameron and the coaltion want to make "work pay". cameron says: "never again will work be the wrong financial choice... we are finally going to make work pay for some of the poorest people in our society."
they are talking about a universal credit that would replace, and simplify, the curent mix of benefits. as such a benefit would be paid as a lump sum you would see how much better off you would be in work rather than being in receipt of benefits (which can only be read as that the universal benefit would be somewhat less than the sum of its parts).
they are talking about those on benefit getting to keep more their benefits if they work part-time and/or decide to extend their hours (which can be read as being an admission that for many people the only jobs available are minimum wage).
those are the carrots.
the stick is: refuse a job and you lose your benefits for three years (which if taken to its logical extreme means some are condemned to become homeless beggars).
the carrot and the stick: perfect plan.
sort of.
the only problem is there are not enough jobs.
don't worry the adam smith institute have a sort of solution to that: "The minimum wage prices the most unskilled and inexperienced out of work and it should be abolished if the welfare reforms are to have the impact the government hopes." says sam bowman.
fantastic - no need to worry about people being able to live a decent life, just have them queue outside employer's and offer their services as cheaply as possible. what does it matter that they can't earn enough money to rent a place to live; a few people sharing a bed never hurt anyone. what does it matter if they can't earn enough money to travel to work; find a sweatshop near-by and you can sleep there as well as work there. what does it matter if they can't earn enough money to feed themselves afterall eating takes time and time is money.
it is good to see that people like sam bowman have such a realistic grasp on what it is to live on minimum wage, the princely sum of £5.93 an hour - if you are over the age of 21 (which works out at around £12,400 a year or apprximately £10,500 take home or around £201 a week - expect to lose a chunk of that on rent, some more on travel and learn to eat cheaply and maybe you will have some cash left to actually enjoy the fruits of your labour).
sam bowman doesn't care if you enjoy yourself, he just wants you sort of fit, sort of healthy and buying just enough to keep the economy ticking over.
to sam bowman you are not a real person - you are just someone who if you are on minimum wage should be prepared to tighten that belt a bit tighter, to not want things and just work and work and work until you drop.
sam bowman has probably got a plan for a nice range of flop/doss houses where workers can crash a night for the cost of a few pounds so that they can be in work early the next day.
iain duncan smith might have been moved by some of the stories he heard when he did his tour of 'broken britain' and he might actually want to make a real and proper difference.
i suspect that david cameron and george osborne hew more to the line of sam bowman and they all want to punish the poor and punish the unemployed for simply being unemployed.
create the jobs first and perhaps then would be the time to complain that the unemployed don't want to work.
the simple fact is if there are no jobs then people can't work and not everyone can (or wants to) move to the south east.
time to tug forlocks and doff caps. the new divide starts here.
there are some who don't want to work and live off the state.
of those who live off the state only a minority are living the life of riley, most people on social are not having fun and are living hand to mouth.
david cameron and the coaltion want to make "work pay". cameron says: "never again will work be the wrong financial choice... we are finally going to make work pay for some of the poorest people in our society."
they are talking about a universal credit that would replace, and simplify, the curent mix of benefits. as such a benefit would be paid as a lump sum you would see how much better off you would be in work rather than being in receipt of benefits (which can only be read as that the universal benefit would be somewhat less than the sum of its parts).
they are talking about those on benefit getting to keep more their benefits if they work part-time and/or decide to extend their hours (which can be read as being an admission that for many people the only jobs available are minimum wage).
those are the carrots.
the stick is: refuse a job and you lose your benefits for three years (which if taken to its logical extreme means some are condemned to become homeless beggars).
the carrot and the stick: perfect plan.
sort of.
the only problem is there are not enough jobs.
don't worry the adam smith institute have a sort of solution to that: "The minimum wage prices the most unskilled and inexperienced out of work and it should be abolished if the welfare reforms are to have the impact the government hopes." says sam bowman.
fantastic - no need to worry about people being able to live a decent life, just have them queue outside employer's and offer their services as cheaply as possible. what does it matter that they can't earn enough money to rent a place to live; a few people sharing a bed never hurt anyone. what does it matter if they can't earn enough money to travel to work; find a sweatshop near-by and you can sleep there as well as work there. what does it matter if they can't earn enough money to feed themselves afterall eating takes time and time is money.
it is good to see that people like sam bowman have such a realistic grasp on what it is to live on minimum wage, the princely sum of £5.93 an hour - if you are over the age of 21 (which works out at around £12,400 a year or apprximately £10,500 take home or around £201 a week - expect to lose a chunk of that on rent, some more on travel and learn to eat cheaply and maybe you will have some cash left to actually enjoy the fruits of your labour).
sam bowman doesn't care if you enjoy yourself, he just wants you sort of fit, sort of healthy and buying just enough to keep the economy ticking over.
to sam bowman you are not a real person - you are just someone who if you are on minimum wage should be prepared to tighten that belt a bit tighter, to not want things and just work and work and work until you drop.
sam bowman has probably got a plan for a nice range of flop/doss houses where workers can crash a night for the cost of a few pounds so that they can be in work early the next day.
iain duncan smith might have been moved by some of the stories he heard when he did his tour of 'broken britain' and he might actually want to make a real and proper difference.
i suspect that david cameron and george osborne hew more to the line of sam bowman and they all want to punish the poor and punish the unemployed for simply being unemployed.
create the jobs first and perhaps then would be the time to complain that the unemployed don't want to work.
the simple fact is if there are no jobs then people can't work and not everyone can (or wants to) move to the south east.
time to tug forlocks and doff caps. the new divide starts here.
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