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From:

davegodfrey

Do you mind if I try to resurrect teh weekly food challenge?

From:

miss_s_b

I wouldn't mind in the slightest! I had, actually, completely forgotten about it because I suck.

From: (Anonymous)

Hi Jennie,

Just curious really.

Are you only opposed to people working in for-profit organisations in return for work-related benefits, or would you also oppose people having to do community-related work in return for work-related benefits?

Cheers,

Andrew (@Andy56_uk)

From:

miss_s_b

I think that people should be paid the same wage for doing the same job. So if someone is on work-related benefits and there is work available at a voluntary or community-based organisation they could do that for CV building etc (in fact, one of my partners did voluntary work at the PDSA while out of work recently, and I've done voluntary work for the CAB myself). But if they are going to be shelf-stacking at Tesco they should be paid the going rate for shelf-stackers.

Compulsion is a different issue, and I can see arguments both sides for making people on benefits do SOMETHING. But if they are doing a job that other people get paid for, then they should be paid too.

From: (Anonymous)

Thanks for getting back to me.

I agree with you on all of that. Like you say, the SOMETHING is the tricky bit, and I suspect that is the area where people (you and I included) would start disagreeing.

Cheers,

Andrew

From:

miss_s_b

Oh yes, probably. My liberal instincts are against any form of compulsion in anything, but I can understand why people get upset about "spongers" too... It's just that very few people in the benefit system ARE spongers. They are the dispossessed, or have mental problems, or are discriminated against for other reasons, or there just aren't any jobs they can get no matter how hard they try. I don't think the current workfare system helps with any or those - in fact in some cases I think it makes it worse (compulsory slave labour IS taking away paid jobs, for instance).

From: (Anonymous)

Agree that relatively few people are spongers, and would argue that they shouldn't be supported with your money and my money at all. I suspect you wouldn't hold that view, but we will have to agree to disagree there.

Those in gunuine need due to illness or incapacity should be supported without reservation I think, but if someone needs support because they are temporarily out of a job, then I feel there are positive aspects to expecting them to give something back. Apart from anything else, it would help to stop them vegitating, and I've been there so know what it can be like.

Again, agree with your "slave labour" view where someone is being expected to do a job that would otherwise be paid for at at least the mimimum wage. That's why I was interested in your view regarding some sort of work for the community in return for social support.

From:

miss_s_b

With spongers, I vacillate. I mean, if they have children then no way should the children be punished for the sins of the parents. But then what do you do instead?

Agreed that there are positive aspects to expecting something to be given back, but that somewhat depends on there being something available for them to do that they can be paid a fair wage for.

From: (Anonymous)

Spongers with kids is a very difficult one. Again I agree that children shouldn't suffer for their parent, but commenting further could lead to a very tense discussion I think! :-)

The "fair wage" would be the financial support that they get until they find a "proper" job, surely? Otherwise the implication is that there is a paying job available that they could do, in which case they shouldn't really be expecting social support anyway - they should take the job!

From:

miss_s_b

Or the business that is employing them should make the work available at a fair wage rather than expecting a full time worker for free from the government, while the worker gets JSA

From: (Anonymous)

Absolutely - if we are talking about work at a for-profit organisation.

I was thinking more along the lines of part-time work as a "friend" to visit old/infirm people for company and a bit of dusting, or the old chestnut of picking up litter in the park for a couple of hours.

The latter could be argued as a job that the coucil could/should create a role for, but ultimately it's the same thing: council workers get paid by the local council, local council gets paid by us, so either way the person doing a few hours work for the council is still being paid by us whether they get their money through JSA or direct from the council.

This is only a stop-gap while they look for a "proper" job that suits their skills and ambitions.

From:

miss_s_b

Hmm... Again, I can see both sides of that. There is the aspect that it could be seen as criminalising joblessness - community service being a punishment we give to criminals. I'm not fixed on it, by any means, but I'm uncomfortable with aspects of it.

From: (Anonymous)

I think there is a distinct difference.

Community Service as a punishment (or atonement if you prefer) that is handed down by a court is unpaid.

I would have thought that doing paid community work to help you through until you find your next job would be far less stigmatized than just picking up your dole money and sitting at home all day. Surely that's where the misguided belief that all out of work people are "spongers" stems from.

I do understand your caution, and it's something that would need very careful design and implementation, but done properly I feel there would be benefits for everyone.

From:

staceyuk

If you could have your perfect episode of Doctor Who, what would it be like?

From:

miss_s_b

<3 I'll let you know when the post is done.

Done: http://miss-s-b.dreamwidth.org/1695722.html

Edited (edited to add link to post) Date: Monday, November 16th, 2015 07:49 pm (UTC)

From:

miss_s_b

sfred tagged me in a five questions meme. They asked:

1. If you had to not live where you live, where would you live?
2. What would 15-year-old Jennie think of now-Jennie?
3. What fictional universe would you like to live in?
4. What's for tea?
5. What are you listening to?

And you can find my answers here

From:

miss_s_b

Adelle asked me Why I Blog

From:

miss_s_b

el_staplador asked me my feelings about Top Gear lineups

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About This Blog

Hello! I'm Jennie (known to many as SB, due to my handle, or The Yorksher Gob because of my old blog's name). This blog is my public face; click here for a list of all the other places you can find me on t'interwebs.

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