lifestile | Blogs | Big Society in the North

Sep 06

Back to main page
How can we get people on UK benefits to take part in the big society ?

In association with my other post, I put the question is the big society only for the middle classes. To be more proactive, rather than negative, I suggest that if people want to be part of the big society, then they should be allowed to do so. There should be no threat from the DWP to cut, sanction, or stop people on benefits if they want to part of this agenda. This includes volunteering. Also, I have heard that claimants are being forced to do full days work (such as working in shops), or being forced to put in a position where they are managed, which may include removal of there 'trustee/ director' position, and to be managed, but they only get there benefit + £15. If they refuse, then they get there benefit cut, then stopped for several weeks. An easy reform to make - lay off these people.The Decision makers should be removed. They are more like poverty enforcers, keeping the poor poor, while trying to justify that they are there to help. If people are entitled then they should get money, if not, well they wont - what the purpose of these people except to try to socially control the poor to remain poor..
While the benefit is called 'job seekers allowance' it is about getting millions of people search after jobs. I think this is demeaning and pointless. Peoples lives should not be about based around looking for work - hence the point of my previous post.

So, how can we help people to be part of this agenda?. I am proposing that people should start developing there own projects, maybe get them set up via the inland revenue - charities. But this will not work if the about (the DWP) does not lay off the poor.
Instead of people deciding whether people get benefit, these people should have 'mentors'. or buddies. These mentors should be linked with other agencies, and are their to help people get through life. These will encourage people to get involved, to seek medical advice or whatever. They could mentor each other maybe. These could be paid via a system like the community allowance. A great idea, if it is used right, and not used by the politics machine to keep people on benefits. People should not be 'encouraged' by benefit cuts, but helped. for example. local people with a expertise in growing fruit and veg should work with others to provide this for the people. There should be a campaign for the amount of waste of food and products from supermarkets. Instead of throwing it out, donate it to groups that can re-distribute it to people who cannot afford such items.
Use APL to help these people - use their interests and skills as a basis for further training (and a thing called employment)..

these are just a sample of ideas. In fact, I am involved with a new project in Newcastle that is setting up projects using these methods - were just starting though.. (end of lifestile plug)

what do you think ?

any further ideas ??

0 comments

Warren Hardy

Sep 14

Back to main page
A response to the welfare consultation - big society mentioned ? No.

I have quickly read the document about 21st century welfare, and I will make some more of a response later, but my initial views are: The document proposes a range of problems, complexities, and issues about the benefit system, and there willingness to be fair.. It proposes a single payment for all all the benefits from the DWP, the tax office, local authorities etc. However, the document and proposal seems flawed from the start. It does not really ask about how do modernize welfare in an unbiased way, it is obvious that they are doing this to cut the welfare bill .

Even though the idea of a single payment system does have some merit, it will be hard to administer. It assumes that the problem is about getting people into work. for this to work, then there must be jobs for people to go to. It also mentions fraud and error. Fraud presently takes up less than 1% of the DWP budget, and it also assumes that people claiming benefit MAY commit fraud, as the present system some encourages it. The document also makes an issue about affordable housing - and asks how they can help this to take place (more or less). This is like asking people how they stop people killing each other in Africa. not sure if it based on reality. It also implies, indirectly, that people on tax credits are going to treat the same as people on job seekers as it is going to be an integrated system. This single benefit will be paid and also cut, dependent on job search search. It also claims that there is evidence to show that cutting peoples benefit helps peoples into work. The core problem is about jobs. some of the proposals assumes (as said) there are jobs available. However, with an economic crisis still ahead, potentially tens of thousands, if not millions of jobs about to go, building a benefit system around actively seeking work, and cutting peoples benefit if they do not, (this is now called 'conditionality) does not add up. There are 4 million homes, with 5 million people without work. There are 8 million people economically inactive, and some figures say that up to 11 million people may have problems with health conditions etc.

Unless the government can see about creating between 4 and say, 10 million jobs, then this system MAY sound more logical. To have work as the foundation of a benefit system is a nice concept. But that is what it is. A concept. Another point. A long time time ago I started typing in words in the search of documents - to see direct references to them. (I propose this for anyone !!) In this case. i put these words in the pdf search engine -

big society 0
third sector 0
education 0 (apart from two references to educational in the preference)
voluntary work 0
charity / charitable 0
fraud 23 times !! (however, there is no mention of how error often means stopping peoples benefit for several months. ' by mistake'. partnership 0
community (2 found in footnotes only)
appeal 0 (does this mean that the process of appeal does not exist.. consultation - there were loads of these, however, they were all about the consultation document / process itself - ie this welfare reform does include consulting people on benefit.. As I said before, the big society does not include those people on benefit - I know this, because its not mentioned in the consultation document..

So much for the big society Again, this is just my initial view. I am not sure if sending a response to government will make much headway, but.. I may also copy this as a blog as well.

Comments please !!