By Jenny Howarth
Tory Chancellor George Osborne (pictured) has
announced the return of the workhouse, in all but name, in a callous and cynical
clampdown on Britain’s long-term unemployed during a speech at the Conservative
Party conference.
The tough but exploitative stance comes into effect
in April 2014 and will affect every claimant who has been unemployed for over
three years. Those affected could face thirty hours of unpaid community work per
week for six months; such as making meals for the elderly, cleaning up litter
and graffiti or charity work, plus 10 hours of “job search activity”. They may
also be required to visit the jobcentre every day, which some commentators have
said is treating unemployed people like criminals who are required to sign in
daily at their local police station.
The Tories have also announced a mandatory
intensive regime for claimants with underlying health problems such as mental
health issues, drug addiction or illiteracy. Those who refuse face sanctions of
a loss of benefit for 4 weeks for a first offense, rising to 3 months for a
second and 3 years for repeat offenders.
The Conservative Party believes this to be the
correct approach, insisting the aim is to help long-term unemployed back into
work. However, critics are citing “work for your dole” as a cynical ploy to
exploit the unemployed and stigmatise the poor, with Shadow Treasury Secretary,
Rachel Reeves saying: “It’s taken three wasted years of rising long-term
unemployment and a failed Work Programme to come up with this new scheme.”
In contrast, Labour’s compulsory jobs guarantee,
involves working with employers, ensuring there is a paid job for every young
person out of work for over 12 months and for every unemployed older
unemployment benefit claimants who have been out of work for more than two
years. If these job offers are not accepted they face losing their benefits.
This is unlike the Tory scheme, which the Shadow Treasury Secretary compared to
leaving people languishing on the dole for years without having a proper
job.
The chancellor told the Tory Party Conference that
for the first time all long-term unemployed people, who are capable of work,
will be required to do something in return for their benefits. The scheme when
it comes into force in April 2014 will target the 200,000 long-term Jobseeker’s
Allowance (JSA) claimants a year, many of which have been failed by the
government’s controversial Work Programme.
Critics of the Work Programme say the government
are cynically blaming long-term unemployed people for the failures of work
schemes by demanding they continue to work for free. Opponents of the Work
Programme say the schemes amount to nothing less than ‘slave labour’, as they
provide free labour for businesses to assist them in keeping wage costs down.
The government has vehemently denied this.
Those with underlying problems like drink and drug
addiction and mental health issues will be given an intensive regime of help, as
will those who have literacy problems the government say, which critics have
described as stigmatising the unemployed and those with debilitating mental
health conditions.
The Daily Stigma – an online paper, run by mental
health charity MIND – carries the story of a benefit claimant with paranoia. He
fees guilty about claiming benefits and scared to go anywhere in case people
think he is a ‘scrounger’ milking the system. For him, it is a constant
nightmare, being made to feel like the lowest of the low. In the same edition, a
benefits advisor agrees, saying that every day they deal with claimants who have
been found fit to work despite having serious mental health conditions. They
cite the example of a claimant who has schizophrenia, whilst this is pretty much
under control; he still struggles with paranoia and cannot handle pressure well.
The anxiety caused by the assessment process and job hunting is causing so much
stress, the advisor is concerned he will be pushed back into severe illness.
The Tories new “work for you dole” approach follows
‘hot on the heels’ of prime minister David Cameron’s reiteration that he has no
plan to introduce the ‘mansion tax’ on high-priced properties if re-elected in
2015. For the PM the “wealth tax is not sensible for a country that wants to
attract wealth creation and wants to reward saving and people who work hard and
do the right thing.” Labour say that this is yet more proof that the
Conservatives are the party of the rich.
In addition, the Chancellor said that he is
offering an economic plan for “hardworking people”. Osborne claims the plan will
create jobs and keep mortgage rates low as well as allowing working people to
keep more of their income, tax-free.
