LIGA LIGGERS
More evidence reaches the Eye of how the government's privatised work schemes simply don't work.
The likes of recruitment company Liga UK, which boasts that "we are driven by our social responsibility to help others", are sinking to new depths to claim their finders' fees, as one chief exec has found.
SURF, Scotland's independent regeneration group, which aims to improve health and wellbeing in deprived areas, received 400 applications in response to an advert for a part-time admin job. Chief Exec Andy Milne also received an email from the folk at Liga Uk, who were keen to let him know that they were "a government-funded training provider who help young people get into the workplace".
Liga helpfully suggested that Milne consider converting the paid job into an "apprenticeship" placement. After all, it suggested, "If you do take on an apprentice for this role, you only need to pay them £100-£270 per week." Liga UK also offered a further inducement in the form of £1,500 placement fee from the government.
What Liga failed to mention was that if SURF agreed to shove the poor recruit out of the promised job, Liga could also claim an apprenticeship placement "success" and pick up its own fee. Milne asked Liga why on earth the government would want it to displace a real job with an apprenticeship. He is still waiting for an answer.
HOUSING NEWS
Welfare reforms brought in by the coalition were already bringing down rents, said a confident Cameron in January last year. "What we have seen so far, as housing benefit has been reformed and reduced, is that rent levels have come down, so we have stopped ripping off the taxpayers."
But have they come down? It seemed unlikely at the time, although it reflected a widespread belief in government that the local housing allowance (the form of housing benefit paid to private renters) was somehow causing rent inflation.
A year on, and with more housing benefit cuts due in April, rents are stubbornly refusing to go anywhere but up. A report from Shelter based on the government's Valuation Office Agency figures say rents have risen 2.8% in the past year. That's faster than the 1.7% rise in house prices and comes at a time when wages are at a standstill.
Several areas saw double-digit rises, including eye-watering 10.8% in one local authority whith which Cameron should be familiar: West Oxfordshire, home to his Witney constituency.
More evidence reaches the Eye of how the government's privatised work schemes simply don't work.
The likes of recruitment company Liga UK, which boasts that "we are driven by our social responsibility to help others", are sinking to new depths to claim their finders' fees, as one chief exec has found.
SURF, Scotland's independent regeneration group, which aims to improve health and wellbeing in deprived areas, received 400 applications in response to an advert for a part-time admin job. Chief Exec Andy Milne also received an email from the folk at Liga Uk, who were keen to let him know that they were "a government-funded training provider who help young people get into the workplace".
Liga helpfully suggested that Milne consider converting the paid job into an "apprenticeship" placement. After all, it suggested, "If you do take on an apprentice for this role, you only need to pay them £100-£270 per week." Liga UK also offered a further inducement in the form of £1,500 placement fee from the government.
What Liga failed to mention was that if SURF agreed to shove the poor recruit out of the promised job, Liga could also claim an apprenticeship placement "success" and pick up its own fee. Milne asked Liga why on earth the government would want it to displace a real job with an apprenticeship. He is still waiting for an answer.
HOUSING NEWS
Welfare reforms brought in by the coalition were already bringing down rents, said a confident Cameron in January last year. "What we have seen so far, as housing benefit has been reformed and reduced, is that rent levels have come down, so we have stopped ripping off the taxpayers."
But have they come down? It seemed unlikely at the time, although it reflected a widespread belief in government that the local housing allowance (the form of housing benefit paid to private renters) was somehow causing rent inflation.
A year on, and with more housing benefit cuts due in April, rents are stubbornly refusing to go anywhere but up. A report from Shelter based on the government's Valuation Office Agency figures say rents have risen 2.8% in the past year. That's faster than the 1.7% rise in house prices and comes at a time when wages are at a standstill.
Several areas saw double-digit rises, including eye-watering 10.8% in one local authority whith which Cameron should be familiar: West Oxfordshire, home to his Witney constituency.
