Crackdown on benefits for jobless
Friday 22nd July 2011, 3:00PM BST.
Social Security Minister Ian Gorst
TOUGH new measures to make Islanders on benefits look for work were yesterday agreed by the States.
The regulations proposed by the Social Security Minister target teenagers who would rather live with their parents and take hand-outs than find employment.
Deputy Ian Gorst warned there was a danger that the current levels of benefits acted as a disincentive to youngsters under 19 going out to work or staying in education.
‘It is vitally important that a culture of dependence is not allowed to take a grip within this group,’ he said.
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Wow he’s not daft is he, only a year or two behind the posters on this forum. Is this what you do in politics, read local newspaper forums to guage public opinion, ignore most of it and nick the best ideas, I can do that.
Not sure I could consistently break promises, stiff people with tax and accept all the freebies going though.
Somebody give that man a decent meal, he looks like Spock returning from a 3 months tour in Dachau.
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has Gorst only discovered this when everybody has been saying this all along..has his head been buried in the sand or up his ********
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Yes we need more incentive for work But if you wish to save tens of millions of pounds you must deliver cheque book accountability of states spending online just as they do in every state city and towns of America unless of course you have something to hide.
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Creating a few jobs for this age group would be a good start. Perhaps the good deputy should check out just how difficult it is for school levers to find work before he starts labelling them scroungers and makes life even more difficult.
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About time too. It’s quite disheartening for us older ones who are in work to hear and know of quite capable youngsters who can work, but don’t want to work but can find time to go on the beach. Where do they think this money comes from that they can claim – it comes from the people who are working and putting in their share. I cannot afford to give up (only 10 years from pensionable age) but at the same time I get fed up of knowing that my contribution is supporting someone who is capable of working but will not. I’d love to be out on the beach/park/garden on a summer day, who wouldn’t. I am not against the ones who cannot work because of long term illness/disability, they need help. Also, a lot of parents just tell their youngsters to just go and register and claim BUT don’t always encourage them to take any job, because it is easy money compared to when we had the old welfare system. The youngsters have to realise that they cannot go out and earn high wages straight away, do a selection of jobs and learn some life skills along the way. If you are in employment, you get employment.
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It is about time that the States acted, you see the youngsters walking around town not interested in finding jobs because they know they can get benefits. Our money, I know of people who have given up work and got pregnant because the States will pay more than the wages
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I’m staggered that this wasn’t always the case. Isn’t it obvious??? There are far too many of the cant work, wont work brigade. Shouldn’t this apply to everyone? Why should tax payers pay for those whose only interest is to play the system?
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I’d be fully supportive of this acttion if there were actually any jobs out there for people to get at.
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Sorry but although i think the idea is good on paper, it is not hitting the biggest problem ! It is those married with famlies who are the biggest problem, as they claims they can make in handouts is massivly greater and sometimes unbelievable ! What incentive does the future generation within that family get when they see a parent staying home all day and still getting money in hand to pay the bills ! In the late 90′s when managing a supermarket, I contacted the parish welfare dept asking if i could provide 40hr employment to someone on their books. 2 males came forward, and I chose to employ a family man in his 30′s who had not been working for either 2 or 3yrs. The outcome was that he didn’t last the week. To my horror I discovered that he was back instantly claiming his benifits, as the parish could not even delay any payments to him as it would have meant that his children would have no money coming into the house. When I said to the lady at the department ”this is wrong” her reply was ”tell me about it but thats the law” ! The same must also I imagine apply to the single mothers who are also claiming handouts !
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Electioneering at its worst. Like any dictatorship, votes are sought by picking on the weak and vulnerable.
They won’t stop immigration, the island is flooded with immigrants, local people can’t get jobs and they do this because it’s easier to win votes this way than it is to tackle immigration.
Hail the new and acceptable face of extreme right wing politics. Gorst is “new wine in old bottles”.
And why should parents be penalised?
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I have been unemployed for nearly three years, I was formally a Credit Controller for an Insurance Company before being made redundant.
I have since returned to full-time education and intend to start a degree in September as would rather be a struggling student than an unemployed ***!
The States of Jersey fail to realise that their are over 4,000 people unemployed including students such as myself and those managing to gain long-term invalidity benefit rather than convincing a supposed job coach that they are actively seeking gainful employment and who can blame them.
Fact, their is very little gainful employment; primarily due to a population saturation and the influx of european workers. Fact, if nothing is done to limit such an influx the current problems will seem minor a decade from now.
Jersey cannot and never has adaquately supported Jersey people and certainly cannot support others whether our Finance Industry remains healthy or not.
Regards
Shane
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It’s about time they stopped the discrimination against the jersey people. That, together with a robust immigration policy (not the whitewash of mock id cards which has been offered as a sop) would deal with the problem. The only reason that Gorse is putting this forward is because he wants to go for senator and this is an easy way of vilifying alowly sector of society. It’s a bit like 1930s germany when persecution of another vulnerable group took hold due to cheap, reactionary politics.
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No 10 – what a cheek ! At least the ‘immigrants’ want to work. The locals are lazy and know they can claim benefits. I am sick and tired of hearing yu people moan about immigrants. Why must I pay for your child to lie on the beach. Hes yours, yu look after him. Down with benefits.
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What about the elderly claiming pensions? isn’t that our money? remember when prices where realistic and a family could live off one breadwinner so the woman could stay at home, isn’t that a reversal on todays small minded outlook? Why not bring the biddies to account? I agree with the above, out the immigrants and then the phrase “get a job” won’t be just a pipedream! When I left school we had apprentiships, name the last time you saw one of those advertised in the job section!
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Gorst clearly wants to “grill” the unemployed when he really should have bigger political “fish to fry”. Indeed, his desire to sacrifice the vulnerable in his bid for senator shows that he will perhaps not be a “minnow” in the house for much longer. “Cod” knows what will happen if does achieve an island wide mandate.
He seems to be placing himself as “anemone” of the ordinary jersey person (and now their parents) who might have fallen on hard times. Let there be no “trout”, this will lead to further social unrest and the possible growth of loan “sharks” within the island. He will be okay, though, on the “perch” of the ivory tower into which most of our “representatives” cram like “sardines”.
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Perhaps Deputy Gorst could tell us exactly how many jobs are available that can be filled by these unemployed youngsters. There probably aren’t enough to go around because immigrants get right to the front of the queue and take anything and everything on offer.
Not only that, but when it comes to finding a decent job that pays well, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know…FACT!!!
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gullible gaunt one: how easy that again…blahblahblahIMMIGRANTSblahblahblaIMMIGRATION…
I don’t know where do you live…here or over the Moon? By “local” you mean Jersey-born? I got to disappoint you but most of them, especially the young ones think the World came out of their arses and not any kind of jobs they want to do but they deserve the well paid/not too stressful/no more than 37 hours/week ones…
While those naughty immigrants take the kitchen porter/bricklayer/picker and packer/chambermaid jobs from them locals…shame on them!
Or shame on you rather? I bet you give your advice from a very far planet not really knowing what the hell are you talking about but just talk because you have the right to do so.
It is common sense (you just need to walk around in town midday, with a preferably open pair of eyes and you can see all these lovely “parents” sitting around in cafes and sipping on their whatevers – all day long or longer. Their misbehaved children running around, or if they are tired they just put them on a lead like people put their dogs on.
What sort of person will this child be when she/he grew up? Would do much better at a kindergarten during the day while these “single”parents are up and working.
OMG. People ranting about stuff endlessly because that’s the current mainstream is just annoying. Brainless.
Like sheep in a herd: beeheehee…beeheehee…beheeehee…all says the same, all day long or longer….beeee beeee beeee
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This is all very well and good if there were actually any jobs out there!
I am a young mother to a 3 year old, i work part-time and have done since my child was 6 months. My partner got made redundant in September 2010 and has been looking for work since, luckily he finally managed to get work last month (for £200 a week) so we can finally stop being scroungers!!The point is, please do not tar everyone with the same brush, I lost count on how many jobs he applied to and he wasn’t being picky or anything, employers would simply rather employ a foreign immigrant who will work for half the money!
Surely immigration should be number 1 on the list??!!!
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As has been pointed out by other posters, the reason young adults do not work is because they CANNOT work – slashing their benefits will only put a greater strain on their families – why doesn’t the States create more job opportunities rather than allow these people and their families to suffer?
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Can’t believe the same old moans about immigrants taking local jobs. What jobs do they take? Oh yeah the jobs that locals think are beneath them.
If they took up some of these jobs ie bar/ restaurant and other service industries work it wouldn’t be a problem surely.
Everyone seems to want a job which pays a fortune for being unskilled. wake up and smell the coffee, most businesses are struggling at the moment. They can’t afford to pay big wages for unskilled work so take on people who want to work for the wages they can afford.
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Electioneering and no more than that.
The island is flooded with immigrants, local people can’t get jobs and they do this because it’s easier to win votes this way than it is to tackle immigration.
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There used to be a lot of decent van driving jobs etc which the local lads would take. Those jobs are not available now for reasons which we all know but apparently are not allowed to say. Here is a clue: the problem would be solved by introducing work permits and stopping immigration.
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I welcome this. I’m currently unemployed and having paid into the system for twenty five years, the only thing I receive from Social Security is monthly bills for £460.75 for class 2 contributions.
I guess they think because I am not claiming and living off savings, that I should also fund the lazy bastards who can’t be bothered.
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Me too no. 23. I am uenmployed, but because I am self employed no one made me redundant, so I have to pay THEM max employee plus employer contributions, it works out at around £100 a week.
This seems unbeleivable, but I have complaimned many times and they Say I have to pay it until my savings fall below the income support limit.
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Jon @23…I’m a Jerseyman, employer and recieve identical monthly bills from S.S. I agree totally with your sentiment and wish you well in your job search. It is also encourageing to see people not born here but who have made this island their home and contributed so well to island life, finally having their say on these forums. I believe the minimum wage should be set quite a lot higher for adults in our community but that the rate to school kids and young people (up to 20 y.o.) should have no regulation, leaving companies like my own to give local youth a chance.The market place would force me to pay more to keep those who achieved. The dependancy culture we see now, is the brainchild of the idiots that forced this onto our island, knowing full well what a disaster this dependancy culture has become in the U.K.
We live in a rapidly changing world and the election this autumn is way more important than most locals with their relatively comfortable and complacient existance realise.This island needs honest candidates with vision and a proven track record and supported by the community in general. Deputy Gorst has made a good move here to stop the rot.We should aspire to a more “careing” society, not free meals for the bone idle.
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#19 There are jobs available for young people, they may have to be willing to start at the bottom though. Still, that’s fair enough, it’s what most people do. They might even learn something. It will require hard graft though and they can’t expect to enjoy every aspect of their job.
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Unless you’ve recently lost your job I don’t think people realize just how hard it is to find work at the moment.I was made redundant last year and it took me almost 6 months to find another job.I registered with recruitment agencies and the only job i was offered was packing at Play.com for £6.40 an hour on a zero hour contract!I might be unemployed but not an idiot.This company makes millions in profit and is staffed almost exclusively by east europeans.There is no training scheme to work your way up,your just a number,ready to be dropped at 24 hour notice if orders are slow.The reason so many jobs are taken by east europeans is because they are willing to work for less and put up with being treated like a piece of dirt because they are still making more than they can at home.There are many unscroupulous employers in the island especially in the construction industry making big profits at the moment by paying east europeans a much lower wage than a UK or local tradesman would work for.I don’t blame these immigrants they’re just trying to better their lives,its the fault of greedy employers who are only looking at their profit margins and a weak and ineffective government
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I think we should largly scrap the benefit system, as it undermines the whole ethos of society that you should work to support yourself.
Where is the pride amoungst local people to not get stuck in and work yourself up the ladder. If locals regained control in the workplace, immigrants would go elesewhere.
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@24
There is no limit for savings to receive Income support, it will be offset % wise against what you maybe entitled too.
Ring SS and ask for an income support calculation to be done. Have your annual salary, savings, rent, childcare figures ready.
You may be entitled to some help.
As for funding the lazy bastards, it is actually Income tax which does this NOT social security contributions which pay for medical/pension/care.
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First of all- congrats to Shane Carson (11), Here we go again! (18) and john (27) for some particularly worthwhile comments.
Jon (23): So you are unemployed and unable to receive IS, yet you refer to your fellow unemployed who CAN receive IS as “lazy bas***ds”. Do you not see some irony here? What gives you the right to exempt yourself from that description when you’re in exactly the same position as them?
Cigar Smoker (9)- what you are saying is very worrying because the old parish welfare departments were NOT registered as employment agencies and therefore could not legally use their position as a benefit payments agency to recruit welfare claimants for people like yourself who phoned them asking for recruits. You could only access such people by placing an advert in the Job Centre and hoping someone replied. By providing you with two benefit claimants, that welfare department was not only giving you a competitive advantage over other businesses who obeyed the law, but there is an obvious strong suspicion that they may have singled out these particular two claimants and put them under pressure to contact you or face benefits sanctions. Worst of all, you state that after the claimant left your employment, you discovered that he was immediately re-claiming his benefits. How did you discover that? Did you stand all day outside the welfare department waiting for him to show up (implausible) or did the welfare department leak this information to you? I would like to hear from any former welfare claimants who may have been pressured by the department to contact a particular named employer in this way. Please post your experiences here. You have just opened a huge can of worms here, Cigar Smoker.
At first glance anyone would be forgiven for believing that ALL registered unemployed aged under 19 are claiming Income Support but I believe this to be UNTRUE and that a group of States politicians who are standing for re-election this year (Gorst, Shenton and Perchard most prominent amongst them) are quite happy for this distortion to continue because it villifies a very weak group in the community who are least likely to vote.
The Gorst proposition (dated 7th June) which was approved by the States this week says that 104 people under 19 are claiming Income Support (IS) who live in a household that does not have any other IS claim. It is this group of 104 unemployed who will lose their entire £92.12 IS benefit from 1st September. At a time of record unemployment (1,340 in May), the state is now ridding itself of all responsibility for them. As they will no longer have a direct incentive to remain registered, it is expected that after September, the majority of this 104 will gradually disappear from the statistics, thereby improving the jobless figure by about 100 just as the island goes to the polls. The annual saving to the taxpayer will be £400,000 to £500,000.
It also identifies a further 88 IS claimants aged 19 or under who ARE living in a household that already receives IS. This group will still be able to receive £92.12 per week but henceforth it will be paid to the PARENT rather to the unemployed teenager, thus causing problems if, as is very often the case, the relationship between the unemployed teenager and the parent has broken down. The parent will now have the power to withhold the teenager’s £92.12 in the case of family disputes, which can only increase tensions in such households and lead to more teenagers having to seek accommodation in hostels or perhaps even becoming homeless.
The link to the Gorst proposals (now approved) is here:
http://www.statesassembly.gov.je/documents/propositions/3451-31527-762011.pdf
Add these two groups together and you get a figure of 192 unemployed aged under 19 who are claiming IS according to the proposition dated 7th June. Yet just two weeks later (23rd June), Channel Online reported that there were 270 teenagers “aged 16 to 19″ registered as unemployed in May, and 290 in April. It is very unfortunate that one States source identifies this group as “under 19″ whilst the other gives Channel TV the figures for those aged 19 and under, so it is difficult to compare the figures to find out how many unemployed teenagers are actually receiving IS.
However, on the face of it, there were either 78 claimants in May aged exactly 19 years (270-192), or, as I suspect, these figures help to confirm my argument that many of those aged under 19 who are registered as unemployed are not actually receiving IS, contrary to the propaganda that is being propagated by the politicians. The link to this CTV report is here:
http://www.channelonline.tv/channelonline_jerseynews/displayarticle.asp?id=494700
So is there a major problem with unemployed teenagers as we are led to believe, or are they just being made scapegoats in an election year? According to the 2011 report by Skills Jersey (author = Chris Kelleher), more than three fifths of young people in the 16-19 age group who are registered as “actively seeking work” remain registered for LESS THAN 15 weeks (page 34). Even more tellingly, it reveals that “the number of 16-19 year olds claiming Income Support for 28 weeks or more has been falling as a percentage of the total number of 16-19 year olds claiming Income Support
from 33% to 19%.” (page 34). It also reveals that at the end of September 2010 the number of those in the 16-19 age group who were registered and actively seeking work was 310 (page 33). Channel Online’s figures for April and May this year were 290 and 270 respectively so we can conclude that at the time Gorst was preparing to crack down on benefits for this age group, the numbers registered were already steadily declining rather than increasing, as many might be led to believe.
Elsewhere in the Skills Jersey report (page 22), it highlights comments made by Brian Styles in a separate report for the ESC Department, in which he suggests that “the nature of the GCSE curriculum” is a significant factor (rather than poor teaching or the pupil’s inability) for a significant minority of pupils in the four non-fee paying 11-16 schools performing well below their potential. He goes on to suggest that “The overall performance of a significant percentage of the pupils could be improved if more practical vocations subject were to be offered.” (page 23). So why do we insist on blaming these young teenagers for lacking essential skills when an expert is saying the fault lies with the education system rather than them as individuals?
The report was released in January this year and can be viewed here:
http://enterprise.jersey.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Rpt%20-%20Skills%20and%20skill%20requirements%202011%20(Final).pdf
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MasonTheJaverick’s statement at No.29 that “There is no limit for savings to receive Income support” needs to be somewhat clarified, as it may leave a layperson with the wrong impression that the typical Income Support claimant has tens of thousands of pounds in savings.
There are stated amounts of capital which are to be disregarded when assessing calculated income. At the moment, this disregard is set at £9,137 for a sole adult household aged under 65, and £15,145 for a household containing 2 or more adults aged under 65, so if you have more capital than this, you cannot expect to receive much back in the way Income Support (in my opinion).
Nevertheless, I am no authority on the complexities of this system so it would be worth contacting the Department as he suggests, to clarify any actual entitlement. Furthermore, you also have to declare the value of any motor vehicle you own if it is worth more than £10,000.
The capital disregards can be viewed here in Schedule 2 of the IS General Provisions:
http://www.jerseylaw.je/Law/display.aspx?url=lawsinforce%2fconsolidated%2f26%2f26.550.20_IncomeSupport(GeneralProvisions)Order2008_RevisedEdition_1January2011.htm
Last month I posted elsewhere that one of the reasons preventing the unemployed from getting back into work was that employers were insisting on higher paper qualifications than were actually necessary. Read my posts (No.s 11 and 27) here:
http://www.thisisjersey.com/2011/06/23/unemployment-hits-record-high/
Well I have since found expert evidence to back this up in the 2010 Skills Jersey report, which made the following comments (extracts) in part 7-’View from Recruitment Agencies’:
“Those who have used the services of recruitment agencies are far less compromising than they used to be with potential employees, only accepting candidates that have all the necessary specialist skill sets and experience…As mentioned, employers are currently reluctant to recruit unless individuals ‘tick all the boxes’ in all areas.”
Elsewhere (8.2) the report states that “The total number of vacancies (full- and part-time) in the private sector in June 2009 (1,950) was the lowest reported for at least a decade and was down by 740 on the previous
June.”
Obviously these vacancy figures are now two years old and the situation had improved a little to 2100 vacancies in June 2010, but nevertheless, it emphasises just how bad the situation has been for Jersey job-seekers post-Lehman. This report (2010) can be viewed here:
http://enterprise.jersey.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Skills%20and%20skills%20requirements%20report%202010.pdf
The link to the most recent Skills Jersey report is in my previous post at No. 30, above.
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JEP survey finds that 82% are peed off with immigration. You can sweep it under the carpet with clever words but you can’t change what is felt in the hearts of proper, jersey people.
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32. ing , not just the jerseyborn , but those who have been here for years and years , worked hard, got the quallies , purchased a home , had children, raised those children , only to find that the kids cant get a job.
some of these people have business, employ local labour, and oil the wheels of jersey.
its not just the , now minority group of localy born.
i am 1st generation born, and love the island i was born into, i will more than likely, grow to hate the island i may die in.
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Here’s an idea..
Get all the civil servants who are a waste of space and earning a fortune and bung them in a room. Make them review all people on flights and boats coming into the island for the following:
1. they have a return ticket.
2. they are on holiday
3. they do not have criminal backgrounds.
Then get all the lazy so and so’s and instead of handing them money for nothing get them to EARN it.. cleaning graffiti, repairing roads and the cliff paths, painting states buildings etc..
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A good way to win cheap votes. Nice. Well done Gorst. All hail the man of the people (not) trying to get in on the Ozouf/Mclean comedy act. Pity Christopher Lakeman is no longer with us. Now there was a man of the people. He would have shot these lightweights down in flames with their half baked, reactionary and extreme right wing policies.
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Wait a couple more years and then you’ll really see plenty of low paid hospitality jobs available.How?? I hear you all gasp, that should be around the time when the first big influx of degree educated east europeans become five years resident and have access to finance/states jobs etc and will no doubt accept a significantly lower wage,especially in finance.So I wouldn’t bother looking at any new “luxury” pads anytime soon you finance luvvies,your time’s nearly up.
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no13, what are you growling about ? you never had it so good on the little rock otherwise you wouldn’t stay would you? Maybe I am wrong and like many you ve decided to stay on the rock and ve children! aaarrrgh JERSEY CHILDREN with all the frebbies attached, and while you at it why dont you bring grandma on holiday and good old jersey will throw a new hip on the house!!
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About time too!
Lazy kids getting £90 a week and haven’t even done a days work in their lives!
It’s a disgusting state of affairs that Ozouf the COM including Gorst setup to win votes in the first place and it did.
The bubble has burst folks and time is running out on the states coffers.
We are heading towards bankruptcy and the COM are powerless to stop it.
Basics of economics, supply and demand… except the demand for housing has run out, the demand for the finance industry will be stopped by world government. The writing is on the wall.
People have been saying it for years well it’s now happening they are spending too much and not getting enough money in.
Game over.
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38, err, no, the income support was set up because of the variations in the parich welfare system and the fact that it was often administered in an unlawful way. It had little to do with Ozouf or votes and was on the cards for a number of years. Interesting generalisation in your posts about young people and those who have never worked. I wonder how you know the things which you profess to know? Do you have access to the personal data of the individual unemplpoyed? Nope.
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One wonders if this is legal. If you’re entitled, you’re entitled. The means of one’s parents may be an irrelevant and therefore unlawful consideration. The subordinate legislation might be ultra vires and not worth the paper that it is written upon.
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Ecrivain 40
Exactly! Once again, “Much Ado About Nothing!”
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(40)ecrivain.
“your parents can keep you”, was the usual old tosh , they would trot out.
and they trot out you own a house, when it suits.
you are co habiting another standard bit of old flannel.
you dont need to register each week for your u (unemployed) credits if unemployed.
anyone who,s not working , could look into the legality of it all and post online for all to see.
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I don’t wish to upset anyone,but,that guy Anders in Oslo last week ,who killed so many people stated in his facebook blog that one of his reasons for his “spree” of killings was his way of bringing to the attention of the people of Norway the “damage” immigrants were doing to the country’s economy,welfare,housing,health and education.Whilst i totally disagree with his actions,i do agree with his beliefs that the immigrants are taking US for a free ride..Jersey,wake up.Local jobs,for local people.Dandara..pay your taxes,or go back to Ireland.
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I said to Jim about this and he agreed, in fact he offered to investigate.
We were having a pint at Lils and there were a few in there having a beer whilst “on benefits”.
Charlie Hungerford is going to pull a few strings with the top brass he knows and find out some facts and figures.
Meanwhile Jim drove past Gorey castle to St Brelades to get some more evidence, returned through the tunnel to St Ouens and we met at Le Bureau des Étrangers.
“Barney, I have found out that…….”
What did Jim find out?
Did Charlie manage to get any info out of Gorst?
Who, why, what, how and when?
To be continued…..
Tune in for our next episode of Bergerac on Thisisjersey.
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Why should we give money to someone who never contributed in the first place.
You should work first to be untitled to benefits.
If you are young with no experience, you cannot expect to have a decent wage the first time, and you have to make your way up, like everybody I guess.
So suck on your parents wallet if you do not want to work, not on mine. You should eventually get a kick in the back side unless your parents are as bad as you are.
Social might want to train a few of these kids to spy on benefits thieves , you might as well pay them to do something profitable.
A few hours of community service, cleaning, painting, helping the elderly, recycling, feed our social security minister and help Ozouf to pass his math exams.
If Dire Straits was form Jersey it would be:
“Money for nothing and get your flat for free”.
So annoyingly true…
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Ecrivain #40.
Well done on spotting the real issue here.
Any individual who’s 18 or over and unemployed must be treated as just that an individual. Is that individual not entitled to be treated with the same rights as any other adult in society? Unemployment benefit where necessary must be available to each person in their own right and not dependent on whether they live with their parents on a housing estate or with millionaire parents in a luxury mansion.
We all pay taxes sooner or latter when we work and it is blatantly unjust to expect an unemployed adult to expect his parents to keep him and deny him/her their right as an individual to unemployment benefit when one finds one self in such an unenviable position.
The very fact that Gorst proposed such an inequitable policy excludes him from any vote of mine come election time.
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Fantastic first we ruin our children’s future with sub standard education, then completely ignore the fact that none of these children can get a job because it is not our problem.
Passing the buck again.
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@ 27 John
I agree with you however what is wrong with youngsters ‘who can’t find any jobs’ having a packing job at play.com as their first job? It gives them work experience. All these unemployed young people should be considered FIRST instead of all these immigrants who currently take up these jobs! It would also eradicate locals feeling like the outsiders amongst of majority of eastern europeans in a workplace which does put a lot of local people off working at say play.com etc. I did this sort of work picking and packing, and worked on farms for many years when I was younger and I didn’t think it was beneath me! The minimum wage isn’t a problem as social security benefits make up for any shortfall in money to help towards rent etc. Food for thought!
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48.crikey
The minimum wage isn’t a problem as social security benefits make up for any shortfall in money to help towards rent etc. Food for thought
If the minimum wage is not enough to live on,on its own without states benefits then surely the minimum wage is not high enough for this island and should be raised.
The reason i wouldn’t work for minimum wage was certainly not because i thought it was below me,i’ve done some pretty crappy jobs in my time,but because i am stupid enough to have my own savings and am not entitled to benefits.Sometimes i wonder though if i would not be better off blowing it all and then claiming benefits.Its not much fun being middle class in Jersey.You have to carry the rich and the poor!
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