Money for nothing!

As well as the younger jobless there are countless fit and healthy people aged 50+ who feel like they're on the scrapheap because they can't find work, not just in the UK but in Aussie. too , I posted this in a forum in Oz
The present system of welfare isn't working as it should (imo) . There should be no 'stay at home' money (the dole) but should be replaced by a minimum wage that is higher than the dole. It is ' money for nothing' and only this that causes welfare dependency whether it is on a remote Aboriginal settlement or the suburbs of Sydney. Every person of working age in this country is entitled to a fair share of this countries productivity, however they should be required to do something meaningful for it, for a prescribed amount of time. Most importantly these activities should be supervised and adapted to local relevant positions, not centralised government. Some activities that come to mind are SES, volunteer fire brigade, public housing, child care and aged care. Everybody has the ability to do something meaningful, whereas work for the dole is seen as demeaning, the minimum wage should rise and fall with our nation’s productivity.
I know it's easy to come up with ideas for solutions ,it's putting them into practise which is difficult and I have no idea how one would go about it but isn't this why we pay our politicians enormous sums of money and give them lifelong pensions,? to do the very best they can for us?

Re: Money for nothing!

Your idea is a very good one Maggis - I just cant see any problem at all in setting the idea up and running... Maybe Government prefers the way things are with volunteers doing all the work without 'them' having to help financially...

Re: Money for nothing!

I have spoken about this with people before and Im all for it , but Im told this will take jobs from the age /child carers ect..... It will lower the wage these trained persons recieve etc.... But there must be jobs out there that could be done even if its just training of some sort. Id like to see every unemployed youngster who leaves school, upto the age of 30 drafted straight into the army.

Re: Money for nothing!

As Nobaggage said, the great paradox regarding getting people to do necessary works such as you mention is that it puts the people out of work that are already doing those jobs..

Now if you could find necessary work that isn't already being done by paid workers than it would be an entrepeneur's dream, and you could make a proper business out of it and properly employ the jobless to do it..

Re: Money for nothing!

There are "jobs" that need doing that no one is at the moment doing, trouble is they are not being done because we cannot afford to pay people to do them in most cases.

I don't think this is a bad idea as such I just cannot see where the money would come from to do it.

Also central government and even our local councils have a proven record of incompetance running employment schemes.

What we really need is private companies to feel they can expand or start up to employ more people.

Never having run a company I am not sure what needs to happen to make them feel this is worth doing.


I feel underemployed at the moment so am looking at what I can do about that, starting a business of my own seems a good idea but I am being told I need various insurances (public liability etc) all adds up to such a point I doubt I will be able to afford to do it. Not suggesting insurance is not a good idea but it makes me as someone not even sure I will make a wage wonder if I can even think of doing this.

And who knows if I could and it works as well as I think it could I could fully employ myself and possibly take two people off the unemployment statistics.

Re: Money for nothing!

Julie I have simular ideas but I some wonder if the goverment really want people to return to work .. the hash they make of it .
I was thinking if they took people on the dole and made them report to the local office each morning at 8am. there could be a phone line for people who need help maybe the local council, police, when there is an emergency that could be helped by many hands .... or for elderly people who cant afford gardeners or cleaners , They will not be employing any one so no jobs lost there. elderly people could ask for companions for shopping or days out, when they need help walking or carrying things. It wouldnt need a lot of money just some people who were good at organising . If people did not turn up then they would lose some money from the dole payout. People with children would have no excuse because there would be people there to watch the children ...I wish some one would give me the job of organising this .

Re: Money for nothing!

Only problem I can see with that (having had a short period out of work a few years ago) is transport to these jobs or even the job centre everyday. We had problems affording to feed ourselves let alone get transport daily for anything. I remember when my husband had one interview he had to hitch a lift to get to it.

Also what about checking people are safe with people ? you could send a maniac into someones home with out any checks on them.

Re: Money for nothing!

With your dole money you would be given a bus pass. people would car share. people would come with references from ex-employers school or neighbours ... plus police checking. This in it self would create more jobs on the buses and office staff for the police.

Re: Money for nothing!

Sounds good but again I can't see the official bodies running it sucessfully they can usually take a simple idea and complicate it so much it doesn't resemble the idea once it is in practice.

Re: Money for nothing!

Don't be put off from starting a business Julie, Public Liability costs less than £100 a year in most cases and other start up costs will just depend on the business that you are considering. You will have to advise HMRC within two months of starting your business and you won't need to register for VAT until your yearly turnover exceeds £79k (although it can be an advantage to register anyway if your initial outlay on goods and equipment is excessive). But all in all starting a business is very easy, all you need is a good idea and some gumption and you are away, another budding ICI....