Something for nothing!

[Karhukonna]

They're... making 25k a year? That's... pretty good isn't it? I work 40 hours a week just to barely scratch 20k together. Last I checked, we're living only barely above the official poverty line. If I lose 800 euros of my earnings, I am officially recognized as poor by the government. And I'm doing just fine. I can never buy brand products, and sometimes have a hard time buying food, but otherwise we're pretty OK. What pisses me off is how a fifth of my earnings already go to the government, and they still want me to pay more. Oh yeah, I got to scrape 2,900 euros together by next summer. I'm currently saving about 50 euros a month so... A bank loan might be necessary.

I also have a friend who only rarely holds a job, and mostly just enjoys government money. His facebook status updates occasionally revolve around his inability to party all the time since the g-folks don't pay well enough. Pisses me right off. The fact that he has a computer on which to make those dumb updates is proof enough that he's doing just fine as it is.

 

[Karhukonna]

Earning £26,000 per year is very much an exception to the rule. You generally only get that if you are collecting benefit for a number of different things, like housing, kids etc. This report [http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/minimum-income-standard-2009-summary.pdf] showed that the average working age person on benefits collects well below the minimum basic living wage of £13,900 per year.

So that's how it is? What really grabbed my attention was how the report listed a single parent parent and kid paying 100£ for rent... I don't know what the exchange rate is, but me and the missus are currently paying 640? for our living. We're not even that close to downtown, and if we ever want to have kids, we'll have to... *shudders* ...upgrade... I'm talking at least ten squares more, that'll amount to 70-100? extra, easy.

Sometimes I dream of living alone in a 150?/month shithole, saving money for a better tomorrow. But alas, the life of a couple is the life for me. We don't get any benefits or anything yet, either. We could, theoretically save a lot of money if we took mortgage and had a couple of kids. The lowered taxes alone would make up for it, not to mention all the benefits. A friend of mine is paying 400?/month on his goddamn mortgage. Granted, it's a shared house, but still.

But all in all, I guess I can't complain, I have a job and I'm occasionally quite comfortable with my money situation. Knowing that I can always fall on the safety net of benefits and welfare, I don't mind a little manual labor.

 

[Ryotknife]

I have no problem with a safety net for those that need it, but at least here in the US sooo many people smooch off of the system who dont need help. Course our government just basically gives away benefits without really researching if the person qualifies or not. People are always trying to find ways to screw the system. I dont think it is some bad apples ruining the bunch, it would not surprise me if the bad apples and "good" apples are nearly 50/50.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

I almost want to agree, but I've struggled for years to get a job and got nowhere. Stuck in this damn recession with less and less useful help and advice, I can't see that changing anytime soon. I honestly resent the government. They helped cause this shit. As for the country's taxes, I struggle to care that the people who won't give me a chance might one day pay my benefits.

In short, I want to give something back to this country, and I will, but only when they let me.

I'm pretty much exactly in the same boat as you since I came out from college a few years back spry and full of hope and willing to work in the IT sector of my island (I live on the Isle of Man) but when the recession hit it hit us so hard that not only did we suffer layoffs from the IT sector but our ISP and other tech providers ended up only hiring people who have actually worked in the sectors they have for up to 3-5 years experience which I don't have because I'd just come out of college.

Today I'm still applying every day I possibly can but I feel all my teachings have just gone to waste and I'm in the middle of trying other working class options such as elderly care (my folks used to own two nursing homes for the elderly and I worked part time as a teenager), Bar work, Hotel services, retail (I'd worked for M&S for two seasons and yet they won't hire me again) and anything else I can actually do.

But like you I feel as if our Government isn't giving us much of a chance let alone the companies here and I denied my folks telling me it would affect my self esteem but over time I admit it has and now I pretty much resent my situation even more by the day and the chances I possibly have just seem far too slim.

The biggest fear I have is that one day me and a few jobless others will end up like that early 80's "forgotten generation" that was left in the dust so long ago.

 

[snowbear]

Just to jump through your proposals

1) Too fucking expensive and rather pointless.
2) Depends. If they are being paid the minimum wage? Yes. If not? No. We have a minimum wage for a reason. Also, this would cost a bejeezus load of money. Plus how much community work is there to do? Remember, the Tories want us all to work for free in our communities. Its called the Big Society. We are supposed to forget Thatcher and the whole 'No such thing as society'
3) AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA. With whom exactly? There are no appreticeships. There is nobody willing to give out free training. There are barriers around.

The sad fact is right now there is not that much work. Unemployment is on the up, graduates are fucked, students are fucked, people between 16 and 25, by the nine divines they are fucked. There is no quick fix.

I am just going to leave this here.

And piss off to sleep.

1) It not pointless if young jobless people learn values and or key skills that could later translate into experience to take into the work place. Even if its expensive at least there are some benefits compared to giving out money to people sitting on their arse.

2) Again maybe it would cost a little more than the standard dole but something is actually gained by doing it. There is plenty of community work that can be done from picking up litter to looking after the elderly and needy. What party is in power is completely irrelevant, I could suggest that this is all labours fault from handing out money but it wouldn't achieve anything. Solutions are required not petty squabbling about whose fault it is.

3) There are plenty out there I was looking at the local paper last week and there was at least 5-6 companies offering placements. Problem is a lot of people aren't willing to actually look all the time they are getting free cash.

If there really is that little work how did I manage to get two jobs within a month of loosing my old one? Unemployment actually fell this year, and I know there is no quick fix but repeatedly handing out money to people that dont deserve it really isn't the answer.