Job Seekers Proposals Ridiculous - McGlone

SDLP Deputy Leader, Patsy McGlone, has criticised the coalition government’s proposals to make jobseekers do compulsory work in order to retain their benefits. Newspaper reports on Sunday suggested the plan would be part of a government white paper on welfare reform due to be published this week.

The Mid Ulster MLA said, “The reported proposals simply do not make sense. No-one doubts the benefit of returning to work, particularly when someone has been unemployed for a long period of time.

“But to force someone to work in order to receive £51.85 per week, which is the new level of Job Seekers Allowance for the under 25s, is ridiculous.

“In the Ulster area the cost of public transport from Cookstown to Magherafelt would take up over half of that benefit.

“How could anyone be expected to do a full days work and go home with around £20 in their pocket at the end of the week?

“Even without factoring in public transport costs the allowance is a long way short of the legal minimum wage of £5.93 per hour.

“It’s another example of an ill-thought-out Tory proposal from London failing to translate into a workable policy elsewhere.

“The only way to improve employment prospects is to invest in our economy. That’s why the SDLP are bringing forward proposals which will replace the government’s cuts to our capital spending programme.”
 

ENDS