Should We Freely Pay Benefits?

The new coalition government is concerned about all those people who receive benefits of various kinds every week when perhaps they are not really entitled to them.

We all know that sometimes things happen in our lives which results in our needing help to manage financially. Perhaps that is because we have lost our job and can no longer afford to support our family. Perhaps it is because we have become ill and unable to work until we are better. Maybe we are disabled and unable to work at all. There are lots of reasons and most of them are legitimate and the vast majority of claimants satisfy the rules to obtain the help they need.

However, there is apparently a group of people who have not worked for years and do nothing to find employment and as a result are a financial drain on society. I don’t wish to make judgements against anyone but I wonder if it is time that we become a little firmer on those who abuse the system and do not really try to find employment.

We have well over a million people legitimately receiving job seekers allowance. To receive that benefit each one has to be making an effort to find employment, and each fortnight they are required to show some evidence of their efforts if they wish to receive their jobseekers allowance.

I have to stress here that I am well aware of the issues about how difficult it is to get a job at the moment so I am not criticising anyone who is getting benefits.

Is it not about time that everyone who is unemployed, for whatever reason, should be required to contribute back in some small way.

For example, where I live there are miles of back alleys, strewn with rubbish, over grown with brambles and weeds and as a result a hazard to people who use them. Having spoken to the local council about this problem they told me that it was not their responsibility but that of the home owners on the estate. It appears that although these alleys are public rights of way, they are not the responsibility of the council to keep them safe and clear of rubbish.

A further issue is that on many of our estates and residential areas the level of graffiti seems to be on the increase again. This is an eyesore, devaluing the properties in the area, destroying community pride and needs addressing. Again local authorities do their best but because of limited funding there is only so much they can do.

Councils try and keep roads swept and grass areas cut but the quality of the finished work is never very good. My road is swept probably twice a year, I try and pick up litter off of the grassed areas but it soon reappears. The council would need an army of people to maintain these areas properly.

Pot holes are another issue! Condition of pavements yet another, and I could go on and on. There are probably hundreds of other areas and issues which do not get any real attention because funding is not available that could benefit from some help.

The point I am getting too is this.

Why not introduce regulations which requires all people claiming benefit, and who are able, to carry out (say) six hours of voluntary work for the local council on some of the issues described above. I’m sure that those who genuinely are unemployed would welcome the chance to contribute something back to society, to feel part of the community and enjoy the opportunity to work. Doing these tasks would improve our environment as they are not being done at the moment, and without anyone’s job being put at risk.

This may be extended to doing some voluntary work for local charities, play groups, schools or even commercial enterprises - as long as it does not take jobs away from others. A bonus might be that individuals are spotted as being good at what they are doing and might be a useful addition to the permanent workforce.

What do you think?
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