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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Other areas of social welfare law  →  Thread

“LGA calls for ‘radical rethink’ of job centres to help more people back to work”

Benny Fitzpatrick
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Welfare Rights Officer, Southway Housing Trust, Manchester

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Joined: 2 June 2015

Interesting article. I didn’t realise that nearly half of unemployed people receive no support, (although I have always doubted whether the Govt figures on those “moving into work” didn’t actually refer to those “moving off benefits” and into limbo or the black economy).

The article states that JCP is not doing enough to engage with unemployed people. I would actually argue that it has a policy of deliberately alienating customers. How many of our clients actively dread attending the jobcentre because of perceived bullying, hostility, punitive policies and judgemental attitudes? This is particularly bad for those with MH issues.

If it is to succeed in its stated objectives, JCP needs to drastically transform itself. Unfortunately, I see little prospect of change under a government determined to ride roughshod over human rights.

Mike Hughes
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service

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I sort of get where they’re coming from but there are separate issues to be addressed.

1) A target driven culture within jobcentres which as you say is about getting people off benefits. That’s not the same as getting them into work.

2) The world of work has moved on. Not only is the jobcentre no longer a prime source of employment opportunities, it’s one of the very poorest. It’s probably the last place you’d consider if you were looking for a meaningful, long-term departure from benefits. That’s as much about perception as it is the state of the jobs market.

3) Reform of JCP must come hand in hand with the abandonment of UJM, which is as much of a farce.