My Grandad used to walk forty miles in bare feet to the nearest library where he’d log in to his LinkedIn account and apply for jobs shovelling shit at a pig farm in Dumfries for a farthing a day. People today are a bunch of pampered, lazy good for nothings!
1 Like
The Force is female
Honk if you’re Horny
The concept of a public library is the free access to written works. It’s nothing to do with lumps of paper.
2 Likes
They are also incredible community hubs, especially if you have children.
7 Likes
Thanks for the info, much appreciated.
When I lived in the UK back in the day, there was a sense that some people would work ‘on the side.’ I can appreciate that if it was a permanent arrangement, or the earnings were sufficient, then benefits should have been stopped, and rightly so.
But if it is a more casual arrangement, I’d love to see some sort of provision to encourage people into work, without losing benefits. Further, the way the economy is (Klopptimist will obviously know his own business) employers may have a need for temp work, or more casual labour, but there’s not enough work to offer someone a permanent job.
I don’t know the full solution, but I’d like to see some sort of leeway given to people who don’t just collect their benefits, but instead have the initiative to work, too. Maybe a sliding scale?
The point is people should be rewarded when they work, and not punished by taking them back to zero in benefits received, or even worse, having to start the application process again. That seems like a big disincentive to moving in the direction of forming the habit and getting into work.
That was one of the successful elements of the Universal Basic Income trial discussed a couple of weeks ago. Below an income threshold that would essentially have them exit the program, participants were free to find additional work without being subject to clawbacks. One of the clear benefits was allowing for engagement with employment opportunities that set them on the pathway toward full-time employment.
The other benefit is in some ways rather more remarkable - turns out those clawback systems are startlingly expensive to administer. The existing monitoring and clawback system does not pay for itself, costs exceed the revenue taken back.
3 Likes
That might be about a third of that above (so 6-7% rather than the 20% figure above).
I like the sound of that. Basic income so you aren’t on the scrap heap, but an opportunity to top it up and get into work and advance yourself. Sounds like a good system.
Interesting to hear that clawing money back cost more than what came in. At that point I like the honor system. Trust people to do the right thing. Of course there will be some bad apples, but if on the whole people are doing well by the system, that will lift the majority.
When you think it through, it does make some sense. To operate a clawback system, you have to monitor the entire supported system. Even if everyone is honest, there is a lot of deadweight administrative work.
2 Likes
With 3500 public libraries available, let’s make a conservative estimate that maybe half can easily access one?
So now we’re down to 3%
Assuming only 2/3 (generous) can be arsed making the effort.
The original 20% with no internet access is nearer 2%
That’s the issue though any cash in hand job now is wrong, because basically someone recieving that money is effectively fiddling the system by not declaring income whilst recieving benefit at the expense of not only the taxpayer but at the expense of someone else on benefits who would may have liked to have had a crack of that job legitimately.
3 Likes
More to the point is that it is a market distortion. Essentially taking work away from an employer who would have paid the tax, NI, VAT etc at greater cost. The same applies to employers who do not pay minimum wage, liability insurance, etc.
3 Likes
Should all be in prison.
2 Likes
The problem is that this attitude to rules and responsibilities is absolutely embedded in the character of people like this.
We put public school educated elitists, who have been raised to believe they are better than everyone else, in government and then act surprised when they think the rules don’t apply to them.
What was it that Johnson’s Eton master said about him? He considers that he should be free of the network of obligation that binds us all?
I simply do not understand how anyone can vote for this conservative government and then be outraged at stuff like this. I mean, what did you think you were getting?
1 Like
I wonder if any of those invited told them where to stick their party? I wonder whether it was even a realistic possibility?
It’s an easy response, think whataboutism squared.
I can’t understand anybody voting for a party allied to socialism and unions but hey, that’s just me. Isn’t the world a wonderful place when we live in a country where such opinions can be exchanged without bans, arrests, torture and murder?
Ah, Unions. Absolute bastards. I hate weekends, maternity and paternity leave, sick pay, statutory leave entitlement and the general expectation that my employer doesn’t kill me through sheer negligence.
2 Likes
Ah, you employ people too 
You do know that there’s 3 sides to every story?
2 Likes