[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I believe it was something called "New Deal" (I might be remembering the name wrong) that was just coming into play when I was on JSA. They were also phasing in mandatory weekly "jobseeking classes" - I had to attend ONE of them, even though I had already secured a job, because I still had to claim for the three weeks up until my start date. So I was lucky enough to know that I was just there as a "box ticking exercise"... but it was utterly awful. Everyone lumped in a room together, so you literally had guys stinking of alcohol and people who were struggling with literacy in with temporarily unemployed professionals with Masters degrees, being patronised by some of the worst people on the planet. Like I say... I'm glad I could treat it as a "fly on the wall" situation because if I'd actually felt like I was "in it" it would have pushed me over the edge at that point. And all of that was a Labour initiative. Again, none of it anywhere NEAR as bad as the mess that is UC, but it would be an error to remember the "final" Labour system with rose tinted glasses.

I remember new deal. It was the start of the new way of thinking that has lead to UC. I remember I once claiming a tax credit for a year after I was no longer eligible. It was almost too easy to exploit but UC is too much of a correction. The queues to food banks are now filled with people waiting for their first UC payment to be released.

ITs like they think every one leaves a job with a final pay packet of a about 4 grand. The system is so stacked toward causing hardship that they clearly didnt think it thru properly