Anne Snelgrove MP Backs ‘Work for Dole’ plans

Labour seeks views of local people on new benefits plan

New plans which would see the jobless helping to improve the local community in Swindon are being backed by Anne Snelgrove MP

The proposals put forward by Labour would see people who have been unemployed for two years or those who go on and off of benefits working for their benefits and for the benefit of the local community.

Commenting on the new plans, Anne Snelgrove said:

“Long term unemployment in South Swindon is down by 73% since 1997 and more people are in work than ever before. But the days of mass unemployment have left scars and in some families worklessness has been passed down from generation to generation.

“I want to make sure everyone who is able to work gets the opportunity to do so. We will give everyone personalised support to get the skills and support they need to find a job under their own steam, but for some people who have never known regular employment we need to help them get into the habit of working life.

“This could be a win-win situation. Unemployed people will get valuable experience of work and we can all think of work that needs doing in the local community.”

The proposals would see those people in Swindon who have been through the support of the New Deal and still haven’t found work or people who have a history of going on and off benefits taking part in full time community activity in return for their benefits. This will give people work experience that employers look for and will help flush out the people who are abusing the system or working while still signing on.

Labour Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell welcomed Anne’s support and said that he wanted to hear what people in Swindon thought of the new plans:

“It is great that Anne is working with me to make this idea work. We both agree that everyone who can work should work.

“No one should be written off to a life on benefits – it is no good for them, their family or the local community. I want to hear what you think about ‘work for dole’.”

Earlier this month Anne was asked by the Minister to look at the way employment policy works in large towns in southern England such as Swindon, for the Government. "I have been asked to focus on pockets of deprivation, what we do to help people in those places and how we can get them back into work."

Notes to Editors:

Local people can send their views to welfare.reform@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

The plans are outlined in Labour’s radical welfare reform proposals “No one written off” which can be downloaded here: www.dwp.gov.uk/noonewrittenoff

Any one locally who wants to take part in Pathways should contact their local Jobcentre Plus.

This system works well for most claimants but Labour is reforming the system so that the longer someone is on out of work benefits, the more help we offer and the more activity we require of them:

• We are tackling basic skills needs from the outset of unemployment as we reform JSA from 2009 – at the initial interview for benefit, there will be a simple screening of basic skills and where someone has an evident gap, they will be referred to help from the local skills services.

• At three months and then six months, jobseekers will be expected to intensify their job search activity and comply with a challenging back-to-work action plan, including a skills health check and appropriate training.

• After 12 months on JSA, jobseekers will be transferred to a private, public or voluntary sector provider who will be paid by results. They will have to undertake at least four weeks of full-time activity.

• For those still on JSA after two years, we will expect even more. The proposal is to test full-time ‘work for dole’ programmes run by private and voluntary providers, as well as other approaches such as requiring daily attendance at the Jobcentre Plus office.

The consultation on the proposals is open until 22nd October, 2008.