General Discussion

32.54m people are in work the highest figure since records began. Yet more people need benefits just to survive and more than ever are visisting food banks.

There MUST be something wrong.

And, there are too many people workking on zero contract hours and too many working only 16hrs a week so in effect we have two and a bit people working a full week.

I would like to see those figures without those on zero hour contracts in the figures. I know a few people on them and know people who can't work more than 16 hours because they would lose benefits. These aren't scourgers, these are people trying to live.

They can work more than 16hrs a week but they choose not to for whatever reason.

No, because if they work more they would need to pay for more childcare which would mean they would be worse off. Also if you work 20 hours a week you lose more money from benefits than you would get by earning for those additional 4 hours. It's not for a lack of wanting.

Is the problem that we as tax paymers are subsidising employers who pay low wages they know if they pay min wage the benifit system will top it up. I have no idea what the answer is but lets say the min wage was £12.70 per hour i would imagine that would get thousands of benifits. But would that then cause more unemployment, higher prices, or make the UK less competative, what i do know is that low wages force people into the benifit system that they then find restrains them financialy.

And if you go on a course which thousands do so they do not have to continually visit the job centre, you are classed as employed but the course could mean working in a charity shop where they get no wages.

Also if you have paid the max 35 years national insurance you cannot claim jobseekers therefore you will not be classed as unemployed