at least on NewDeal you could turn it down for other options.. it wasnt forced like it is today......
It appears it was forced
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal_(United_Kingdom)#Referral_procedure
quote
...."If the search for employment is still unsuccessful after the Gateway sessions,
to continue to receive unemployment benefits, one of four options must be chosen:"
• A subsidised job placement. The subsidy is £60 per week, and lasts 6 months; a £750 training allowance is also available to participants. Clients are paid a wage from the employer.[citation needed]
• Full-time education and training, for up to 12 months.[citation needed]
• Work in the voluntary sector, the client is paid JSA plus a £15 training allowance. This is called Community Task Force.
• Work with the Environmental Task Force.(DWP website; Peck, “Workfare” 304; Glyn 53)
Participation in one of the four options is mandatory to receive benefits, refusal to participate will lead to the benefit being stopped and will be referred to a Decision Maker who will decide whether a recipient should receive a sanction should they decide to reclaim.
The Work for £60 option sounds very familiar doesnt it
Like i said its basically the same poop, different branding.
Its just been tweaked a bit, other than that the concept of forcing people into something to get benefit isnt new.
Infact from what i remember the New Deal was even more stupid, an example being if you went to university and had a degree but couldnt find work, employment services would then send you off to do some course if they couldnt find you work, which isnt even college level. How say for example a common office course like say an NVQ (or whatever they are called now) would help you in your future search for employment when you already had a degree is anyones guess.
What i will agree with you on and what is stupid and hypocritical from this government is they are basically saying people unemployed are lazy buggers costing the tax payer millions, which in some cases may be true. Unfortunately their latest hair brained scheme to force them to work is also likely to cost the tax payer millions (just like new deal did) anyway. Personally i dont see the point in schemes like we currently have or have previously had. The stupid will scream "good make them work" without even realising its going to cost them more or just as much out of their taxes to make that person work anyway.
An few easier ways to have saved millions would had been get out of Afghanistan, (aka in general playing "World" Police), stop giving banks "free" money, make the crooked MPs pay back the hundreds of thousands they robbed from tax payers rather than spending more wasting time dragging them through the courts, sell the steal from all the ships that are no longer being built......... Oh and much as i hate to say it and on topic as this is a broadband site........ Stop lining the pockets of BT which is already a billion pound company with millions to roll out broadband. My lord if you want the economy to flourish giving "free" money to ONE company and banks, fighting pointless battles and scrapping ship projects that have cost millions just in the raw materials already isnt exactly gonna work, is it?
It seems though the era we live in today and are ruled by NO MATTER WHO THE PARTY is one of complete and utter brain dead mentality.