Why do Tories blame labour for welfare dependancy when the Tories create it?
Mountain_Runner
Posts: 1,927 Forum Member
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The Tories always claim that labour is soft on benefits which is not true. Labour did far more to get people into work in a fair way than the Tories ever did.
1979 to 1997 Conservatives.
Hundreds of thousands of people were made jobless when heavy industries, mining, steel etc were shut down.
To receive unemployment benefit or income support all a jobless person had to do was sign on at their local DHSS office once a fortnight.
There were no workfare schemes,
No sanctions.
People could turn up at the dole office late or even a few days late and only had to give a verbal explanation.
There were no work focused interviews or compulsory courses.
If you have ever watched 'Bread' that's exactly what it was like. Any claimant could turn up at a DHSS office and ask for a handout in addition to their dole.
1997-2010 Labour
Unemployment benefit and IS for jobless was renamed Jobseeker's Allowance.
Labour introduced a fair sanction system, where any sanction was removed on compliance. And was never 100% loss of benefit unlike now.
Jobseekers now had to sign on in a Jobcentre rather than DHSS office
There were work regular focused interviews
New Deal was an excellent system for long term jobless. It gave Jobseekers several choices from Work based training, help setting up a business, conservation work, return to education or work experience of the Jobseekers choice. In addition to travel expenses New Deal participants got £15 extra JSA week and a rail card give 1/3 discount.
Under labour unemployment fell to its lowest levels by 2002.
Far better than the Tory record huh?
2010- present. Conservatives
A complete mess!
A failing universal credit system that's wasted billions instead creating real jobs.
Work program which fails to get many people into full time work
An exploitative mandatory workfare that is degrading and makes Jobseekers less employable as they are too busy being exploited to fund time looking for work.
A cruel fixed sanctions system that results in victims struggling to survive rather than look for work. With 100% loss of JSA and no removal of sanction for good behaviour.
Your opinions please?
1979 to 1997 Conservatives.
Hundreds of thousands of people were made jobless when heavy industries, mining, steel etc were shut down.
To receive unemployment benefit or income support all a jobless person had to do was sign on at their local DHSS office once a fortnight.
There were no workfare schemes,
No sanctions.
People could turn up at the dole office late or even a few days late and only had to give a verbal explanation.
There were no work focused interviews or compulsory courses.
If you have ever watched 'Bread' that's exactly what it was like. Any claimant could turn up at a DHSS office and ask for a handout in addition to their dole.
1997-2010 Labour
Unemployment benefit and IS for jobless was renamed Jobseeker's Allowance.
Labour introduced a fair sanction system, where any sanction was removed on compliance. And was never 100% loss of benefit unlike now.
Jobseekers now had to sign on in a Jobcentre rather than DHSS office
There were work regular focused interviews
New Deal was an excellent system for long term jobless. It gave Jobseekers several choices from Work based training, help setting up a business, conservation work, return to education or work experience of the Jobseekers choice. In addition to travel expenses New Deal participants got £15 extra JSA week and a rail card give 1/3 discount.
Under labour unemployment fell to its lowest levels by 2002.
Far better than the Tory record huh?
2010- present. Conservatives
A complete mess!
A failing universal credit system that's wasted billions instead creating real jobs.
Work program which fails to get many people into full time work
An exploitative mandatory workfare that is degrading and makes Jobseekers less employable as they are too busy being exploited to fund time looking for work.
A cruel fixed sanctions system that results in victims struggling to survive rather than look for work. With 100% loss of JSA and no removal of sanction for good behaviour.
Your opinions please?
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Comments
JSA is a safety net I've had to use twice. I've worked since 2001, but had two periods of redundancy, 4 months and 7 months, and both times JSA kept me afloat until I found my feet again.
I don't think they are though to be fair. Obviously the credit crunch was a global thing, but you'll not find anyone who doesn't have a turnip for a brain who wouldn't admit if Gordon's government had won that election a decade ago, we would be Greece without the sun right now.
It's pretty common practice for the incumbent government to blame long term problems on their rival party.
The truth is rarely a major consideration.
Forgive me if I'm getting my history wrong, but IIRC Labour left power only a little over 5 years ago...
When are Labour supporters going to stop blaming a person who left power 25 years ago?
Bit ironic really given this thread is trying to say that the Thatcher/Major years entrenched welfare dependency. The collapse in the heavy industries of the 1980's has it's roots much earlier given the failure of those industries to compete, and the ever increasing subsidy they required to keep running.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33020987
PIPs disability benefit delay unlawful, says High Court
He added: "The average new Pip claimant now waits only seven weeks for an assessment.
"The court has rightly dismissed the claimants' absurd suggestion that their human rights had been breached. As a result, they are not entitled to damages."
Mr Tomlinson Sounds like a nice guy.
If you read the history of working tax credit you will see that it was introduced in the first place under the name Family Credit in 1986, it is the name that has changed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_tax_credit
I think that you are over stating the situation. Labour would have been forced down a similar path but with a shade more compassion. To say we would be like Greece is utter nonsense. The Tories are not doing a particularly good job despite the rhetoric. It was always their hope that the global economy would pick up shining a glorious light on them as the saviours of Britain. The facts say the opposite.
Arguing about the political merits of the Labour and Conservative parties is like arguing whether brontosaurus or stegosaurus had the worst smelling farts.
Brontosaurus. By a nose.
what about the youth training schemes in the 80's were you had to take one of three offered to you if not you got no dole money which happened to me .
Indeed.
Everyone knows it's Thatchers fault.
It's not necessarily all Thatchers fault but I think most people (from a certain age) know that the roots of high unemployment and therefore welfare dependency stems from the 1980's.
I must confess I was being a tad sarcastic.
The biggest issue with welfare dependency isn't the unemployed, it is those in work. As for harking back to Thatcher it is an option which alas some still find an attractive form of deflection and blame.
Didn't Labour bring in working tax credits? ..... surely that encouraged 'some' employees to pay their staff less money because they new it would be topped up by the taxpayer......(I remember Labour when they were in power for 10years still blaming the previous government).....The only way they will rid 'most' of working tax credits is whats happening now....the point where you pay tax is rising and rising, so ultimately this will reduce the need for the tax credits in the first place.
Yes it did encourage employers to pay lower wages, but what would it have been like if the NMW hadn't been introduced by Labour. Maybe that will be the next thing to go.