It's probably cheaper to supply and support passes in many areas, considering the cost of reimbursing one off fares. That the pass might get used for other purposes may seem frivolous but it may afford access to information or contacts which can help with job, networking, volunteering or other opportunities whilst they are there.
I suppose in some areas like London, Manchester or others where there's a highly ubiquitous transit system like the Tube.. a subsidised pass is the easiest and cheapest to administer method...
Especially when cash fares are ridiculously high when compared to Oyster or Travelcard type fares, or smartcards are used.
Basically if you have a large sprawl and passes are used all the time..
I do appreciate that and logistically much easier to manage but then we should not kid outselves that the reason for this is to remove the cost of people who are going for interviews. It's just free travel for the unemployed.
I suppose in some areas like London, Manchester or others where there's a highly ubiquitous transit system like the Tube.. a subsidised pass is the easiest and cheapest to administer method...
Especially when cash fares are ridiculously high when compared to Oyster or Travelcard type fares, or smartcards are used.
Basically if you have a large sprawl and passes are used all the time..
An annual pass in london. zone 1-4 is over £1700.
a lot of money. and the same as the cost of 218 off peak day passes, or peak 158 day passes. are people really attending that many interviews?
seems like it might be cheaper to refund them for the day pass.
How about getting the unemployed to clean the buses FOC in order to claim/get a free bus pass?
Sounds like a win win to me
Unless you are one of the cleaners employed to clean the buses.
To be honest I am really struggling to understand why this needs debating - if we want people to go to work - then what is the problem helping them actually get a job.
Yesterday I forked out over £130 for my travel card in London - you can hardly expect someone coming out of long term unemployment to be able to do the same
a lot of money. and the same as the cost of 218 off peak day passes, or peak 158 day passes. are people really attending that many interviews?
seems like it might be cheaper to refund them for the day pass.
Do they do monthly weekly etc ones? They do in some areas. This would seem more logical given that the person may find a job before an annual pass is used up.
And to correct myself above, this is not free travel for the unemployed, as the OP would see benefits reduced to pay for a pass whether the person wanted it or not.
Yesterday I forked out over £130 for my travel card in London - you can hardly expect someone coming out of long term unemployment to be able to do the same
But where is the evidence that jobs are not being filled because people cannot travel to interviews? I'd wager the problem with the long term unemployed not getting a job is not because they can't afford the bus fare to an interview.
But where is the evidence that jobs are not being filled because people cannot travel to interviews? I'd wager the problem with the long term unemployed not getting a job is not because they can't afford the bus fare to an interview.
You should hear some of the horror stories from the bloke I work with whose wife works at a jobcentre(if that's what they're called)
They already 'claim' travel to and from interviews, so a free bus pass will just be abused and will be a perk which others have to pay for.
And to correct myself above, this is not free travel for the unemployed, as the OP would see benefits reduced to pay for a pass whether the person wanted it or not.
Do they do monthly weekly etc ones? They do in some areas. This would seem more logical given that the person may find a job before an annual pass is used up.
they do do monthly ones. the cost of 12 of them is £2010.
what i'm saying really is that unless someone is attending an interview on 200+ days a year then it makes sense to just reimburse them for the days they need it.
they do do monthly ones. the cost of 12 of them is £2010.
what i'm saying really is that unless someone is attending an interview on 200+ days a year then it makes sense to just reimburse them for the days they need it.
They could just be issued with one monthly pass at a time though, and then that could increase their/our expectation as to what they can usefully do with that time in terms not only of interviews but actively networking and seeking opportunities out in the real world rather than just online, by phone, etc. given that as has been said unadvertised jobs are a big chunk of vacancies at any one time.
They could just be issued with one monthly pass at a time though, and then that could increase their/our expectation as to what they can usefully do with that time in terms not only of interviews but actively networking and seeking opportunities out in the real world rather than just online, by phone, etc. given that as has been said unadvertised jobs are a big chunk of vacancies at any one time.
You should hear some of the horror stories from the bloke I work with whose wife works at a jobcentre(if that's what they're called)
They already 'claim' travel to and from interviews, so a free bus pass will just be abused and will be a perk which others have to pay for.
It will also be another disincentive for people to get back to work, if they already travel all year round for free (and just how far would people allow them to travel, and how would this be limited)? How long before stories of a free long weekend by the seaside or a trip to the peak district surface? And then the black market for travel passes valued at over £1,000? Tempting for many I would imagine.
Great idea and why not expand it to include bus and rail passes for the disabled who are also being targeted by this disgraceful Tory /LibDem coalition.
Great idea and why not expand it to include bus and rail passes for the disabled who are also being targeted by this disgraceful Tory /LibDem coalition.
Well why not everybody? Why don't we all have free transport?
It will also be another disincentive for people to get back to work, if they already travel all year round for free (and just how far would people allow them to travel, and how would this be limited)? How long before stories of a free long weekend by the seaside or a trip to the peak district surface? And then the black market for travel passes valued at over £1,000? Tempting for many I would imagine.
It's quite surreal, how many disincentives to return to work can we introduce
Well why not everybody? Why don't we all have free transport?
And not just rail and buses, how about free taxis for people who are not near public transport, and free air travel, and that Virgin space thingy as well. I want to go on that!
it would still cost £2000 a year per person. regardless.
for every unemployed person that comes to over £5bn. rough numbers obviously.
but it's an awful lot of money. particularly since nobody has offered any evidence that there is a problem to solve.
Sorry, I'm lost as to how, monthly passes, which cost £2k per person if you have them once every month for a whole year, or rather cost that if you buy an annual one, would still cost the same per person if you only buy them for a month at a time?
I'm trying to get at how you keep the cost down and factor in the possibility that the person might get a job in a shorter time if they spend a short period on intensive legwork out and about looking for work, going to job fairs, etc. Not just the occasional interview.
Sorry, I'm lost as to how, monthly passes, which cost £2k per person if you have them once every month for a whole year, or rather cost that if you buy an annual one, would still cost the same per person if you only buy them for a month at a time?
I'm trying to get at how you keep the cost down and factor in the possibility that the person might get a job in a shorter time if they spend a short period on intensive legwork out and about looking for work, going to job fairs, etc. Not just the occasional interview.
there are 2.5m people unemployed. if they have a pass, whether it's the same 2.5m people unemployed people or each one is unemployed for just a week there are still 2.5m person years. or 30m person months.
there are 2.5m people unemployed. if they have a pass, whether it's the same 2.5m people unemployed people or each one is unemployed for just a week there are still 2.5m person years. or 30m person months.
I realise that, but that takes us into the discussion about reducing unemployment overall rather than getting particular people back into work. It would be an even bigger problem if there was no turnover back into employment and the unemployed numbers continued to increase! :eek:
Comments
I do appreciate that and logistically much easier to manage but then we should not kid outselves that the reason for this is to remove the cost of people who are going for interviews. It's just free travel for the unemployed.
a lot of money. and the same as the cost of 218 off peak day passes, or peak 158 day passes. are people really attending that many interviews?
seems like it might be cheaper to refund them for the day pass.
Unless you are one of the cleaners employed to clean the buses.
To be honest I am really struggling to understand why this needs debating - if we want people to go to work - then what is the problem helping them actually get a job.
Yesterday I forked out over £130 for my travel card in London - you can hardly expect someone coming out of long term unemployment to be able to do the same
Do they do monthly weekly etc ones? They do in some areas. This would seem more logical given that the person may find a job before an annual pass is used up.
Not quite, my zone 1 - 4 is just under £1700
And to correct myself above, this is not free travel for the unemployed, as the OP would see benefits reduced to pay for a pass whether the person wanted it or not.
But where is the evidence that jobs are not being filled because people cannot travel to interviews? I'd wager the problem with the long term unemployed not getting a job is not because they can't afford the bus fare to an interview.
You should hear some of the horror stories from the bloke I work with whose wife works at a jobcentre(if that's what they're called)
They already 'claim' travel to and from interviews, so a free bus pass will just be abused and will be a perk which others have to pay for.
brace yourself for next year then. £1744
they do do monthly ones. the cost of 12 of them is £2010.
what i'm saying really is that unless someone is attending an interview on 200+ days a year then it makes sense to just reimburse them for the days they need it.
They could just be issued with one monthly pass at a time though, and then that could increase their/our expectation as to what they can usefully do with that time in terms not only of interviews but actively networking and seeking opportunities out in the real world rather than just online, by phone, etc. given that as has been said unadvertised jobs are a big chunk of vacancies at any one time.
Yes, but your original post mentioned zone 1-2 before editing, that was my point.
would that be a good use of £2000 a year?
It will also be another disincentive for people to get back to work, if they already travel all year round for free (and just how far would people allow them to travel, and how would this be limited)? How long before stories of a free long weekend by the seaside or a trip to the peak district surface? And then the black market for travel passes valued at over £1,000? Tempting for many I would imagine.
Well why not everybody? Why don't we all have free transport?
remarkably good idea, would cost a fair whack in the short term but would be massive benefit to the economy in the long term
It's quite surreal, how many disincentives to return to work can we introduce
And not just rail and buses, how about free taxis for people who are not near public transport, and free air travel, and that Virgin space thingy as well. I want to go on that!
You said monthly passes would cost £2000 for a year's worth, I said what about a month at a time?
it would still cost £2000 a year per person. regardless.
for every unemployed person that comes to over £5bn. rough numbers obviously.
but it's an awful lot of money. particularly since nobody has offered any evidence that there is a problem to solve.
Sorry, I'm lost as to how, monthly passes, which cost £2k per person if you have them once every month for a whole year, or rather cost that if you buy an annual one, would still cost the same per person if you only buy them for a month at a time?
I'm trying to get at how you keep the cost down and factor in the possibility that the person might get a job in a shorter time if they spend a short period on intensive legwork out and about looking for work, going to job fairs, etc. Not just the occasional interview.
I realise that, but that takes us into the discussion about reducing unemployment overall rather than getting particular people back into work. It would be an even bigger problem if there was no turnover back into employment and the unemployed numbers continued to increase! :eek: