Employment

[CrapatCryptics2]

Based on the latest figures we have 1.5 million unemployed and 932,000 job vacancies.We need to start addressing this issue. Targetting people with lesser disabilities so they have access to jobs they can do. Look at progressively reducing benefits if a person has been out of work for more than 3 months. We all know people who have seemingly never worked without obvious reason. Getting people into work doubly benefits the country by reducing the benefits budget and increasing the tax income. This frees up funds for the NHS hospital building and new prisons. Our councils could also do a better job of collecting rent and council tax arrears.

[barry1010]

Does that 1.5m include those claiming sickness benefits and the non-workers who don't claim anything?

[barry1010]

According to this link there are 4.2m people of working age claiming some sort of sickness/disability benefit

https://ifs.org.uk/news/42-million-working-age-people-now-claiming-health-related-benefits-could-rise-30-end-decade#:~:text=Before%20the%20pandemic%2C%20both%20incapacity,to%2051%2C000%20and%2043%2C000%20respectively.

So should the government target the fit unemployed or the sick?  1.5 million vacancies and nearly 6m unemployed or sick. 

[CrapatCryptics2]

I suspect many people who erroneously claim benefits wouldnt appreciate employment office staff sending them for a medical re-assessment probably causing those staff to be under unusual pressures and likely violence. Thisis assuming gps could manage the additional volume.

[barry1010]

As far as I know, once a person is on long term sickness/disability benefits the GP is not involved, except to supply copies of medical reports when requested.  Further and ongoing assessments are carried out by the Health Assessment Advisory Service.  

[barry1010]

PIP claimants are assessed by the  Independent Assessment Services or Capita

[Old_Geezer]

Are the vacant positions in the same area as the unemployment ?

[dave50]

They need to address the biggest scam of all which is having 'mental health problems' or 'anxiety'. Seems to be a badge of honour these days and an excuse not to work.

[newmodarmy]

There are improvements that need to be made to encourage people back into work but vacancies can't be eliminated - there will always be vacancies (probably never below 500,000) because of the time taken to recruit and get someone in place after someone leaves/dies/ is sacked, and because people are in the wrong locations or vacancies require specialist skills (teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, plumbers, electricians can't be filled by someone who's been unemployed for years and/or never done more than unskilled work)

[barry1010]

I wonder how many are women aged 60 or over who can't afford to retire but can't live on the carer's allowance?