The Long-term Unemployed

[PalazioVecchio]

Cannot work, will not work, never worked.

The Left will argue that these people need a greater incentive to take-up job offers. The Right favours a more Tony Soprano option.


Causing a 'skills shortage' and hence a need to import labour from abroad.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/09/14/heathrow-faces-shortage-skilled-youth-to-build-third-runway/

 

[eaglesdare]

Why work when you get get a house and money for free? What's the incentive?

 

[grumpymort]

Why work when you get get a house and money for free? What's the incentive?

If only it was that simple.

This is what the govt/media want people to think but in the real world it's not been the case for a long time.

The people who are able to work and have not done so for a long time have no interest in working, it's not as if there is a large pool of jobs available either.

 

[eaglesdare]

If only it was that simple.

This is what the govt/media want people to think but in the real world it's not been the case for a long time.

The people who are able to work and have not done so for a long time have no interest in working, it's not as if there is a large pool of jobs available either.

Surely because they have been given a free house and free benefits? Remove the incentives and they go back to work?

 

[CPFCSaturn]

Surely because they have been given a free house and free benefits? Remove the incentives and they go back to work?

Why do you bother working if you believe you could get a free house and free benefits without having to do anything?

If it was as easy as you present, surely no one would bother working..?

 

[eaglesdare]

Why do you bother working if you believe you could get a free house and free benefits without having to do anything?

If it was as easy as you present, surely no one would bother working..?

The rest of us work because we either don’t qualify for the full package or we want a higher standard of living and independence than the gov provides.

 

[Mattconrov]

The rest of us work because we either don’t qualify for the full package or we want a higher standard of living and independence than the gov provides

This is how I see it. Although there seems little in the way of jobs out there at the moment.

Companies seem to be overworking their current staff and getting them to pick up the slack.

 

[Mattconrov]

Why do you bother working if you believe you could get a free house and free benefits without having to do anything?

If it was as easy as you present, surely no one would bother working..?

It probably doesn't even cross most people's mind to stop working and claim benefits.

There has of course always been a culture of people whom have taken advantage of it.

 

[CPFCSaturn]

It probably doesn't even cross most people's mind to stop working and claim benefits.

There has of course always been a culture of people whom have taken advantage of it.

I think you're probably right culturally.

But I think it's also true that in reality people know 'free houses and free benefits' is nowhere near as easy nor attractive a lifestyle as they pretend it is - if it were, far more people would be at it.

 

[PalazioVecchio]

I think you're probably right culturally.

But I think it's also true that in reality people know 'free houses and free benefits' is nowhere near as easy nor attractive a lifestyle as they pretend it is - if it were, far more people would be at it.

what about claiming every benefit available, officially. And then working 'cash in hand' ? these days you can often do it from the comfort of your own living-room.

 

[CPFCSaturn]

what about claiming every benefit available, officially. And then working 'cash in hand' ? these days you can often do it from the comfort of your own living-room.

Of course there are people exploiting the system, and the loopholes and workarounds should be closed as best we can.

But I'm also aware that having a welfare system that no one exploits is a total pipe dream.

 

[PalazioVecchio]

we all know the towns & streets with high rates of Long-term unemployment.

So is there something wrong with the local labour market (employers) or something wrong with local labour supply ?

Its very different in the US. The car factories of Detroit all closed down. And all the people with any 'get up and go' ? they all got up and went. Off to work in the Tech hubs of Silicone Valley or Seattle.
And the people who stayed living in a dead town ? a bit like the Coal/Steel/textile towns of the UK. The Longterm unemployed.

Anerley, Penge, Thornton Heath, Selhurst, West Croydon..etc

Unemployment rate by London borough

The majority of London boroughs (26) have higher unemployment rates than the average for the rest of England. 19 London boroughs saw their unemployment rate go up in the last year.

trustforlondon.org.uk

 

[Mr Palaceman]

The rest of us work because we either don’t qualify for the full package or we want a higher standard of living and independence than the gov provides.

So we can stop working... 🤣

 

[Mattconrov]

I think you're probably right culturally.

But I think it's also true that in reality people know 'free houses and free benefits' is nowhere near as easy nor attractive a lifestyle as they pretend it is - if it were, far more people would be at it.

I rent my old house out to a couple on benefits.

I can't go into any details, but I'm almost certain he's working on the side.

Benefits plus tax free cash.

 

[ASCPFC]

Once you do work, welfare find all kinds of excuses to give you either nothing or little. The more of a decent person you are, the more hard working and honest, the less you would get.
If you're a troublemaker, have never worked, pretend you can't fill in forms, play up, pretend you need an interpreter, always want more, get extra appointments, pretend to have something wrong with you, come from the correct ethnicities or sexualities and you get - everything. The full life package. Not a care in the world, guaranteed for life.

That's the issue with social welfare that really gets me. It reminds me of how I started out with short term contracts. When they came to an end the dole would do absolutely anything to not pay me anything. I was just trying to get what I was due to tide me over. It wouldn't cover much. They would be rude as hell. Would they do that to a traveller? You full well know the answer. It would all be done in a jiffy. Deserving or not. Just make up a number of kids, barely even worry about the paperwork.

 

[CPFCSaturn]

Once you do work, welfare find all kinds of excuses to give you either nothing or little. The more of a decent person you are, the more hard working and honest, the less you would get.
If you're a troublemaker, have never worked, pretend you can't fill in forms, play up, pretend you need an interpreter, always want more, get extra appointments, pretend to have something wrong with you, come from the correct ethnicities or sexualities and you get - everything. The full life package. Not a care in the world, guaranteed for life.

That's the issue with social welfare that really gets me. It reminds me of how I started out with short term contracts. When they came to an end the dole would do absolutely anything to not pay me anything. I was just trying to get what I was due to tide me over. It wouldn't cover much. They would be rude as hell. Would they do that to a traveller? You full well know the answer. It would all be done in a jiffy. Deserving or not. Just make up a number of kids, barely even worry about the paperwork.

Why are you so sure that the service you found difficult and obstructive is not like that for everyone? No doubt there are people far better at playing the system than the rest of us.

The only ‘benefit’ I’ve ever claimed is the free childcare hours, and the amount of hoops we’ve had to jump through to prove our eligibility is crazy.

I’ve heard plenty of stories of people with similar experiences to you. My view is that the system is like that by design; difficult and obstructive.

 

[ASCPFC]

Why are you so sure that the service you found difficult and obstructive is not like that for everyone? No doubt there are people far better at playing the system than the rest of us.

The only ‘benefit’ I’ve ever claimed is the free childcare hours, and the amount of hoops we’ve had to jump through to prove our eligibility is crazy.

I’ve heard plenty of stories of people with similar experiences to you. My view is that the system is like that by design; difficult and obstructive.

Because I know plenty of people from all walks of life through various things that I do.

 

[grumpymort]

Surely because they have been given a free house and free benefits? Remove the incentives and they go back to work?

No again you are going with same old stereotype stories.

Your belief is you say to a person we are going to take your benefits away unless you get a job will make them wake up the next day rush to get a job? If so you are not in the real world.

A large % of the people you mention who have the houses and are claiming also have children.

People need to be more open minded and take each case as it is not everyone is the same.

Companies get a free ride they are one of the biggest issues exploiting people with minimum pay or abusing the worker rights situation (Very few jobs have any security anymore which is another reason why some people do not see the point of getting a job)

 

[eaglesdare]

No again you are going with same old stereotype stories.

Your belief is you say to a person we are going to take your benefits away unless you get a job will make them wake up the next day rush to get a job? If so you are not in the real world.

A large % of the people you mention who have the houses and are claiming also have children.

It’s not a stereotype it's incentives.

When benefits are made conditional or time limited, employment then rises.

Having kids makes the free package more attractive and not less.

 

[grumpymort]

It’s not a stereotype it's incentives.

When benefits are made conditional or time limited, employment then rises.

Having kids makes the free package more attractive and not less.

Provide the evidence of this please I would like to see a long term study or data to back this up.

I know from people I have encountered all over the world with many different backgrounds also ones which work others which have never this is not the case.

Out of interest how much salary wise do you earn per year? and do you own your home?

I bet you are the sort of person who jumps on the disabled people are getting free packages as well.