[jambutty]

Any scheme that gets the work shy into work is worth exploring but only if the cost of running the scheme is less than the money saved. Not like the CSA where it was reported that the CSA cost millions to run but they only recovered a fraction of that amount.

The other point I would make is that you can take a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.

In other words what do you do if the ‘worker’ makes a hash of the job s/he is given and continues to do so? Would you want a work shy person cleaning in hospitals? They would more likely spread infections than keep them under check.

If a person is dead set on not working then how do you make him/her?

The real way to get most people back to work is to ensure that their wages after tax, NI and travelling costs to work are well above what they get on benefits.

Someone on JSA will also get things like free prescriptions, most if not all of the rent paid and Council Tax paid. Add those allowances into the equation and a person at work would need to bring home over £150 per week to make it worth their while to find a job. It would be even more if there were a family to keep.

But if a scheme is to go ahead then how about gangs of street cleaners picking up litter and sorting rubbish for re-cycling and tipping instead of lumbering the long suffering public with the task.