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Letter: What are the true jobless figures?
Wednesday 10th February 2010, 7:09AM GMT.
Letter: I keep hearing that the recession is over and that unemployment has dropped, but what are the true unemployment figures? What about the invisible unemployed numbers such as myself.
After six months I did not qualify for any other benefits, had paid enough stamp to ensure a full state pension when I retire, so therefore signed off at the job centre as I could see no benefit to signing on every two weeks at a cost to me of around £6 (£2 in fuel and £4 to hire a mobility scooter as I am disabled).
As I was receiving no income at all I need the £6 it would cost me to help with everyday living expenses.
I personally know of one other person who is in a similar situation.
How many more are there out there that are unemployed, but do not show up on any Government statistics?
Mrs Carole Lawrence
Shrewsbury
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I feel exactly the same Carole, my partner was made redundant last year, applied for lots of jobs but nothing, then his job seekers allowance ran out, he feels the same what is the point of him signing on, we have no help with anything e.g council tax etc I have to support him and i’m not on a fantastic wage, it makes me so angry when people out there claim for everything when they really don’t want to work and have rent paid for etc, we both have worked all our lives and paid our tax and insurance but when we need a bit of help we don’t receive it! This country is really messed up and if I was in goverment I would change the benefit system completely..
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There are lies ,damn lies ,and statistics ,it is well known by all those who possess a brain that this government fiddle everything in order to look good .The majority are not fooled ,as my friend says you can tell when politicians are lying they move their lips .Claims ,well I read today the disgraced policeman, a Commander claims he is not in a position to pay his legal fees ,I will bet they get paid by us .The money he has been paid and expenses over the years must be a couple of million at a guess . I expect left wing Peter 10/1/50 will add his usual drivel .We must keep hoping for better but with this government things just seem to get worse .
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I am in a similar position, worked every day since i left school and find myself a byproduct of the recession. 6 months later i am entitled to Nothing now as my partner works 30 hours. We would be better off financially living apart.
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It’s very sad that people find themselves put on the scrapheap thanks to the greed of the financial services industry and the excesses of global capitalism.
I would like to see unemployment benefit returned to the sort of level it used to be at for those who have contributed all their lives, and job centres able to offer a broader range of jobs and retraining, rather than just trying to shove people into the first minimum wage job that can be found.
Of course, prior to the introduction of Jobseekers allowance in 1995 (under a Tory administration you’ll recall), unemployment benefit was paid for a longer period, giving people a better opportunity to find suitable work.
However, the stories of the letter writer and contributor #3 at leas put the lie to the oft-repeated myth that somehow the benefits system is a street paved with gold.
As for drivel D.L. Barnett, what does ‘Peter 10/1/50′ mean? Perhaps you should review your own posts before criticising others…
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I am also in a similar position. I worked from leaving school and because my company provided a company pension I am not entitled to any money, but they will pay my National Insurance contributions if I spend an hour travelling for a five minute sign-on at the Jobcentre each fortnight.
However, after 6th April that will be changing and there will be a lot more people joining the invisible unemployed (including me). On that day to get a full basic State Pension, you will only need 30 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions (at the moment, men normally need 44 years and women 39 years).
I’ll still be looking for work to top up my income till I am 65, but I won’t be bothering to visit the Jobcentre, as they never have anything suitable anyway.
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