In a word… No.
I have a fundamental problem with forcing someone to work for their benefits. I have no objection to someone being encouraged to do voluntary work or training to improve their CV, but this should never be forced. IE if the person is on benefits (that they need to survive), these benefits should not be withdrawn should the person decide that they don’t wish to do the voluntary work or training. It may be they have decided this for a perfectly valid reason.
WorkFare (or to give its official name, the Work Experience Scheme) is different. It offers companies free labour. The state pays the JSA, the company gets the jobseeker for 30 hours a week. For example…
Sounds great for the company. But for the jobseeker it’s not so good. Refuse to go, and they lose their JSA. Ergo they are forced to take this job. That is working for below minimum wage. Also in the example above they’re working nights. How does that help the jobseeker to find a job that pays? They’ll need to sleep for most of the day to allow them to do a full night’s work.
I cannot and will not support the idea of forced labour in any form. People on benefits need help and support to find them a job that pays better than benefits, not to be effectively sold for slavery by the state.
