Force claimants to work for benefits, government urged

A US-style “work for the dole” scheme could save £3.5bn a year in welfare costs, a campaign group has said.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance (TPA) said only the “extreme sanction” of stopping claimants who refused to do 30 hours' activity a week from receiving benefits would force them to find work.

For most claimants, that would mean 30 hours a week of community service, charity work, approved training, work experience or “meaningful” job hunting with officials.

This isn’t really forcing people to work this seems more a test of a person’s commitment to working and finding a job, and if it’s put onto practice properly then this could really work.

For a start it would save a fortune on community maintenance and it would stop those looking to milk the system and reward those who are genuinely trying to find work.

It would also give those looking for work a great sense of self-satisfaction as they would be helping their local community or a charity and would give them something extra to their CV.

Throw in the fact that it could cut £3.5bn in welfare costs and you’ve got a scheme that should be introduced at the earliest possible opportunity.