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Long-term jobless 'could face compulsory manual labour'
Iain Duncan Smith Iain Duncan Smith is targeting long-term benefit claimants

Long-term benefit claimants could be forced to do compulsory manual labour under proposals being put forward by the government, it has emerged.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith is set to outline plans for four-week placements doing jobs like gardening and litter clearing.

"The message will go across - play ball or it is going to be difficult," said Mr Duncan Smith.

Details will be unveiled in the Welfare Reform White Paper expected shortly.

Under the plan, claimants thought to need 'experience of the habits and routines of working life' could be put on the month long, 30-hour a week placements.

Anyone refusing to take part or failing to turn up on time to work could have their £65 Jobseekers' Allowance stopped for at least three months.

The Work Activity scheme is said to be designed to flush out claimants who have opted for a life on benefits or are doing undeclared jobs on the side.
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Analysis
image of James Landale James Landale Deputy Political Editor, BBC News

When the government unveils its welfare reforms this week, there will be lots of new support for unemployed people - more help to find work, a new universal benefit to claim.

But amid the carrots, there will also be some sharp sticks. One will be the threat that anyone who has been unemployed for a long time who refuses work could be forced to do community work placements.

The Welfare Secretary Iain Duncan Smith likes to talk of a new contract between the state and the unemployed.

Compulsory community work is clearly part of the bargain.

Reports suggest it will target people believed to be sabotaging efforts to get them back into work.

The Welfare Reform White Paper, set to be unveiled in the coming week, will set out Mr Duncan Smith's plans for a universal credit to replace the range of benefits currently claimed by the jobless.
'Cycle of dependency'

Under the scheme, job advisers would be given powers to require tens of thousands of claimants to take part in community work for charities or local councils.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "We will shortly be bringing forward further proposals on how to break the cycle of dependency blighting many of our communities and make sure work always pays."

Mr Duncan Smith said his plans were designed to reduce welfare dependency and make work pay.

He said: "One thing we can do is pull people in to do one or two weeks' manual work - turn up at 9am and leave at 5pm, to give people a sense of work, but also when we think they're doing other work.

"The message will go across; play ball or it's going to be difficult."

The UK has 5m people on out-of-work benefits and one of the highest rates of workless households in Europe, with 1.9m children living in homes where no-one has a job.

and all this is down to the great Scottish socialists namely Blair and Brown that ran this country to the ground in the 13 years that they had in power.The Labour Party and parts of the coalition will vote against this proposal. When I arrived in Britain and went to the Job Centre to apply for my National Insurance number the first thing that they asked even before I proved that I was legally entitled to have an NI number was "do you want benefits and a council house? ThIs is one of the best countries that I have lived in but unfortunately the last Government has set us back and Britain have become the laughing stock of the world.

Make them all pooper scooper,why should us workers pick our own pets pooh up

hibernia Wrote:

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> Make them all pooper scooper,why should us workers
> pick our own pets pooh up


Its our responsibility to pick up our dogs mess. Surely its not that much too ask to pick up your dogs mess? People who throw their gum on the pavements should be fined as well as those who throw their cigarette ends on the floor as well. People who spit should be kicked in the balls.