Conservatives: Failed Work Programme Model for the ‘Big Society’.

Mr Cestoda:  Official Tory Spokesperson on Welfare Reform. 

The Tory Manifesto is out.

These are the main points that concern Ipswich Unemployed Action.

 Welfare:

• Welfare Reform: A Conservative government would continue to pursue Iain Duncan Smith’s reform agenda and ensure that work paid better than welfare.
• Cap Spending: Overall welfare spending would be capped, and the household benefit cap reduced to £23,000.
• Immigration: Reform of welfare rules will be utilised to apply indirect controls to immigration from within the European Union.

 

A welfare system that is fair  to those who need it, and fair to those who pay for it too: stopping benefit cheats and ending welfare abuse

We will cap the UK’s overall welfare spending, to save you money We will keep a check on the growth of welfare spending, enabling us to provide a system that is fair to those who need it, and fair to those who pay for it too.

Our overall welfare cap will limit the amount that government can spend on certain social security benefits in the five years from 2015-16. We will freeze working age benefits for two years from April 2016, with exemptions for disability and pensioner benefits – as at present – as well as maternity allowance, statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity pay, statutory adoption pay and statutory sick pay

We will deliver Universal Credit, in order to provide the right incentives for people to work; target support at those who need it most; reduce fraud and error; and streamline administration of the welfare system.

Many a rash promise made in haste, and never delivered….

This is of interest,

Helping you build the Big Society.

We will innovate in how we deliver public services We have pioneered ways to deliver high-quality public services, including through getting the voluntary sector more involved.”

Comment: What do they mean by the ‘voluntary sector? What kind of ‘model’ does it offer?

 

A clue: 

For example, our Work Programme has helped harness the talent and energy of charities to help people turn their lives around and find their way back into work. We will examine ways to build on this type of innovative approach in the future

 

They’re ‘aving a bleein’ larf!

Obviously they mean a system riddled with incompetent bunglers, fellow-tape worm parasites (aka: ‘providers’ the unemployment ‘bizniz’), chancers, unable to deliver the goods….

Apparently this is all said straight-faced.

What is this then?

We have also pioneered the use of social impact bonds and payment-by-results, and we will look to scale these up in the future, focusing on youth unemployment, mental health and homelessness

Sounds like another tape-wormy plan to feed off the public.

Still: you too can help the Tories run society and grind down the poor:

We will help you volunteer and support action to help the vulnerable We will support the Prince of Wales’ Step Up To Serve initiative, encouraging young people to serve in their community”

And we will make volunteering for three days a year a workplace entitlement for people working in large companies and the public sector. People could, for example, volunteer for a local charity or serve as a school teacher, refuse collector, fire fighter, park keeper, surgeon, nurse or carer.

 

(actually I made the later examples up….)

 

The Tories live in fucking Narnia wonderland.