Welfare changes are inhumane claim Highland councillors
An 'inhumane' welfare system is forcing claimants to make absurd promises to Job Centre advisors just to qualify for their unemployment benefits, Highland councillors have said.
One claimant agreed to apply for 14 jobs a week to avoid having his payments sanctioned while others have signed pacts forcing them to turn up at the job centre every day to scan the jobs database.
Alasdair Christie, Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey Citizens Advice Bureau manager, said people were being forced to sign up to unrealistic targets out of fear.
"Somebody promised they would apply for 14 jobs per week but if you look in the local press there probably aren’t even 14 jobs a week. These people will, out of desperation, sign up to any condition in order to get their benefits."
The comments were made after a new report to Highland Council’s resources committee warned of the community costs of the UK Government’s welfare budget reduction.
Up to £6 billion is being slashed from the Scottish welfare bill in the six years up to 2016, with the deepest cuts being made between now and next year.
Councillor Christie, a Liberal Democrat ward member for Inverness Ness-side, said everyone in the community from the claimant to the corner shop owner would feel the pinch.
The debate turned to some of the policies now in place by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Ian Cockburn, SNP councillor for Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, said a new ruling forcing some people to turn up at the Job Centre every day and others to clean war memorials, dig gardens or helping out in community cafes for their benefits, were "pure science fiction".
"We live in the Highlands," he said. It takes a day to travel to the Job Centre from some places and then when the people get there what’s the Job Centre going to do - put them up for the night? It’s fantasy. It’s pure science fiction."
he added: "As for the community service work the people we are talking about here basically have not got those skills."
Bren Gormley, Fort William and Ardnamurchan SNP member, described the current welfare system as cruel.
"We seem to have almost abandoned humanity", he said. "Somehow we have to take back the values of society."
A DWP spokeswoman said: "Sanctions are only used as a last resort and people who are in genuine need can apply for hardship payments. If someone disagrees with a decision made on their claim they can appeal."
