“forcing claimants to work without pay for six months can help charities “fulfil a social responsibility””

Ha, what despicable ideological guff.

Charities should turn their backs on this government. They should tell them “no, if you want to enslave people purely to punish them for their misfortune, YOU should be the one who holds the whip”.

An article is needed that puts forward workable soloutions for those who are unemployed.
I have read through hundreds of application forms, and the spelling and grammar is quite shocking, things like this need addressing, along with the fact not everyone can drive.
The widely held view (and like it or not, it IS widely held wether people agree or not)
is that the unemployed SHOULD do something whilst claiming, and that involves helping charities, community projects, attending college etc….
The concern that it involves working for less than minimum wage and that it may be used to avoid employing someone on a contract and wage does not enter.
The MSM have done well in pushing the myth that those on JSA are workshy, (if the Poles can get jobs why can’t they)
A new strategy is needed, a non-patronising way of finding out what is preventing people from getting into work (and if lack of jobs is one of them, that needs tackling too)
Problem is though, no party is providing legitimate and workable answers.