Young people &Employment

Young people in the labour market

The Youth have remained a challenge for a number of years. A "Lost Generation"

Today the stats were out.and additional information is available which can be provided

It is possible to look at more details in respect of Qualifications and Jobcentre plus claimant count per area or constituency. Add the additional factor that Universal Credit applies to many of the Youth.

Introduction

This section looks at people aged from 16 to 24. It is a common misconception that all people in full-time education are classified as economically inactive. This is not the case as people in full-time education are included in the employment estimates if they have a part-time job and are included in the unemployment estimates if they are seeking part-time work.

Commentary

For July to September 2016, for people aged from 16 to 24, there were:

• 3.91 million people in work (including 914,000 full-time students with part-time jobs)
• 591,000 unemployed people (including 194,000 full-time students looking for part-time work)
• 2.69 million economically inactive people, most of whom (2.06 million) were full-time students

Source: Labour Force Survey: Office for National Statistics

Notes:

1. FTE = Full-time education.
2. The "Not in full-time education" series includes people in part-time education and/or some form of training.

The Not in Full Time Education or Training is more commonly described as NEET

Quarterly and annual changes in the number of young people (aged 16 to 24) in the UK labour market, seasonally adjusted

Our Next graph  shows how the latest estimates, for July to September 2016, for employment, unemployment and economic inactivity for people aged from 16 to 24 compare with the previous quarter (April to June 2016) and the previous year (July to September 2015).

Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Working Tax Credit (WTC) U.K vote facts and opinion

Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Working Tax Credit (WTC) 

Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Working Tax Credit (WTC) replaced Working Families’ Tax Credit, Disabled Person’s Tax Credit and Children’s Tax Credit in April 2003. CTC brings together income related support for children and for qualifying young people aged 16-19 who are in full time non-advanced education or approved training into a single tax credit, payable to the main carer. Families can claim whether or not the adults are in work.

WTC 

provides in work support for people on low incomes, with or without children. A family will normally be eligible for WTC if it contains one of the following:

• a single person who is responsible for a child or young person and works at least 16 hours a week
• a couple who are responsible for a child or young person, and who jointly work 24 hours or more per week (NB one adult must be working at least 16 hours)
• a person who is receiving or has recently received a qualifying sickness or disability related benefit and has a disability that puts them at a disadvantage of getting a job, and who works at least 16 hours per week
• a person is aged 60 or over and works at least 16 hours per week

If none of the above applies, then a person will still be eligible for WTC if they are aged 25 and over and work 30 hours or more a week. Tax credits are based on household circumstances and can be claimed jointly by members of a couple, or by singles. Entitlement is based on factors such as: age, income, hours worked, number and age of children, childcare costs and disabilities. MPs have backed government plans to cut spending on tax credits in the face of opposition from Labour and the SNP. The Commons approved plans to lower the earnings level above which tax credits are withdrawn from £6,420 to £3,850 and speed up the rate at which the benefit is lost as pay rises by 35 votes. Ministers say the move, estimated to save £4.4bn, is part of wider plans to raise pay and incentivise work.     Tax Credit applies to Working familes But Labour say it is an "ideological attack" on working families. The curbs on tax credits were announced in Chancellor George Osborne's post-election Budget in June. During a 90-minute debate in the Commons, the opposition claimed three million families face losing an average of £1,000 a year from next April. But ministers said the tax credit system had, for too long, been used to subsidise low pay and the changes would bring total expenditure on tax credits back down to more sustainable levels seen in 2007-8. 'Cynical' MPs backed a motion enacting the changes by 325 votes to 290.

Treasury minister Damian Hinds said eight out of 10 households would be better off by 2018-9 as a result of measures announced in the Budget to introduce a national living wage, further increase the personal tax allowance and extend childcare subsidies. "For too long in this country, low pay has been addressed not by genuine reform and driving productivity but by subsidising the tax credit system," he said. "The changes introduced in this order will build on the last parliament's reforms and return real-terms tax credit spending to the level it was in 2007-08 - a decade into the tenure into the government of the Labour Party." But Labour's Seema Malhotra said the changes were being "sneaked through the back door". "This is a political decision made by the chancellor that is set to see over three million families lose an average of £1,000 a year," the shadow Treasury minister said. "It is ideologically driven, it is cynical and it will directly increase levels of poverty in Britain." "It is part of an ongoing attack on the incomes of some of the most hard working families in our constituencies - those very strivers the chancellor purported to support."

Eligibility The calculator

Send tax credit renewal forms to HMRC’s Netherton office.

HM Revenue and Customs - Tax Credit Office

Comben HouseFarriers WayNethertonL75 1AXUnited Kingdom

Send changes of name or address, or complaints, to HMRC’s Preston office. Make it clear why you’re writing. For example, write ‘change of circumstances’ or ‘complaint’ at the top of your letter. You do not need to include a street name or PO box.

HM Revenue and Customs - Tax Credit Office

Preston PR1 4AT 
United Kingdom

Send new tax credits claims to HMRC’s Liverpool office. You do not need to include a street name or PO box.

HM Revenue and Customs - Tax Credit Office

Liverpool L75 1AZ
United Kingdom

Reality opinion

  Source

The challenge politically is that Working Families Tax Credit's keeps many families above the basic poverty line. For many the change will take families on low incomes into a poverty
With Utility costs rising above inflation and employers saying the market will not allow them to increase pay for staff the Tax Credit system has become a key solution. As the Tax credit system has an element connected to child care this will have to be factored into the decisions on Employment. This is likely to hit many families on lower incomes particularly the Younger families that will struggle

Jeremy Corbyn Welfare Reform

 Jeremy Corbyn has become the Labour party leader What is his track record prior to the General Election 2015? How will his leadership touch the lives of the Poor within the U.K? Jeremy is a North London M.P since 1983 as Islington North with an interest in Social issues.

 His former leader voted for it. Jeremy has made it clear his views on the Welfare Reform process as well as the Media. He points out that if Rent levels are capped then the Housing Benefit expenditure is reduced Jeremy points out that Child Poverty and Homelessness has increased in the last 5 years. He points out that there is a need for a fundamental change in direction over Welfare 

Jeremy responds to the Budget 

Jeremy Highlights Osbourne's Welfare Bill issue. As he rightly points out there are many countries that have no Welfare for their citizens. Jeremy seeks a budget where the plan is to eliminate austerities Jeremy regarding the last Budget as an attack on young people

 He commented on the 3 child policy which he feels is an attack on young people

 " What is is that the Conservative Party have got against the Young people of this country" 2/3 of Lindoners on Tax Credits are working He points out that much of the money involved in the Benefit cap goes into Private Landlords hands. The low income subsidies like Tax Credit's are often handed out due to low wages paid by employers.

From the Unemployed viewpoint-

There is more likely to be more of a defence of the poorest in society. The responce to the budget makes that clear.

Under Labour at the first test of the Bill M.P's were invited to vote alongside the Conservatives. Jeremy voted against. Indeed the media have made it clear that he was and isnt popular amongst the career politicians. Many of these politicians on the Shadow cabinet resigned despite the clear mandate that Jeremy was provided. 

I like many seek a different form of politics. Not the M.P's who are trained by their party in what they should say and those that just toe the party line.....But those that like Jeremy who engage and listen to their constituents and stand up for the belief rather than the 

Unemployment stats June 2015

Information on images taken from Research Breifing Universal Credit stats are now appearing in research document pdf file. Sadly ONS has stopped producing some of the information as they used to in their easily digestable format. The 18-24 group information now takes more research but the stats are available for all areas for those that are keen to obtain this       The ONS used to produce a video each month however the figures are still available in this picture format. One area that I have noticed is that the area of the NEET group is no longer highlighted   Researched by John FairestAIEP    

The employment rate in the United Kingdom, for the 3 months ending April 2015, was highest in the South West (77.3%) and lowest in Northern Ireland (68.4%). The employment rate estimates are showing a mix of increases and decreases across the regions and countries of the UK.

• The unemployment rate in the United Kingdom, for the 3 months ending April 2015, was highest in the North East (7.4%) and lowest in the South East (4.1%). All regions are showing decreases in the unemployment rate compared with a year ago.

• The inactivity rate in the United Kingdom, for the 3 months ending April 2015, was highest in Northern Ireland (27.0%) and lowest in the South West (19.2%). A year ago, the lowest inactivity rate in the UK was in the South East (19.7%).

• The Claimant Count rate in the United Kingdom, for May 2015, was highest in Northern Ireland (4.8%) and lowest in the South East (1.2%). The Claimant Count for May 2015 compared with April 2015, is showing decreases or no change in the count across all regions of the UK, except the North West, for men, and the North West and Wales, for women.

• The largest increase in workforce jobs, in the United Kingdom, for the 3 month period ending March 2015, was in the West Midlands, at 40,000. The largest decrease was in the South East, at 32,000.

• The highest proportion of workforce jobs in the service sector was in London, at 91.7%, which is a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter. The East Midlands had the highest proportion of jobs in the production sector, at 13.8%, which has increased by 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter.

• The highest average actual weekly hours worked, for the twelve months ending December 2014, were in London, at 33.6 hours and lowest in the South West, at 31.2 hours. For full time workers, it was highest in London, at 38.3 hours and for part time workers it was highest in Northern Ireland, at 17.8 hours.

Unemployment Kensington North South divide

U.K diversity- 2 Kensington's

The Guardian has recorded this rather interesting study of 2 kensington's

Yes there is more than 1 Kensington. Most of us are aware of the traditional Kensington in London. Yet as you look at the frame you see in the picture here you cannot picture where this could be in Kensington, London

Kensington Liverpool is the complete opposite of the U.K spectrum in terms of Income and wealth.
The Students rooms from £60 we see advertised in the Liverpool Kensington are unlikely to be visible in London.
The observation that Liverpool's local Jobcentre looked like a prison with it's barbed wire made me reflect on the view that many job seekers have. The Jobcentre isn't where people look for support but more as a test of endurance.With an average 30% of the Liverpool's area of Kensington being on out of work benefits The fact that there wasn't a Job centre anywhere the London Kensington spoke volumes. The unemployment rate in London's Kensington was 2.9%

There is a difference of £44.000 in the average salary between the two areas.
Child poverty rates stand out even more with the number of children in poverty in London being less than 5% and yet the Northern % is 45.8%

The ownership of the London Kensington is changing though as the Property ownership of the capital continues to change.

The community spirit  appears to be strong within Liverpool. Community resources and need become a key feature. Liverpool and it's weaker economy become clearer with it's expectancy from the politicians. Can they save the community resource of Sure Start?

Both areas do have a common theme. Multi -culturalism is a common theme indicated by the film.
This is a common aspect of Britain today.

As the presenter says Austerity and equality become a cliche. Austerity has become an issue for those on the lowest incomes. The lack of opportunity and funding is relevant to the North.

The Southern issue could be the Mansion Tax concept with people considering moving out of their properties to avoid larger bills. The rise in property values is a concern to those that have lived in the area for a lengthy time.
As we approach the Election what changes will occur in Kensington

DWP-Christmas- & Stats for Year

...

Department of Work and Pensions

DWP Payment dates over Christmas New Year

Payment dates at Christmas and the new year from DWP the Department of Work and Pensions. This takes into consideration the Banks holidays of Christmas and New Year.

Payment due date	When you’ll be paid
24, 25, 26 December 2014	24 December
1 January 2015	31 December 2014
2 January 2015 (England and Wales)	2 January 2015

The Department of Work and Pensions ( DWP) have produced a number of statistics over the last year.

The ONS videos

Their results on Unemployment figures can be see on a monthly basis when the ONS produces their stats.

The ONS figures come out middle of the month. Here are a sample of the videos from the year.
We have produced videos on this and feedback throughout this year

The Real DWP results

But as I have often said this has not been the entire story as they do not take into consideration the figures for Universal Credit and ESA etc. [caption id="attachment_1331" align="alignleft"
 Indeed the figures for Sanctions also make interesting viewing throughout the year as featured here. The Appeals as you see in the presentation add to an interesting story. These figures are available as are the success rates of the Appeals

Vacancies and Unemployment

Vacancies and Unemployment in the U.K

The vacancies throughout the year have changed. As I pointed out in a previous post the ratio has gone from 3.8 to 2.8 This makes the bargaining power of the potential employee look bettter. However is that a reality for the Job seeker. Ask most job -seekers looking for vacancies under £20.000 and they would probably say no.

Vacancies in Industries

A short while back i did some research into the stats.  Vacancies by industry[/caption] I have a few pages for employers on further information in this area but the figures would also indicate which sectors of the economy have grown and which are struggling. The image seen here shown many of the sectors that are featured on the Stats. But this sort of information is not as well published as the ONS monthly Stats.

  John Fairest author
I wonder why?

Over 50 Unemployed

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• source Gov.uk
• A quarter of women and one in six men who reach state pension age have not worked since they were 55
• Almost half (47%) of all unemployed people between 50 and 64 have been out of work for a year or more, compared with 33% for those aged 18-24
• There are "positive effects" on younger staff when more people aged 55-64 are employed, research has suggested
• Those aged 50-64 have an average job tenure of 13 years, compared with seven years for those aged 25-49

Source: Department for Work and Pensions

Frightening statistics but many who find themselves out of work at this stage of their lives find it harder to re enter the labour market. Particularly if they are in lower skilled jobs as they will find that the youth may be fitter than them,have more energy or other aspects of their lives that don't fit into some business cultures.

Part 1 During the recent recession the focus has been on Youth unemployment. But the Job Centre has an issue with this group of Job seekers.
There is the anticiption that the over 50 will not have the I.T training but often this group have the skills
The other issue is that they will rely on savings to survive. followed by part 2

The Princes initiative for the over 50's has highlighted the issue on Prime
Their web site goes on to say
"Helping older people back into the labour market could also lead to a potential £88 billion boost to the UK GDP. Most importantly securing employment for older people will transform their lives and offer them the opportunity of a brighter, more secure future."

BBC-

"Unemployed over-50s will be offered "career reviews" and help using computers as part of plans to get more people in that age group into work.

The trial will also include seven "older worker champions" across the UK.

An estimated 1.2 million over-50s are unemployed and "willing to work" - and ministers said if they all found jobs it would "add £50bn to the economy".

Employment Minister Esther McVey told the BBC it was "wrong" so many skilled people were "locked out" of work.

Long-term unemployment in the wider population fell 16% in the past year - but joblessness among the over 50s fell by 3.5%.

'Challenge stereotypes'

The trial, to be launched in April, will include training in CV and interview skills, the internet and social media, as well as "career reviews" with an expert to identify skills from previous work and any training needs.

"Champions" will be appointed in seven areas of the UK, at a cost to the government of £250,000. These Job Centre staff will focus on "going out to smaller and medium-sized businesses to ensure they recognise the benefits of hiring older workers".

Ms McVey said it was about "challenging outdated stereotypes".

"The plight of unemployed older workers has gone under the radar for too long. There's something fundamentally wrong with so many skilled and experienced people finding themselves locked out of the workplace simply because of their age," she told BBC Radio 5 live.

She pointed to "record numbers" of people getting into work since 2010, adding that in the past year more than 250,000 people over 50 had found jobs.

Ms McVey said it was not a question of older workers taking the place of younger employees.

"More jobs are being created in the UK than anywhere else in Europe... We've just got to make sure that everybody is a part of that growth."

Ex Offenders-can achieve

Lets encourage, inspire and motivate them
Ex offenders often feel that they have hit the bottom rung of life and lost value
Retraining into a new field where they can find acceptance is a key way of moving forward
Check out the videos on this page that may well encourage and motivate either you or someone else.
They are U.K videos produced by the DWP



There is a future and if you have the right attitude and the right motivation then you have the opportunity to make a difference.

  Reformed Development

Kemi's brief story appears on the site as well as on the DWP video and encourages us to look at how offenders can look at the future and fresh opportunities

 

LETS'S INSPIRE AND ENCOURAGE THEM

Sanctions -delays-Food banks-U.K

As I read the article below I was struck by the key issue that Food is a vital need within our society and so much more so than during the winter.

The timing of the article / report being made public just prior to Christmas and the winter period I feel is no suprise.

I Have highlighed key comments and my own comments have been added in italics

"An income squeeze, benefit delays and excessive utility bills are blamed by a cross-party group of MPs for a huge rise in the use of food banks.

The inquiry, by Conservative and Labour MPs and church leaders, says many families are one unexpected bill away from financial crisis.

They urge quicker benefit payments, the extension of free school meals and a living wage to reduce hunger.

Ministers called the report a serious contribution to an important debate.

The all-party parliamentary inquiry into hunger in the UK was set up to understand the extent and spread of hunger, food poverty and to investigate its underlying causes.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

Too many people... face the choice of putting money in the gas meter or food on the table”

Hunger and Food Poverty report

The inquiry found it difficult to calculate the exact number of food banks in the UK as so many are independent and run by individual groups.

But it did ascertain the number of Trussell Trust food banks has grown from a handful to 420 in the past 10 years. And it heard suggestions there may be at least as many food banks operating independently.

The growth in food bank use is mirrored across Europe and the US, the report said.

It acknowledged UK families on low incomes "have been hit disproportionately hard" by rising living costs and this has eroded the value of their income.

"Too many people living in low-income households often face the choice of putting money in the gas meter or food on the table," it said.

"In addition, they face in many cases a premium on the basic goods and services they buy."

Severe hardship

The report stressed "benefit delays have been a key reason" for people turning to food banks.

It heard much evidence that lengthy delays in the administration and receipt of benefit payments have caused severe hardship for new claimants."

These delays are an issue for many hard working Job seekers and indeed those on low incomes including those on zero hour contracts and part timers

"It concluded: "Benefit-related problems were the single biggest reason given for food bank referrals by almost every food bank that presented evidence to us.

Continue reading the main story

Hunger in the UK

4 million

people at risk of going hungry

272

food banks across big cities and towns

• 500,000 children live in families that can't afford to feed them
• 3.5 million adults cannot afford to eat properly

Source: All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Hunger in the UK, Poverty and Social Exclusion project

Getty Images

"The inquiry is concerned that there are avoidable problems occurring in the administration of social security benefits, which have a particularly detrimental impact on poor and vulnerable claimants."

RICHMOND'S FOOD BANK USERS

• Benefit delays 26%
• Benefit changes 14%
• Low income 15%
• Debt 11%
• Domestic violence 13%
• Homeless 8%
• Sickness 4%
• Unemployment 4%
• Other 5%

Source: Richmond Food Bank

Why are there problems with the administration of the Welfare benefits?

These delays are likely to be on new claiments

It heard the Department for Work and Pensions does not currently collect information on the time taken for benefit payments to be made and said some people were waiting up to 16 weeks for a claim.

This is a 4 mnth delay of which those claiming may well be entitled to payments. Ad that to the issue that such payments may not be entitled to back payment but may be new claiments, How many of us could survive without any money for this length of time

'Too long to survive'

The department measures the average number of days taken between an application and a decision being made on a claim.

"Whilst the department aims for this process to be concluded within 16 days, we heard that for some claimants even this length of time is too long to survive without money," it said.

This is 16 working days therefore over 3 weeks

The authors want benefits to be delivered within five days of a legitimate claim and for more discretionary payments to be made when delays occur.

They also highlight the impact of high utility bills and say the poorest often pay for gas and electricity through prepayment meters, face higher energy costs and are unable to get the best deals.

They also looked at hunger in schools, with some schools estimating up to a quarter of pupils arrive hungry each morning.

While low parental income is an important factor, children often go hungry because of lack of organisation at home, they added.

They want free school meals to be extended to more children of low-income parents and for a campaign to decrease the number of children arriving at school hungry.

The MPs also recommend a national organisation be set up to end the destruction of edible food and ensure more of this goes to those who need it.

On Sunday, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, backed the report, saying more help was needed to prevent families in the UK going hungry.

He said food was being wasted in "astonishing" amounts while hunger "stalks large parts" of the country.

The archbishop said he was left more shocked by the plight of the UK's hunger-stricken poor than those suffering in African refugee camps, because it was so unexpected.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said benefits sanctions - for infractions such as missing interviews or failing to take part in a work-related activity - were partly to blame and should not always be imposed "overnight".

Reality is Mr Clegg they are are regularly applied and the over turning procedure takes longer than it should. They are not used as a last resort they are used as a first resort what ever the circumstance.

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "Whilst it is of course necessary to have sanctions in the benefit system, I think we should introduce a sort of traffic light system so that some of the sanctions are not imposed quite as 'overnight' as they sometimes are.

"That might help alleviate some of the problem."

'Safety net'

A government spokesman welcomed the report's recognition that the reasons behind demands for emergency food assistance were "complex".

"As a country we have enough food to go around, and we agree that it is wrong that anyone should go hungry at the same time as surplus food is going to waste.

"There is a moral argument as well as a sustainability one to ensure we make the best use of resources.

FOOD BANK FAVOURITES

• Milk - UHT or powdered
• Sugar (500g)
• Fruit juice (carton)
• Soup
• Pasta sauces
• Sponge pudding (tinned)
• Tomatoes (tinned)
• Cereals
• Rice pudding (tinned)
• Tea Bags/instant coffee
• Instant mash potato
• Rice/pasta
• Tinned meat/fish
• Tinned fruit
• Jam
• Biscuits or snack bars

The spokesman said it was important to remember "this country has been through the deepest recession in living memory, and sticking to this government's long-term economic plan is the best way to improve living standards".

He said the plan was working and the economy growing while the welfare system provided a vital safety net.

"In addition, the UK has a proud tradition of civil society and faith groups providing support for people in need, and it is right that their impressive work is recognised in the report.

"Under tough circumstances, communities have shown that by pulling together to help each other, we can build a bigger, stronger society." "