One unwarranted by-product of the backlash against the Workfare scheme and the public campaigning by pressure groups against the corporates who are still using it as free labour (and there are lots of them) appeared on facebook tonight.

The Sue Ryder Trust is to withdraw from its participation in Workfare, which is a damn shame really because a lot of its positions in hospices and its shops are voluntary positions anyway, they are withdrawing thei rparticipation in Workfare because they are afraid that the negative publicity attached to the companies using it will affect their own long-running voluntary workers training schemes, the great shame being that if an unemployed person now wants to volunteer to work some hours for Sue Ryder now they will have to declare them to their Job Centre, and could likely lose their benefits.

Its a mad world.

Please don't believe that Sue Ryder are being altruistic in this matter.

[url=http://tompride.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/sue-ryder-executives-looking-to-profit-from-the-privatisation-of-nhs-services/They may have bigger fish to fry[/url

They are supposed to declare it to their job centre but they shouldn't lose any benefits from it, the Job Centres generally encourage volunteer work.

Yes they are you moron
Legally JSA cannot be classed as a wage as it isn't enough for the hours they are working.

We get a new car every 3 years because its after this when cars start to deprectiate and Motobility can get the best price for them, which in turn keeps the charity running, so nothing to do with being "extravagant", sorry to burst your bubble.

Where did I say it was a wage?

All I said was that those on the workfare are still drawing the JSA and the notion that they are working for nothing is a fallacy.

I personally think they should get the minimum wage for participation - I have also said that on this thread - but then what is the incentive to the employer?

Suggest you learn to read more carefully before you start using emotive words like 'Moron' you just look more stupid than normal.

Really? I was under the impression that cars depreciated in value by the greatest amount when they left the dealership (excluding crashes obviously)

Happy to be corrected though if this isn't the case.

Are you not aware the car is leased and still under manufactureres warranty for 3 years? After that time the car deprectiates, comes out of warranty and would cost the charity a lot of money. Another reason we get an "extravagance".

A steady stream of employees they can evaluate and employ the best of, recruitment costs are a considerable part of the business expenses.

Its also at the direction of the leasing company (whoever they use), the optimum time to turn the cars into cash being in the year when the initial hit on depreciation has happened and whilst the mileage is low enough to keep the car in the highest second hand value column - ex-mobility cars at three years old with average 6k per annum on the clock are absolute bargains, they've been driven gently (in the main), not owned by idiots, and are usually spotless - I picked up a Focus once at 3 years old with 6k on the clock, I viewed it before it had been valeted and when we lifted the bonnet it looked as though it was still in the showroom, absolute bargain.

Another good source was always Benfields who picked up all of the Jersey and Guernsey rental Fords every winter, registered just nine months earlier they had spent six months being driven by holidaymakers who could never drive more than a dozen miles in any direction, and yet the rental company had taken the first years depreciation

Looks like IDS blew another gasket on LBC last week.



In the words of his party leader he needs to, 'calm down dear'.



[urlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/02/20/iain-duncan-smiths-explodes-on-lbc-over-workfare_n_2725765.html[/url

It is well worth listening to the recording of that – very good indeed.

Blog. (I wish I could do that fancy thing and just write the word [iblog[/i instead of having to put up the URL. Mind, I'm that thick it took me about 3 years to suss out how to display an image.

).

[urlhttp://www.lbc.co.uk/james-obriens-blog-3514/entry/81/9328[/url

This bit was interesting:



Oops. Did IDS just open HMG up to prosecution for breaking Minimum Wage laws?

Does that help?

Well it's interesting, isn't it?

On the face of it he just drove a coach and horses through his own departments carefully constructed 'these are still benefits not wages' smokescreen.

It's one of those situations where you'd love to have the money to fund a legal challenge.

Yep same here, last year I bought a 3 year old 1.6 Astra with 16k mileage ex-motability for £5k, just had it MOT'd and serviced and its still virtually good as new.

I look after mine pretty well too. I've lost a wheel trim so will be forking out to buy a set of 4 Citroen ones from the dealership. You get a "good condition" bonus if you return the car pristine, if not, they bill you for any work/damage done, so it actually pays you to keep it in good condition.

Just listened to it and it shows perfectly the comments made in the blog:

".....it rarely seems worth my while to let them read their PR notes out loud, answer any questions but the ones I ask and glide glibly over any attempts to root the exchange in reality."

They don't need to use agencies to recruit at that level - suggest that is a red herring. Is this the best environment with which to evaluate people if you are basically force-feeding them in these roles?

Absolutely.

The car doesn't start to depreciate at Yr 4!! its biggest years of depreciation are years 1-3

Tut-tut!

You'll be getting a horse next.