Unite Scotland has repeated it’s call for the devolution of employment law. The appeal follows Wednesday’s decision by the Supreme Court that the UK government was wrong to raise employment tribunal fees. Continue reading Fair’s fair: Unite calls for devolution of employment law
Scotland’s share of funding from the UK Government’s apprenticeship levy will support a range of employment measures including the delivery of 30,000 Modern Apprenticeships starts per year by 2020 and the establishment of a new fund to help employers up-skill and re-skill their workforce, Minister for Employability and Training Jamie Hepburn has announced. Continue reading Boost for Scottish apprenticeships
Terri Smith is a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, where she represents Edinburgh Northern and Leith. She is also a young woman with health problems. Read her experience of facing a DWP appeal yesterday – and ask yourself what sort of country we’ve become …
I’ve never felt so belittled and demoralised in my life until today. I was in court this morning fighting against the DWP’s decision to declare me fit for work. Continue reading Our sick society?
Hope wins Outstanding Achiever award Continue reading Hope springs eternal!
Government fury over Lords revolt
Chancellor George Osborne has said he will act on concerns about the impact of tax credit cuts after peers forced the Westminster government to think again last night – but he has vowed to press on with changes designed to slash billions from the country’s welfare bill.
In a dramatic night the House of Lords defeated the government in two votes over the controversial legislation, forcing the government climbdown.
The Chancellor has now agreed to offer ‘transitional help’ for those hundreds of thousands of people affected by cuts – but the government was angered by the defeats in the unelected ‘other place’ is now considering a review of Lords conventions to address what is sees as ‘constitutional issues’.
The proposed cut to tax credits is the most controversial piece of legislation introduced since the Conservative government’s election in May.
Tax credits were introduced by the last Labour government to help low-paid families. There are two types: Working Tax Credit for those in work, and Child Tax Credit for those with children.
Tax credits are gradually being included within Universal Credit, which is currently being rolled out across the country. Under the government’s plans, the income threshold for receiving Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credit is due to be cut from April next year.
4.5 million people are currently eligible to claim tax credits.
Campaigners and respected think-tanks argue that the proposed tax credit cuts would deprive low-income workers of up to £1,300 a year but the Westminster government says the cuts are essential to tackle the UK’s massive deficit. It says most claimants will be better off when other changes, such as the introduction of the new national living wage, are taken into account.
Tax credits were worth around £2 billion to Scottish households in 2013/14, with two thirds of support directed at low income working families.
Scotland’s Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil called for for the UK Government proposals to be ditched in a letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions earlier this week.
Me Neil said the UK Government should urgently rethink tax credit changes which will punish families and push even more children into poverty and urged the UK Government to rethink its plans to cut tax credits which mean households with the least money will face the biggest losses.
Mr Neil said: “Cutting tax credits is a thoughtless approach which may save the Treasury money in the short term but will have heart-breaking long-term consequences that could rebound on other public and charitable services.
“Tax credits can be a lifeline for families on low incomes that rely on them to get through daily life, put food on the table, heat their home and pay their bills.
“Removing this vital support from thousands of families will widen the gap in inequalities and push even more people into poverty.
“The UK Government’s plans are a clear attack on low income working families and those families must be protected as a matter of urgency.
“The Scottish Government has made clear its opposition to these changes and I urge the UK Government to reconsider the severity and timing of these changes and make changes before the Welfare and Work Bill reaches its next legislative stage, so that the poorest households in receipt of tax credits can be protected from this fall in their incomes.
“This shows why we need more social security powers through the Scotland Bill and why, we will ensure our approach to social security will be based on fairness and that people are treated with dignity and respect.”
‘additional resource to tailor to activity to local need as we progress work to ensure all of Scotland’s young people have the best possible chance of success.’ – Roseanna Cunningham
Scotland’s 32 local authorities will split £6.5 million from the Scottish Government to take forward a variety of programmes to support young people to find work. Edinburgh’s share of the fund is £463,000.
The funding has been put in place to support the implementation of the recommendations from the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce which outlined a new blueprint for work-based training last year.
The funding will go towards initiatives to develop vocational and employment pathways for young people, strengthen links between schools and employers and help vulnerable groups become work ready.
Local authorities have now been informed of how much they will receive for 2014/15. Edinburgh’s share of the fund is topped only by Glasgow City, which will receive £692,850.
Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training Roseanna Cunningham said: “The latest trends on youth employment have been hugely encouraging but there is no room for complacency. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting more young women and men into jobs and published a new youth employment strategy in December.
“At the heart of our strategy is the report by the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce. We will continue to work closely with our partners in local government and Scotland’s business community on its implementation as part of a seven year plan to create a new world-class system of work-based training that will work for both the economy and the job prospects of our young people.
“I am very pleased to be able to confirm funding for all of our local authorities that will give them additional resource to tailor activity to local need as we progress work to ensure all of Scotland’s young people have the best possible chance of success.”
Thousands unfairly treated at work
Thousands of Scots face unfair working practices which leave them in desperate and miserable situations, according to new evidence from Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS).
Last year the Scottish CAB service saw 46,540 instances of unfair treatment at work – an increase of 5.5% on the previous year – and already this year the figures look set to be even higher.
Examples include unfair dismissal, non-payment of wages, cancellation of holidays, bullying, racism and denial of sick pay.
Many workers have told CAS they would like to take their case to tribunals but can’t afford to do so.
CAS new report ‘Fair Enough?’ sets out these problems in detail and suggests solutions to make Scotland’s workplaces fairer. It is being sent to Ministers, MPs and MSPs.
Publishing the report, CAS spokesman Rob Gowans said: “In Scotland we like to see ourselves as a generally fair, socially just country. Sadly, the evidence seen by CAB advisers every day tells a different story. We know that many Scots who are unemployed face severe hardship. But many who do have jobs are living on low incomes and also facing extremely unfair conditions at work.
“The evidence we present today is a snapshot of the kind of employment cases we see. Of course it’s important to say that most employers are fair and treat their staff well. But sadly it’s clear that there are many rogue employers in Scotland, and also that the system is in many ways stacked against workers who want to challenge unfairness at work.
“Some of the unfair employment practices we see put workers in difficult, complex and miserable situations. In exposing these today we want to raise awareness of these problems, but also to argue the case for change. All of the problems we identify in this report can be fixed, and we suggest ways of doing that.
“Because Scotland’s workers deserve better. And it is also in the interests of government and society as a whole that fair employment is promoted. Workers in low quality, stressful jobs have poorer general health, and poor daily quality of life than other groups – even those who are unemployed. It is also important to ensure that unscrupulous employers who wilfully undermine their employees’ basic rights do not gain an unfair advantage over fair employers.”
The sort of cases outlined in the report include:
The full report:
Fair Enough Protecting Scotland’s workers from unfair treatment Feb 2015
Jobcentre staff are getting out and about and taking work support direct to jobseekers as part of a new blitz targeting unusual locations –from football clubs to prisons and homeless shelters.
Employment numbers have reached a record 30.8 million and the number of people on the main out-of-work benefits is the lowest it’s been for a quarter of a century and now Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches – the government’s ‘army of jobs experts’ – are heading out to meet the public in children’s centres, youth hubs, homeless shelters, and rural work clubs to offer targeted support to people who need it most.
This more direct approach to helping jobseekers back to work has also seen roaming Work Coaches partnering up with professional football clubs, including Arsenal, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur, to set up schemes that help young people build confidence and skills to prepare them to find work.
And they are setting up shop in prisons across the country to help prisoners who are soon to leave custody prepare for a new life away from crime and in work.
New figures released last week show that an average of 1,500 more people were in work every day over the last year and the number of people on the main out-of-work benefits is down by more than 850,000 to under 4 million – the lowest it has been since 1990.
Employment Minister Esther McVey said: “Our hardworking Jobcentre Plus staff have made a huge contribution to Britain’s jobs success this year. By doing things differently, and getting out to where jobseekers are, they’re helping thousands into work every day.
“We have broken record after record in 2014 – with huge falls in youth and long-term unemployment and the highest number of women in work on record.
“This new approach is working. What we can see at the end of the year is that our welfare reforms are ensuring that people have the skills and opportunities to move into work.
“But behind these record figures there are countless stories of individual hard work and determination – stories of people turning their lives around, of families who are now feeling more secure over the Christmas period with a regular wage, and of young people escaping unemployment and building a career.”
Specialist Work Coaches are based in prisons across the country where they can help parolees sign up to Jobseeker’s Allowance up to 6 weeks before they are released. Once they sign up, they are automatically placed on to the Work Programme to help them build up skills and experience.
The Work Programme is designed to get the hardest to help jobseekers back into work and has now helped 368,000 long-term unemployed claimants find sustainable work.
Jobcentre Plus staff have also helped budding entrepreneurs to set up more than 60,000 new businesses through the government’s New Enterprise Allowance scheme, which helps jobseekers, lone parents and people on sickness benefits, with a good idea, to start up their own business.
Since 2011, more than 360,000 people of all ages have taken up opportunities through employer-led sector-based work academies, or work experience placements through Jobcentre Plus, to give them a job taster and a guaranteed job interview.
In Bootle, Merseyside, Jobcentre Plus has staff working from the local Youth Hub to provide guidance and advice to young people in the area and to offer chances to gain skills and experience through Sector-based Work Academies – which are employer-led training courses that lead to a guaranteed job interview.
And in Scotland, Stranraer Jobcentre Plus staff have established weekly work clubs in rural areas to provide help on budgeting, mock interviews, CVs and cover letters, and job applications.
Have you been supported into work this year? Has Jobcentre Plus helped you start your own business? Get in touch!
The benefit cap is providing a clear incentive to work, according to new research released by the Department for Work and Pensions today. However opponents say welfare reforms have damaged society and have not produced savings promised by the government.
The Westminster government says it has long suspected that the benefit cap was having a positive impact on people’s lives, compelling them to find work, and that the publications ‘now show this is undoubtedly the case’.
The benefit cap was introduced as part of the government’s long-term economic planso that people on out-of-work benefits do not receive more than the average working family earns.
The research shows that:
Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said: “We know that the benefit cap has had a real impact in changing attitudes and behaviours, and now we have evidence showing that our welfare reforms are encouraging people into work.
“By putting an end to runaway benefit claims and introducing a system which guarantees you will always be better off in work, we are incentivising people find employment. Every month hundreds of people who have been affected by the cap are making the positive move into work – gaining the financial security and esteem that comes with a job and a pay packet.
“As part of our long-term economic plan, we’ll continue to support people to break free from welfare dependency so they can look forward to a better, more secure future for themselves and their families”.
The DWP cites London as a good example of the policy working.
‘In London where the highest number of people are subject to the benefit cap, scare stories claimed that people would be pushed out of the capital. In actuality, of those capped households living in inner London that moved, 84% continued to live in the central boroughs. In London there is also larger likelihood of capped households moving into work with those in scope for the cap being 70% more likely to go into work than their equivalents just below the cap’.
One interviewee in the research said: “It gave me the shock of my life. But it’s given me the kick I need. I can see what the gentleman was saying, why should we pay for your lifestyle. We should want to work. We shouldn’t sit on our backsides watching Jeremy Kyle. I genuinely do want to work.”
While the government may believe it is on the right track, it’s fair to say that not everyone is convinced that the controversial cap is working, however. Trades Unions, disability rights organisations, charities, anti-poverty campaign groups, churches and opposition political parties all continue to condemn the government’s ‘draconian’ welfare reforms. They point to record numbers of families using food banks as evidence that the welfare reforms are hurting poor families – both in work and on benefits.
There’s also doubt about how much – or how little – money is being saved by the welfare reforms. Today, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said savings from the cap were ‘small’. They say the cap affects about 27,000 families in the UK – less than 1% of working-age families who receive housing benefits – and saved around £100m a year.
More about the benefit cap
Introduced in April 2013 the benefit cap is set at a rate of no more than £500 a week for couples and families and £350 for single people – £500 a week is equivalent to a salary of £34,000 a year after tax.
Over 50,000 households have had their benefits capped since April 2013 and since then 23,900 are no longer impacted – 12,000 because they have found work or are no longer claiming Housing benefit at all.
‘We will not settle for a return to pre-recession levels of joblessness in young people’ – Roseanna Cunningham
Additional funding to help develop a world class vocational education system that supports joint working between employers, schools, and colleges is to be made available, the Scottish Government has announced. Local authorities will receive £6.5 million to help ensure young people are ready for work.
The announcement was made by Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training Roseanna Cunningham ahead of the publication of the Scottish Government’s new youth employment strategy, which will set out plans for implementing the recommendations of the report by the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce.
Local authorities will share £6.5 million in 2014/15 to develop vocational and employment pathways open to all young people, strengthen links between schools and employers, and help vulnerable groups towards the labour market.
Ms Cunningham said: “Since the publication of the Commission’s report earlier this year, working closely with our partners, we have made significant progress in planning for a system of vocational education that is better equipped to help more young women and men into work.
“From a total £12 million made available this year, we have already invested £5.5 million in taking forward elements of the report. Pilots for foundation and advanced apprenticeships are already underway, and interest among employers in the new Investors in Young People accolade is steadily building. I will shortly outline in full how the Scottish Government will work with its partners to implement the report’s recommendations.
“Scotland’s local authorities are a central part of this process and I am delighted to be able to provide £6.5 million to maintain momentum at a local level, enabling schools to work more closely with colleges and employers. This approach will build on Curriculum for Excellence, benefiting children from early years onwards, developing their understanding of and skills for work and opening up high quality vocational pathways in their senior phase. That way, they will be better prepared to progress into sustained high quality employment.
“With this investment, pupils, parents and teachers will be supported to better understand the careers and routes open to young people and see opportunities in areas like science and engineering enhanced. Local authorities will also have a responsibility to ensure different routes are open to everyone, including those from vulnerable groups.
“We will not settle for a return to pre-recession levels of joblessness in young people, and the full extent of our ambition will become clear in the coming days with the publication of our new youth employment strategy.”
Edinburgh has already enjoyed some success in getting our young people into training or employment. At a ‘Celebrating Success’ reception held at the Scottish Parliament last week it was announced that 1252 young people have successfully progressed their careers though the Edinburgh Guarantee, a partnership between the city council, local employers and the voluntary sector.
Launched three years ago, The Edinburgh Guarantee is a vision that all sectors in the city will work together to ensure that every young person in Edinburgh will leave school with the choice of a job, training or further education opportunity available to them.
It seeks to increase the number of jobs, education, and training opportunities being made available to young people. Over 300 organisations have offered support so far, over 1600 opportunities have been identified including jobs, apprenticeships and placements and over 1,252 of those opportunities have been matched to young people.
The Edinburgh Guarantee has contributed £29m to Scotland’s economy since it ‘s launch, according to a report published by the city council last week. More than £17m of this has added value to Edinburgh’s economy.
This has been achieved by supporting businesses to match 1,252 young people into jobs, apprenticeships, internships or training. A further saving of £3.9m to the Department of Work and Pensions has been made from not having to pay Job Seekers allowance to 18-20 year olds.
A total of 757 jobs have been directly created for young people and as a knock on effect of this a further 575 other jobs have been created.
The findings were announced at a ‘Celebrating Success’ event, held at the Scottish Parliament, which brought together employers, potential employers and young people to celebrate and hear the news.
In addition to this, since 2009/10 the percentage of school leavers going into positive destinations has increased from 82.5 per cent to 91per cent in 2012/13. The most recent figures are due to be published at the end of this month.
Councillor Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and the figures announced today surpass all of our expectations. We must keep up this excellent work, however, as ensuring that Edinburgh’s young people have opportunities is vital for the economic success of our city.
“The year on year improvements that have been achieved since the inception of the Edinburgh Guarantee show that focused collaboration can make a real difference to many young lives. I am confident that with sustained investment and the support of our public, private and third sector partners these improvements will continue in future.”
Sandy Begbie, Chief Operations Officer, Standard Life: “We passionately believe in giving young people a chance to demonstrate their capabilities and helping them to achieve their potential. Since we agreed to take part in the Edinburgh Guarantee initiative we have welcomed over 90 interns into our business, all of whom have performed valuable roles within the organisation, while receiving The Living Wage.
“Over two-thirds have been successful in securing full-time employment with us, while the other third have moved on to further education or roles with other employers.
“The young people bring so much enthusiasm, energy and a refreshing new perspective to our business. We are delighted with the outcome, so much so we are now starting to roll out similar programmes to some of our other offices in the UK.”
One success story is seventeen year old Emily Lynch from South Queensferry, who completed a Modern Apprenticeship in Business Administration two weeks ago.
She wasn’t keen to stay on at school but wanted to continue in some form of training, so after hearing about Modern Apprenticeships Emily looked up MyJobScotland on the advice of her parents.
Emily said: “When I went on to the site, there were Modern Apprenticeships on offer for Business Administration in the City of Edinburgh Council.
“I looked up MyJobScotland because my mum knew about it and I remembered my guidance teacher talking about it when we had covered introduction to the workplace in school.
“Although I had been for interviews for Saturday jobs in the past, this was my first experience of a proper formal interview but we had done mock interviews in school so I tried to remember everything we had gone through then.
“Bits of the interview were good, I talked about myself, my interests, my hobbies, what I could bring to this job, so that was all fine. But to be quite honest, some of the questions they asked me about the department went right over my head!
“Let’s just say the phone call I made to my mum right after the interview finished wasn’t an optimistic one!
“The last week before the end of summer term, I get a phone call on the Tuesday offering me the Modern Apprentice Post! Suddenly everything changed, I wasn’t going to be at school anymore!
“The school were absolutely over the moon for me, and my guidance teacher sorted everything out and submitted my leavers form for me right away, so on Friday 28 June, I walked out of the school building, ready to start my professional career.
“Contracts had to be negotiated with the City of Edinburgh Council along with all the usual background checks and I started the post on 5 August last year as a Business Administration Modern Apprentice.
“Over the course of the year, I have learned and developed, been challenged, been frightened and been supported.
“Modern Apprenticeships are not just about the learning and curriculum, they are about every aspect of workplace skills. I had come from a school environment completely surrounded by people my own age, and suddenly, here I am in a team adapting to people of all different ages!
“Over the last year I have had fantastic opportunities to work in different areas of the Council.
“ I have been part of a number of different finance teams and gained a real insight into important functions including working with housing teams, putting through the charges for the repairs and maintenance bills on Council Houses, Assisting the Housing Finance Manager with work on the city wide 21st Century Homes project, which itself supports a number of Modern Apprentices. I have also worked on the Finance Administration of the City Car Club learned about the grant support of charitable organisations.
“I have also been asked on a number of project working groups, bringing a pair of fresh eyes to the table, someone who is fairly new to the Council and has a different outlook on things.
“One working group was BOLD, which is a team looking at creative ways to manage the Council budget. Another, looking at bringing more Modern Apprentices into the workplace.
“I can still hear my mum’s voice now saying “as long as there’s learning, as long as there’s training”. The saying ‘earn as you learn’ also comes to mind when I think about my experiences from the past year.
“I hope I will have the opportunity to apply for a permanent post within the City of Edinburgh Council. It is the organisation that gave me my opportunity, trained and supported me and somewhere I would like to stay. No one knows what the future holds; if that doesn’t happen, I am ready for the workplace. “
