Welfare Reform Bill

I was startled to see Amendment 58. The four activities that it seeks to rule out—independent job searches, participation in a work trial, undertaking voluntary work or part-time working—are all rather good ideas, are they not? All those activities might, in their own way, make positive contributions to increasing a person’s readiness and suitability to entering the job market. However, as always, I listened with interest to the noble Baroness and accept that the amendment is not as severe as perhaps it appears on the Marshalled List. An independent job search should perhaps not be required, as it might allow an unscrupulous personal adviser to offload his own work on to a hapless jobseeker. I presume that the idea is for the adviser to work in tandem with the participant as a guide or mentor; however, that should not mean that the participant should sit back and have everything done for him. Would it not be better to say that while independent job searches should not always and immediately be required, it might nevertheless be encouraged and so should not be precluded altogether? I am still less convinced that a person should not be required to work in a work trial. Even though it is a trial, it might be a very useful learning experience, which could be put to good use later; learning basic skills such as dressing smartly and timekeeping would help to pave the way to a more permanent position. I hope that to require voluntary work is oxymoronic, but if it was used as another stepping stone—why not? If there are no paid jobs immediately available, might a stint in the voluntary sector not be useful for the same aforesaid reasons? The same is even truer of the fourth item, part-time work, which is something that very many people would welcome. I accept the point about requiring people to do something; it is a very coercive activity. However, to be effective action plans need to be flexible and take into account the circumstances of the individual—hence, I have tabled the amendments in the group starting Amendment 45, to which I may have referred too many times—but also the market conditions, and to be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities available at the time. I do not agree that we should rule out options, which could render these plans very inflexible and therefore less likely to succeed. As for volunteering, many people up and down this country who are not in a position of being benefit claimants or potential benefit claimants use their time very wisely and helpfully for the country as a whole by volunteering. Your Lordships will have heard me say before that for 10 years I was chairman of the Stroke Association, which, like many other charities—medical ones but others as well—such as BCTV, although I cannot remember what that stands for, rely to a great extent on unpaid employees. I see absolutely nothing wrong with that in general terms or in relation with this Bill.