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Tories urge jobs for prisoners Tories outline plans for jobless
(about 7 hours later)
Inmates leaving jail should be brought back into work quickly to reduce the risk of them returning to crime, under Tory plans to shake-up benefits. Jobless people will be made to get up and get out of their homes every day to take part in work-based activities, under Tory plans to shake-up benefits.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling says getting jobs for prisoners is an "important part" of dealing with the issue of reoffending. Under-21s who are unemployed for three months will be sent to employment "boot camps" and community work programmes.
In a speech in London he also accuses Gordon Brown of using migration as a way of avoiding welfare reform. Shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling warned that under a Conservative government "doing nothing will not be an option".
The Department of Work and Pensions says the plans "simply don't stack up". But the Department of Work and Pensions says the plans "simply don't stack up".
In his speech at the Centre for Policy Studies in London, Mr Grayling will call for action to help unemployed people "break out of a cycle of under-achievement". In a speech at the Centre for Policy Studies in London, Mr Grayling said "breaking the cycle of worklessness" would be one of the "crucial challenges" for the next Tory government.
'Language barriers' Why on earth are we paying out vast amounts of money to keep people out of work, when jobs are there and being filled by people from overseas? Chris GraylingShadow work and pensions secretary
He will also propose mandatory participation in back-to-work programmes for prisoners leaving jail and English lessons for those whose lack of language skills are stopping them from finding work. He accused Gordon Brown of using the easy availability of migrant worker to avoid the need for reform of the welfare system to help British people into work.
Why on earth are we paying out vast amounts of money to keep people out of work, when jobs are there and being filled by people from overseas? Chris Grayling Since 1997 more than half the new jobs created have gone to migrant workers, while nearly five million British people "remain stranded on out-of-work benefits", he said.
Private and voluntary sector agencies who provide support to get people back into work, will also be expected to include English language coaching in their services, he said. The Conservatives want to create a Britain "where it is no longer possible to spend long periods of your life on benefits at home doing nothing".
"We will make it mandatory for everyone leaving a custodial or community sentence, who doesn't have a job to go to, to join a structured return-to-work programme on the day of their release," he said. This includes getting inmates leaving jail back into work quickly to reduce the risk of them reoffending - and English lessons for those whose lack of language skills are stopping them finding employment.
"Reoffending is one of the big challenges we face in our criminal justice system. "In future, there will be strict conditions on the future receipt of benefits," said Mr Grayling.
"Getting offenders back into work quickly is one important part of dealing with the challenge." 'Tougher rules'
He said employment rates for some ethnic minorities was far below the national average, with government research citing language barriers as "one of the factors". Anyone struggling to find a job, but who has the potential to return to work, would take part in "structured and usually near full-time activity".
'Absurd situation' Under Conservative plans, a network of back-to-work centres would be created across the country, which will provide something for benefit claimants "to do every day".
"The contracting structure we establish for the back-to-work providers will reflect the need for basic language training as an essential part of getting those people back to work." "We want them to get people into the habit of being out of their homes and active all the time," he said.
Mr Grayling will argue that London has enjoyed a decade of prosperity during which "there really should have been a job for everyone" but the city has instead seen pockets of entrenched poverty and welfare dependency persist. There would be long-term community work programmes for those not yet ready to re-enter the workplace and tougher rules for under 21s claiming JobSeekers' Allowance.
He says government financial projections have operated under the assumption that workers will come from abroad to fill vacancies in the British economy. Losing benefits
"I think Gordon Brown has used the influx of migrant workers as a way of ducking the issue of welfare reform and, as a result, has left millions of people stranded in poverty who could and should have been helped back to work over the past decade," he will say. "There'll be employment 'boot camps' and community work programmes for those who don't find a job."
"Why on earth are we paying out vast amounts of money to keep people out of work, when jobs are there and being filled by people from overseas? Why has the government stood idly by while such an absurd situation develops?" Anyone under 21 still jobless after a year would be moved to a full-time 12-month community work programme, with those who turn down a job losing their benefits.
'Waste of cash' During his speech Mr Grayling also said Mr Brown had "used migrant labour as the easy policy option".
He said government financial projections had operated under the assumption that workers would come from abroad to fill vacancies in the British economy.
"Why on earth are we paying out vast amounts of money to keep people out of work, when jobs are there and being filled by people from overseas?
"Why has the government stood idly by while such an absurd situation develops?"
Financial impact
"Migrant workers have helped boost economic growth and his reputation as chancellor at a time when the economic picture would have been somewhat less rosy without the financial impact of people moving into Britain from overseas," he said.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman denied Mr Grayling's claims, saying: "This simply doesn't stack up. "There are one million fewer people on key out-of-work benefits since 1997, and the claimant unemployment rate is at its lowest since April 1975."A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman denied Mr Grayling's claims, saying: "This simply doesn't stack up. "There are one million fewer people on key out-of-work benefits since 1997, and the claimant unemployment rate is at its lowest since April 1975."
He added that there were 600,000 job vacancies in the economy and that the government was implementing radical welfare reforms to ensure that people who could work, did work - including changes to incapacity benefit criteria.He added that there were 600,000 job vacancies in the economy and that the government was implementing radical welfare reforms to ensure that people who could work, did work - including changes to incapacity benefit criteria.
Under the Tory proposals, anyone under 21 who is unemployed for three months would be sent for an intensive programme of work-related activity.
If they were still jobless after a year they would be moved to a full-time 12-month community work programme, with those who turn down a job losing their benefits.
Chris Grayling outlines the Conservative proposals for employment 'boot camps'Chris Grayling outlines the Conservative proposals for employment 'boot camps'
A spokesman for Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell said as most young people find a job within six months, the three-month scheme would be a "waste of public cash".A spokesman for Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell said as most young people find a job within six months, the three-month scheme would be a "waste of public cash".
"In April this year, 210,700 18-24 year olds claimed for up to six months while only 30,700 claimed for 6-12 months, falling to only 6,000 after 12 months," he said."In April this year, 210,700 18-24 year olds claimed for up to six months while only 30,700 claimed for 6-12 months, falling to only 6,000 after 12 months," he said.
At present, under-24s who have been claiming Jobseekers' Allowance for six months or more must take part in the government's New Deal programme for young people.At present, under-24s who have been claiming Jobseekers' Allowance for six months or more must take part in the government's New Deal programme for young people.
This scheme, which involves a personal mentor and work experience, helps young people look and prepare for work.This scheme, which involves a personal mentor and work experience, helps young people look and prepare for work.