sorry the question is so funny but it's called something else everywhere

here's a link to a bit about what they plan to do in britain
link

basically anyone who is unemployed and recieving money from the government will have to do a certain amount of hours of service to enable them to recieve their money
i think it's a brilliant idea! there's always so much comunity work gong and it will be a brilliant way for britain to get away from this rep of giving out handouts, money should be earnt and if there's jobs to be done, even if it's picking up litter or helping the elderly with shopping then no one should be getting a free ride

A great idea. But....

"The minister also wants to get one million people off incapacity benefit by 2015."

How do they intend to do that for disabled people? Come to think of it, how do they expect disabled people to community service?

do you believe people with a disability can not work?

That's why they're on disability, debs. Disabled people don't take the decision to stop working and receive benefits lightly. It's a tough decision to make considering the social stigma behind receiving benefits from the government.

I think the government should work on job training with people on welfare instead of making them clean up parks.

I'm on government payments at the moment and it's not that i don't want to work, i'm trying to get a job but i haven't had one before so if you haven't been employed before and you're 18 and over no one wants to employ you. Should i be pushed to do community service for that? no, i'm trying to get a job instead.

Oh and katiemariie, here in Australia if you haven't had a job for so much time and not studying and getting goverment payments you have to do 6 weeks (or so many hours) of job training, it's honestly a waste of time those people. They don't help me after the training and they're an inconvenience for me.

Yea But Iam on disability and am working it is encouraged here even if it is just for a few hours so you feel productive and then they just deduct what I made and it works out, so they also offer training and job placement here as well if you need it.

Assuming they are capable, yes.

"do you believe people with a disability can not work? "

My dad is on incapacity benefit. He can't actually walk from the house to the end of the road because of his disability. He can NOT do physical labor and therefore cannot do community service.

just to clear up on this particular proposal people on capability will not be forced to do the service
however just because someone can't do physical labor does not mean they can not work, there are plenty of disabled people who find suitable job for their own disability, now I'm not suggesting we enforce this as well because i could never know each person's own capability but it would be nice if people on capability benefits were offered something they could do like ineedcoffee said to help, feel productive and basically because i think it's slightly insulting to assume just because they can not do one thing they can not work

snerkie, your not being "pushed in to community service" it would be like a job, you work and they give you the money, your not being forced to do it for free
it would also only be a few hours a week, if work is so hard find i doubt it would take away a huge chunk of your time and well work is work so it could be something to add to your CV

I think this would be a great idea for welfare and the like.

Like most of the other respondents, though, I wouldn't support anything like this for people on disability.

And Debs, it might be different elsewhere, I don't know... but in the US, when you're on disability, it DOES mean that doctors have found you incapable of working (or having limited ability to be gainfully employed) and the government has agreed. So it isn't insulting in any way to assume that someone on disability can't work. That's generally what being on disability means. However, there are plenty of disabled people who aren't on disability because there are jobs they can do. But the ones ON disability are on it because working is hard/impossible for them to do.

disability over here can be anything from being fully mentally and physically incapable to work
or it can mean a builder who has a bad back and now can not do the job they was trained for and is paid benefits until they can find another suitable job
and every other case scenario in between, while i would symphathise with a builder in this position, it does not mean they other worthy skills

"So it isn't insulting in any way to assume that someone on disability can't work" i never said that i said
"it's slightly insulting to assume just because they can not do one thing they can not work"
i think saying to someone they have no worthy skills to work is very insulting, like i'm sure our hypothetical builder friend would feel that would be calling them worthless
i stated above i am not saying we should enforce this on disabled people i merely said i think it should be offered
i think ineedcoffe's comment backs this up and she is in those shoes herself

The people who receive benefits are often really struggling in life for various reasons and this would just create an additional burden on them.

If anything then ALL citizens should be required to do a certain amount of community service.

I hate the idea of anyone receiving welfare.

I like this idea! And if they'er 18-45 on welfare and there is nothing wrong with them, they can join the army in place of the community work.