Half a million Britons have never worked
By Steve Doughty
27 January 2011, 9:03amThe number of homes where no one has ever done a day's work almost doubled over the past 13 years.
On the dole: Half a million adults have never held down a job.
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The majority are not looking for work and, according to the survey by the Office for National Statistics, 'would not like to work'.
It found that there are 352,000 households where no one has ever worked. Almost one in three of these is occupied by students in full-time education who have no experience of part-time or holiday jobs.
But 269,000 homes are occupied by adults who do nothing and have never done anything to support themselves, the ONS said. The figure is just under double the 136,000 homes where the occupants had never worked recorded in Tony Blair's election victory year of 1997.
The bleak count of the hundreds of thousands of the most hopeless unemployed adds to evidence that Britain is developing a growing underclass of workless people with limited chances of ever finding employment.
Around five million who could work currently live on benefits, and a million of them are classed as NEETs - under-24s who are not in employment, education or training.
At the same time, the country continues to attract migrants to carry out jobs that are too low-paid or too demanding to catch the interest of the unemployed millions already in the country.
The ONS report said that among those who have never worked who are not students, 68% are not looking for work and would not like to work.
The 269,000 non-student workless homes include 119,000 single-parent households, 107,000 single-individual households and 22,000 non-working couples.
A total of 50,000 of those who are not students and have never worked are over the age of 25, with 107,000 aged between 25 and 34 and another 96,000 between 35 and 49.
Only 6,000 pensioners aged over 65 are classed as having never worked.
The figures were gathered from the Labour Force Survey, a monthly questionnaire which asks for information from more than 150,000 participants.
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Comments so far (74)
1. The Welfare State has run it's course!
Socialism is BUST!- Jr, Weymouth, UK(what's left of it) Posted: 27 January 2011, 9:23am
2. Another example of the scroungers being paid too much money.
If they are going to pay them, then it should only be paid for a certain period and an amount that they can only just survive on, ie can't buy drink and fags, big screen TV, latest mobiles, etc etc. Then this will give them some incentive to work and save the taxpayer £billions.- Realist, Cambridge Posted: 27 January 2011, 10:16am
3. That is the true Labour legacy
- Ian, Northampton Posted: 27 January 2011, 10:57am
4. Stop paying them ANY benefits and spend the money saved on boosting the local police force to keep an eye on them. That will soon change things!!!
- Vikki, Hampshire Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:08am
5. agree with #2 benefit should only support the essential needs for a limited period of time.
- V, London Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:15am
6. If only it had been 500,001 with the one being Gordon Brown, then maybe the figure would be lower.
- Kevin Bailey, East Anglia Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:23am
7. Yet another legacy of Labour!
- John H, North Staffs Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:25am
8. What do you expect when you're paid more to sit around and do nothing than you're paid for a 40plus hour week.
If you have children and are a 'scrounger' they are your meal ticket in life. You'll get everything given to you free.
The system is broke and people know how to play it.
Kids should be removed from families where parents have been out of work for more than a year as this will set them a bad example and the cycle continues, they too will follow in their parents footsteps.
Then you can reduce benefits to poverty levels which might make the work shy a bit more active in trying finding work.
Don't get me wrong there are some deserving cases BUT they are few and far between.
Obviously those that have fallen on hard times need help but it's not a career move.
- Moneyspider, medway Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:37am
9. Weak governments over the last 50 years have brought this country to where we are now.
- John Watson, north shields Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:40am
10. Weak governments over the last 50 years have brought this country to where we are now.
- John Watson, north shields Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:40am
11. 'under-4s who are not in employment.' what are we proposing here to put small children up chimneys again ?
- Andrew Burgess, SHEFFIELD Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:40am
12. Ive worked over 21 years in the building trade, unfortunatly i was made redundant 5 months ago, my wife works part time just over minimum wage, ive got a young child and mortgage and all i/we can claim is £65.30 until next month then we get nothing. Its just not fair, i question myself is it worth working again and paying tax as it seems to me you get rewarded for not paying into the system
- Gizajob!!!, West Midlands Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:43am
13. the unions and labour governments are responsible for unemployment, the minimum wage destroyed a million jobs another million were lost though Browns tax increases,to pay the bloated wages of the public sector, just look at the history of the UK for the last 50 years its a national disgrace
- Wealthy Visionary, essex Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:45am
14. You should make them work free in community service after some period of unemployment and issue food credits or similar measures instead of throwing such unholy amounts of taxpayers money on'em.I use to live in UK for 3 years and I was amazed of how your government actually created this mindless crowd of junkie prampushing breeding machines, with its brainless policy.Maby it was "ok" in times of bonanza, but now u need to make them work or they will drag u down with them.Sometimes I almost think it was all done on purpose,cuz nobody can be so stupid to set the policies that way, if there's not some "dark agenda" behind.
- Jaro, slovakia Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:47am
15. Well Spotted Andrew! (#11)
It is, of course, 'Under-24s who are in employment'. No plans to resort to child labour just yet!
Best, Ed (TiM news editor)
- Ed - This Is Money, London Posted: 27 January 2011, 11:50am
16. Agreed #2, and
a pool of work [and I can identify plenty of tasks that need doing] should be identified for those who would otherwise choose to be indolent.- Philmo, Barnsley Posted: 27 January 2011, 12:02pm
17. #11. Should've gone to Specsavers.
- D, Manchester Posted: 27 January 2011, 12:06pm
18. None of this should surprise.
We already know in great detail of Labour's abuse of the benefits and welfare system and extravagant support of the indolent and feckless to vote catch.
This together with its maladministration of the economy through encouraging excessive borrowing to promote an artificial sense of prosperity is why this country is now "on its knees".
As the problems of today are so clear for all to see when are we going to see real action and not just rhetoric from the new government to reverse this horrendous decline.
- Robert, Kent Posted: 27 January 2011, 1:03pm
19. With the exception of the REAL unfit for work types through disability or illness, the rest of the lazy idiots should be forced to work through ever reducing benefits, and they should stop handing out jobs to the immigrants too.
- Graham, Medway Posted: 27 January 2011, 1:15pm
20. think your looking at the negative side of things..these layabouts provide lots of employment opportunities for people like the crew of jeremy kyleshow..pizza manufacturers..and public servants to look after them all
- Mat, romford Posted: 27 January 2011, 1:24pm
21. The benefit system is just an economy booster. Where do you think all that benefit money finishes up? If government actually wanted to cut benefit they would, but how would gov't explain to the economy "sorry, a billion pounds won't get spent at the shops this cycle"?
Maybe we could keep all the(cash)benefits but remove free healthcare and related support from the workshy. This way the cash economy is less affected AND we save on healthcare by not fixing for free all those who have done nothing to contribute to healthcare and the country as a whole..just an idea.
- Mike, London Posted: 27 January 2011, 1:39pm
22. A friend of mine who lives alone has never worked a day in her life, but her family is wealthy enough that she has no need to work. She doesn't claim benefits and I imagine the tax on her investments/savings is fairly sizeable. Would be interested to know how many people fall within this category?
- James, Hove Posted: 27 January 2011, 2:09pm
23. Has anyone seen any reliable figures of how many scroungers have had their benefits stopped completely since the Dynamic Duo took over?
- A F, Bath Posted: 27 January 2011, 2:25pm
24. If the unemployed were offered a decent living wage,
maybe there would be more people in employment?
Then again there just isn't enough jobs to go round
these days,are there? Most of the lowpaid
jobs are filled by immigrants.Jobs for the British worker seem to be a rarity these days.But I don't agree with the let them all starve brigade.
There should be some sort of a welfare system kept in force or it will just increase crime rates,
with more burglaries and robberies etc.- Rab C, Glasgow Posted: 27 January 2011, 2:42pm
25. I've been lucky and have always had work. These statistics could be read totally differently with more detail. For instance if single parents went to work and couldn't afford the childcare and to feed and clothe their kids wouldn't they then have their kids taken into care. Some areas are unemployment black spots due to lack of money and infastructure and the people can't move elsewhere otherwise they'll have no home. There are scroungers and layabouts but there will always be some. How many jobs are taken by Europeans that used to be available to British people ? Now with Armageddon approaching its not going to get easier to find work.
Some make a living at getting rid of workers and their jobs without seeing the repercussions. Some earn obscene amounts of money while keeping their workers surpressed or short of staff. What i'm really saying is we all like things black and white but usually there is a lot of grey. Lets judge companies by how many new jobs they create.- Richard, Thatcham Posted: 27 January 2011, 3:04pm
26. And heres a few more that might not work
One in five recent graduates is on the jobs scrapheap after unemployment rates doubled during the recession...- Trevor51, armagh Posted: 27 January 2011, 3:23pm
27. People on benefits shouldnt stavre but at the same time they shouldn't be able to afford sky TV and holidays. I think they should be made to do community service, cleaning litter etc for a least as many hours as their benefits divide by the minum wage.
- I Wish, It'll never happen Posted: 27 January 2011, 3:26pm
28. 24~ Unless we bring in a shoot on site policy for burgalars and robbers, they might think twice
- I Wish, It'll never happen Posted: 27 January 2011, 3:29pm
29. #21, we also have people the other side that use the country and pay less tax than they should or even no tax.
Look at no tax Green, we supply the road network to get people to his shops, we provide the NHS to look after his staff, Police, Fire Services etc.
#13 employment went up under Labour and the minimum wage stop people being paid £1 per hour. Even the Con Johnson thinks it should be about £9 per hour in London.
- Paul, London Posted: 27 January 2011, 3:41pm
30. Looked at the new tax system for this year, they lose 41p in the £, taxed 20p in the £ then NI about 12%. Works out at 73% could make a few bankers cry.
How many more the David and Nick looking to add to this number???
The other side of this, was a report that this country is lossing more money by people not paying taxes or less than they should.
- Paul, London Posted: 27 January 2011, 3:50pm
31. Can't believe how shamefully stereotyped some of these comments are. There is obviously a problem with some of the people on benefits, but that is no excuse to be so derogatory.
- Nancy, Bristol Posted: 27 January 2011, 3:51pm
32. I would have thought that a significant amount of benefit ends up back to the government in the form of tax on booze and fags. The people who actually receive this money end up keeping only a relatively small amount.I think they should increase the minimum wage significantly and freeze all benefits for at least 2 years.The personal allowance should be at least as high as anyone would receive in total benefits including rent and council tax etc. At least anyone working for less isn't being taxed.
- Economic Reality, 2011 Posted: 27 January 2011, 4:27pm
33. One my tenants came here from ......... with her two children & got Asylum.She had another child via her married boyfriend. She moved into the flat on Xmas Eve 2003. LOCAL HOUSING ALLOWANCE is paid to myself directly AT £300 A WEEK!!!!! She will never work &(sadly) I quite imagine her teenage daughter will become an unmarried mother & follow the same route. Yesterday I visited another tenant with two children NO HUSBAND Another Asylum case given right to remain. Both children born here. Rent £253 a week moved in MAY 2007.Now moving to a three bedroom privately rented flat courtesy of the council. I am a businessman & this is my business & I am a good landlord but the state is being bled dry by shystersm,shirkers,wasters,thieves,self created single parents & the pleb society.Ordinary working class honest people forget it. Get out THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT NOW & THINK ABOUT UKIP.
- Private Fraser, WARMINGTON ON SEA Posted: 27 January 2011, 4:29pm
34. #24,
Five or ten years ago, there were enough jobs to go around, but still people didn't want to work, so that is no argument.
If you had a decent judicial system, anybody who does continually resort to to robbing and will not conform to decent human behaviour, is left in jail to rot.
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
500,000 Britons have never worked | This is Money
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