We need to invest in people not humiliate them

Following George Osborne’s speech proposing that long-term unemployed people will be forced into community service, John Downie, Director of Public Affairs, SCVO said: “The UK Government must stop this ritual humiliation of unemployed people “The so-called “Help to Work” programme is only going to make a bad situation worse.  The vast majority of unemployed people need and want a real job. Punishing people for something over which they have little control is pointless and damaging. “We need to see more approaches like Community Jobs Scotland, which has already created more than 3,200 jobs for young unemployed people in charities and third sector organisations across Scotland. “A forthcoming independent evaluation shows that it’s 14 times more successful at getting people into work than the Work Programme. That’s because it focuses on investing in people, building up their skills and, most importantly, creating real, paid jobs which benefit unemployed people and their communities.” NB SCVO has published a report today about the future of welfare in Scotland Notes to editors:

1. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the national body representing the interests of charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises.  The Scottish third sector turns over £4.5 billion a year and employs 138,000 people in over 45,000 organisations. For more on SCVO see www.scvo.scot
2. John Downie, Director of Public Affairs, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is available for interview and comment
3. SCVO has published a report today about the future of welfare in Scotland
4. For more information contact Charlotte McNeill, Press Officer at SCVO, on 07790 601 995