Be Very Afraid: UK's 'Universal Credit' Scheme

This is quoted directly from the Department of Work and Pensions' paper on Universal Credit - Welfare That Works, Chapter 3 - Conditionality and Sanctions:

"Our current proposals for financial sanctions are:

"a. Failure to meet a requirement to prepare for work will lead to 100 percent of payments ceasing until the recipient re-complies with requirements and for a fixed period after re-compliance.

"b. Failure to actively seek employment or be available for work will lead to payment ceasing for four weeks for a first failure and up to three months for a second.

"c. The most serious failures that apply only to jobseekers will lead to Jobseeker’s Allowance payment ceasing for a fixed period of at least three months (longer for repeat offences). Actions that could trigger this level of penalty include failure to accept a reasonable job offer, failure to apply for a job or failure to attend Mandatory Work Activity."

Be very afraid. And expect a good deal less young or not so young entrepreneurs, authors, actors, musicians, thinkers and artists having the time to do anything creative any more.

TheDUDE