Tricks of the Dole Cheats - Dispatches CH4 8pm 13/8/12

[Grapplin]

Reporter Morland Sanders investigates Jobcentre Plus, the organisation tasked with getting Britain back to work and cracking down on dole cheats. With the help of jobseekers, undercover filming and a former insider, the programme reveals the shirkers' tricks that make it easy to cheat the system.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/episode-guide/series-112/episode-3

[Lazy Cow]

Hi Grapplin

I wonder whether this is the programme that the journo on Indus Delta asked about a couple of months back?   He seemed to be working for an independent film company.  When I tracked the film company down via the internet, they were responsible for producing several really interesting documentaries that I have watched and enjoyed.  (Self had merely been too lazy to read the credits but then, I'm a Lazy Cow!)

[Grapplin]

I wonder whether this is the programme that the journo

I don't think so, I had a quick look myself for the journo, at the time and came to the conclusion the research was being done by a female someone else and he was just a helper/intern/workfare!

Have a look at the comment there on from Lucy on 08 August 2012 at 12:19

[Lazy Cow]

Hi Grapplin

A couple of the undercover reporters seem to have discussed the TV programme with the Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2187039/Benefit-cheats-bonanza-Jobcentre-Plus-staff-pay-claimants-documents-just-shopping-lists-letters-saying-dont-job.html

As usual, the Mail are just using it as an excuse to bitch about the JCP and all the JSA claimants - but that is predictable where the Wail is concerned!

[Grapplin]

As usual, the Mail are just using it as an excuse to bitch about the JCP and all the JSA claimants

Going by the comments, even the DM and Torygraph are finding it almost impossible to keep the public 'on message'
these days.
The Despatches prog. should be hilarious, I'll keep an eye on the comments page and  #HowNotToGetAJob

[Gissajob]

even the DM and Torygraph are finding it almost impossible to keep the public 'on message'
these days

Quite!  First the Wail slags off the Blessed Enemma Moneybags (though have recently given her a big "puff" write up) and now they seem to be having a go at JCP.  Could this just be preparing the way for more privatisation of the JCP?  Or is it just a case of missing their intended target - hitting the JCP rather than the "scroungers"?
In any event I can't comment on the Wail as they banned me with extreme prejudice (will report you to ISP and employer!) some time ago for one comment I submitted.

[Grapplin]

Gissa: hitting the JCP rather than the "scroungers"

The ch4 prog was much more about hitting JCP than any scroungers, as we suspected, I watched it twice to make sure!
Can't wait for their WP one.

[Gissajob]

Yes - I agree.
I hope I'm not becoming paranoic but I can't help wondering if there's a hidden agenda.  Something along the lines of discrediting the jobsearch function of the JCP so that it can be given to private providers like A4greed/Serco/ingeus leaving the JCP as a benefit administration department only.

[Grapplin]

Gissa:

I hope I'm not becoming paranoic but I can't help wondering if there's a hidden agenda

I don't think the wp has many journos on side. WPs motto: "There is no funding"

I think UC is based on some massive jobs data base with jobseekers being monitored, I can guarantee it won't work!

[Lazy Cow]

The Dispatches programme was made by Blakeway (an independent film company) and, in the penultimate line of the credits at the end, it says "Jamie Grayson."  Jamie Grayson is the guy who posted on the Indus Delta discussion forum saying that he specifically wanted to hear from people who had worked for/still work for the JCP.    Blakeway's own website takes the credit for the Dispatches programme:

http://www.blakeway.co.uk/

I watched the programme twice.  I can understand why Dispatches were so critical of the JCP but I think they overlook the fact that the JCP's own staff's skills have been emasculated by the Ministerial Mania for outsourcing the JCP's role to the profit-making W2W companies like A4E during the last several years.  If you don't train your own staff properly, it is useless to expect them to be any good at the job - but that is what the pollies have insisted on trying to do. . 

The politicians, over the years, have wasted billions of £££££ of taxpayers' money on enriching people like Emma Harrison but for what?  The results of all the previously outsourced W2W schemes were less good than the results that the JCP themselves have achieved consistently over many years.  The Work Programme scheme will be every bit as ineffective as its predecessors (New Deal, FND etc.)

[Grapplin]

The Dispatches programme was made by Blake..

I had a look on their site for any upcoming progs. at the time, didn't find any. Forgot to look at the credits. But yes same
bloke after all. Email him and ask if he's doing one on the WP. :-)

the JCP's own staff's skills have been emasculated by the Ministerial Mania for outsourcing the JCP's role to the profit-making W2W companies...

The same applies to many of the big providers' w2w professionals LOL,  but I don't have much sympathy for any of
them just following orders.

The politicians, over the years, have wasted billions of £££££ of taxpayers' money on enriching people like Emma Harrison but for what?

I think these schames only work in a boom, when employers are happy to pass the basic training costs onto someone else, so they appear to be helping. But we managed the previous 10,975 years with employers doing the training.

The Work Programme scheme will be every bit as ineffective as its predecessors (New Deal, FND etc.)

In these economic conditions I think it will be worse, I'll be surprised if it's here much longer! There are quite a few, including
me, that think we've never been here before.

If you've got time to waste, I watched about half of them a few years ago.
http://www.peakprosperity.com/crashcourse