Jim Hood MP welcomed the Labour Government help for people who lose their jobs including up to £1000 ‘golden hellos’ to encourage businesses to recruit local jobless people. And Jim Hood MP is calling on the SNP Government to play their part to help stop people from falling into long term unemployment:
“There are still 1,853 vacancies in South Lanarkshire (704 in Lanark & Hamilton East) but we cannot afford to be complacent about unemployment. In the last recession the Tories allowed short term unemployment to become long term because they didn’t give people the help they needed. Today the Labour Government is giving people real help but the SNP Government is failing people who lose their jobs.”
“The longer local people are out of work the more help they should get. I urge local businesses to get in touch with Jobcentre Plus and to take advantage of the money we are putting in. But I also urge the SNP government to put in more money to help. The Governments in London and in Wales have put more money into help train the jobless yet the SNP have been sitting on their hands.”
As part of a half a billion pounds package those unemployed for 6 months will get a guarantee of extra support. In Lanark & Hamilton East at any time 285 people (865 people in South Lanarkshire) would benefit from this new help with a range of new options available:
- ‘Golden Hellos’ – cash for employers to recruit and train unemployed people.
- Money and support for the unemployed to set up their own business.
- More chances to volunteer while looking for a job.
“The Tories would do nothing and the SNP are doing nothing to help people who lose their jobs. We have a choice. We can invest millions in people’s future now or pay billions in a future where people are stuck on benefits – just like they did in the 1990s..”
Notes to Editors
Labour is offering more help at every stage of unemployment:
Before redundancies happen:
- We give help to people at risk of redundancy to find a new job, even before they become unemployed through our Rapid Response Service (RRS). Full briefing on the RRS and local contact details for dealing with redundancies in your area is available.
- We have doubled the funding for RRS, and will double it again.
From Day One of Unemployment:
- We announced in the Pre Budget Report that we are investing an extra £1.3bn. This money will help to guarantee that everyone looking for work will, from day one:
- Help and advice on finding a new job;
- Help to write a new CV and fill in job applications;
- Help on retraining and skills advice;
- Help with their rent and with their mortgage from 13 weeks;
- Help to access to the average of 10,000 new vacancies recorded by Jobcentre Plus every working day.
- The Tories oppose this help because they oppose spending any more money to help people through the downturn.
From 3 Months Unemployed:
- People will get extra help with mortgage payments (SMI) to help them keep their homes when they lose their job.
- In addition, we step up the help we give with wider job search and more intensive support from advisers.
New guarantee of support from 6 months unemployed:
- We know that the majority of people move off Jobseekers Allowance within 6 months, but we are guaranteeing more help for those that don’t.
- We are promising every jobseeker more support if they have not managed to find a new job within six months. As well as extra funds for Jobcentre Plus to allow them to provide more intensive and personalised support, the two year package will include access to:
- “Employers’ Golden Hellos”: incentives of £1000 paid to employers to recruit and train unemployed people
- Work-focused volunteering options: opportunities to volunteer to help people back into work habits
- Help to set up a business – advice on creating a business plan, plus funding for the first months of trading.