Charity Slams Osborne’s Workfare – These Placements Are Not Voluntary

After the support given to workfare by the Salvation Army, and its petulant dismissal of its critics for objecting to this, it is heartening to hear that the Volunteer Centre in Liverpool has rejected it. Let’s hope more charities and organisations using voluntary workers join them.

the void

A centre for volunteers in Liverpool has issued a strong statement rejecting George Osborne’s plan for mass workfare.

Beginning in April next year thousands of unemployed people will be forced into six month workfare placements with charities or community organisations.  The scheme is a huge roll out of mandatory workfare and depends on the so-called voluntary sector playing ball to be successful.

Volunteer Centre Liverpool’s re-assuring statement this week pledges they will not take part in Osborne’s workfare and encourages others to think carefully about any possible involvement in workfare.  As they rightly point out, forced work, under threat of destitution, is not volunteering:

“There has been a lot of talk recently about the latest scheme to help people who are unemployed, with mention of “compulsory volunteering” as part of the “Help to Work” programme.  DWP do not refer to it as volunteering, but others are starting to, which…

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