Flexible New Deal - A Brief Introduction

The Flexible New Deal (FND) replaced the New Deal and Employment Zone programs in October 2009. FND can last for up to 1 year and 4 weeks, with the 4 weeks beng designated for a work placement/training. Unlike the old New Deal which was full-time, FND only requires participants to visit their provider once a fortnight. And you continue to sign-on at the jobcentre. Particpants can claim for travel expenses, but will not get paid a training allowance as they did on the old New Deal

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• flexible new deal
• fnd
• jobcentre
• unemployment
• unemployed
• a4e
• labour
• government
• workfare
• sign on
• britain
• uk

[iBeep2009]

Bournemouth College havebid for the tender downhere, with a crappy organisation called BCHA as subcontractors - their 'managers' areall sociology students who just delegate their jobs to compulsory trainees, and piss off upstairs to do their own studies on DWP time. Money gets cut off all the time, and if you upset them, they threaten to call the benefits fraud line anonymously and tip them off about you 'working on the side' - they are untrained, and some of the 'students' are ex cons!

[edinburghrr]

@iBeep2009. Thanks. It was interesting to hear about your experiences in Bournemouth. Sorry to hear it's so bad, talk about a race to the botttom. That was good tip about joinng Unite. Your so so right about getting active before it's too late, nothing worse than scab labour that has been forced to do it or risk having their benefit suspended. Pity it's so difficult to get the unemployed to take action but perhaps the Work Programme will change all that

[kruiser001]

I am on this course and I have had it out with my so called 'personal coach' quite a few times now. It got to the point where I shouted at her to listen to me because she kept trying to talk over me and accused me of lieing all the time. She couldn't handle me because I questioned her and now I am stuck doing some lame ass team building crap where I make a fucking paper rocket and do communication skills. It's a fucking joke, I just want a job but it's pointless talking to these people.

[edinburghrr]

@kruiser001; Sounds like A4e? Anyway, you should make a formal complaint about the way you have been treated to your PA at the jobcentre, and if they don't do anything then contact your MP.

[BrightonRock1947]

What is the purpose of getting a "job" when gone are the days when a job could give you a real chance in life with no problem in getting a mortgage to buy at least a flat, This is what getting a job was meant for, real aims was possible-mind you I am talking about 1970s. Today's shameless MP's all for themselves and being totally out of touch with this kind of reality is a crime in itself against the younger generation

[knighthood4johnwick]

I'm going to be put on this FWD myself soon and If I'm forced to work for a month for nothing I will be VERY tempted to steal a months wage worth of things or break a months wage worth of things from the company that I'm placed with.....Maybe even a mixture of the 2!! If they treat unemployed people like criminals unemployed people will start to act like criminals.

[ELPaso1990TX]

The original new deal was far better!

[iBeep2009]

Join a union for £12.50 a year - unite let you in as a 'trainee' for £12.50 if you are on one of these schemes - get active before you're used as strike breakers! I was sent on a placement to a firm who had jsut been taken over by a us firm - 270 /300 lost their jobs at a sister site in the first week we were there, then 2 guys on the desk behind us, then they were getting rid of 2 telesales girls with the lowest sales every week - i had telesales put on my jsa just before I got sent there.

[kruiser001]

The 'coaches' are brainwashed robots who refuse to help, there thick as well, I mean really thick. I am stuck in a room with ex cons and chavs and there just retarded. If the government tried to make me work for my benefits then I would commit crime, seriously, my first would be to smash the job centre up.

[edinburghrr]

@10lx : Someone suggested that instead of being limited to earning just £5 a week without declaring it, jobseekers on JSA should be allowed to earn up to £50 a week. This would a) give many of the long-term the chance to get part-time jobs and b) have something to put on a CV/job application. I agree, they should also provdie funds to colleges etc to provide good quality training instead of throwing it at providers.

[edinburghrr]

@10lx . And the jobcentre staff have the nerve to refer to those knuckleheads as "customer service officers". They're employed by Group 4 Security, what a joke. The government are intent on privatising as much of the public sector they can, but they couch it in terms of value for money and efficency savings.

[edinburghrr]

@10lx. Your right, it should be no more than 11 hours max. And the worst part is A4e or some other parasite who has the contract will be making money from it. It's a race to the bottom for all those providers