The unemployment rate fell to a two-year low of 8.8% in March and companies added workers at the fastest two-month pace since before the recession began. The Labor Department says the economy added 216,000 new jobs last month, offsetting layoffs at local governments. Factories, retailers, education, health care,…
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Rebels offer ceasefire as doctor says seven civilians have been killed in an air strike The regime of Muammar Gaddafi has initiated a concerted effort to open lines of communication with western governments in an attempt to bring the conflict in the country to an end. Libya’s former prime minister Abdul Ati al-Obeidi told Channel 4: “We are trying to talk to the British, the French and the Americans to stop the killing of people. We are trying to find a mutual solution.” As rebel leaders offered a ceasefire if Gaddafi withdraws his military from Libya’s cities and permits peaceful protests, senior British sources said they were open to dialogue. “If people on the Gaddafi side want to have a conversation we are happy to talk,” one said. “But we will deliver a clear and consistent message: Gaddafi has to go and there has to be a better future for Libya.” The signals came after the Guardian reported that a meeting had taken place between Mohammed Ismail, a senior aide to Gaddafi’s influential son Saif al-Islam, and British officials on Wednesday in London. Ismail is a key fixer who has been used by the Gaddafi family to negotiate arms deals and has considerable contacts in the west. Ismail and Moussa Koussa, the Libyan foreign minister who defected to Britain on Wednesday night, are not the only present and former supporters of the regime to have been in contact with Britain. British officials have been in contact with a number of Libyan officials in recent weeks in behind-the-scenes diplomacy, according to a spokesman for David Cameron. He stressed that Britain had not been involved in negotiating any possible trade-offs aimed at sealing Gaddafi’s exit from power. “There are no deals.” The disclosure of the dialogue came as the revolutionary leadership in the east laid down conditions for a ceasefire after a visit by the UN’s special envoy Abdelilah al-Khatib to the rebel capital, Benghazi. “We agree on a ceasefire on the condition that our brothers in the western cities have freedom of expression and also that the forces that are besieging the cities withdraw,” said one of the leadership, Mustafa Abdul Jalil. “Our aim is to liberate and have sovereignty over all of Libya.” The rebels’ initiatives were announced as the first credible report of civilian casualties from the western air campaign emerged. Suleiman Refadi, a doctor who has worked with the rebels, told reporters that seven civilians, including three girls from the same family aged 12 to 16, were killed on Wednesday in an air strike. Refadi said the victims also included three youths and a fourth girl when missiles hit a government ammunition lorry and destroyed two houses about nine miles from Brega and what is now the front line. About 25 people were injured. The report was not independently confirmed. In Tripoli, gunfire was heard near Gaddafi’s compound. Reuters reported that residents said they saw snipers on rooftops and pools of blood on the streets. The rebels made it clear that their talk of a ceasefire should not be seen as a sign of weakness. In an attempt to finally bring order to its chaotic military campaign, the leadership introduced the first of its newly trained troops toward Brega, which was seized by the government earlier this week, and hauled up rocket launchers. They were also seen to have communications equipment which the leadership was appealing to foreign governments to provide just a few days ago. The newly uniformed soldiers included officers who, the rebels said, would establish lines of command to end shambolic confrontations in which revolutionaries have only been able to move forward under the cover of western air strikes and have been unable to hold ground. While the rebels prepared for a new offensive in the east, Gaddafi’s forces launched a fresh assault on Misrata, the last enclave in the west still under the revolutionaries’ control. Libya’s third largest city was hit with tank and artillery fire. “It was random and very intense bombardment,” a spokesman, called Sami, told Reuters by telephone. “We no longer recognise the place. They are targeting everyone, including civilians’ homes.” Libya Muammar Gaddafi Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East Peter Beaumont Chris McGreal Nicholas Watt guardian.co.uk
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At least three people are killed and scores injured during protests across the country Security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Syria two days after President Bashar al-Assad delivered an uncompromising address aimed at restoring rigid order in a country that rarely witnesses dissent. At least three people were killed and scores more injured as thousands protested across the nation on a day dubbed the “Friday of Martyrs”. The widespread presence of demonstrators on the streets of the country’s towns and cities had been called for by organisers incensed by Assad’s stiff address, which offered none of the concessions hoped for earlier in the week. The southern city of Deraa was again at the vanguard of a nascent reform movement, which continues to be rallied through social media and by activists who have been galvanised by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. Security forces were seizing mobile phones, which had been used to film clashes, to decrease the risk of further incriminating images being transferred on the internet. The new security crackdown had been widely expected by demonstrators in the wake of Assad’s speech, which was seen as a clear message that continued dissent would not be tolerated. Several officials from the ruling Ba’ath party had pointed to new committees being set up to explore lifting the state of emergency rule which has banned dissent or political opposition for 48 years. Assad was thought likely to announce the move, and other reforms, on Wednesday. However, his address was instead calibrated to send a signal that he would not capitulate to a restive nation that has shown no defiance similar to the scenes of the past fortnight since an ill-fated Islamist uprising in 1982. Assad sought to pin the blame for the unprecedented unrest in the country on a foreign plot. On Friday, forces opened fire in two suburbs of Damascus: Douma, where a crowd of more than 1,000 people gathered, and Kafer Souseh, where protesters were attacked by loyalists and police as they attempted to leave al-Refai mosque after prayers. In the Kurdish north-east, protests were reported in the border town of Qamischli as well as smaller settlements including Amouda, Tell Tamer and Ras al-Ayn. Until now, Kurdish leaders have refrained from taking to the streets for fear that the government would frame Syria’s uprising as a Kurdish issue. Protesters also took to the streets chanting “Freedom!” in Deraa, Latakia, Banias and Homs. A witness in the Damascus area of Barzeh reported security forces breaking up a gathering there. “Worshippers shouted ‘Freedom, freedom, freedom’ until more than 500 security forces broke them up,” he told the Guardian. Observers said the numbers were uncertain but showed growing unrest. “The protesters were mainly in small groups but this is to be expected,” said Wissam Tarif, a human rights researcher in Syria. “They are spreading all over the country. Each week different towns and cities are going out.” Razan Zeitoneh, a human rights activist in Damascus said: “The regime has made it clear that it will use violence to end this and it prepared for this with bus loads of security forces but still demonstrators went out.” The protests may be a sign that the regime’s gamble on inducing fear has backfired. Much of Assad’s domestic support has traditionally been linked to his image as a reformer. The continued stand-off between the government and protesters has caused anxiety in Syria to rise. It has also provoked a spike in sectarian tensions, after the government suggested incitement between sects was a factor in the uprising. However, Syria’s unrest has no discernible sectarian overtones and protesters in Kafer Souseh chanted “The Syrian people are one”. But activists said fear is growing among Assad’s Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shia Islam. Eyewitnesses said in one predominantly Alawite neighbourhood of Damascus a checkpoint for entry area was in force. In the wake of Assad’s speech, several western residents have reported being harassed or questioned by groups of unidentified men and security forces. On Friday the US issued a travel advisory warning against all but essential travel to Syria and advised citizens in the country to consider leaving. Two Reuters journalists remain in detention, but Mohamed Radwan, an Egyptian-American accused by the authorities of selling information abroad, was released. Mosques have so far been the focus of Friday protests, but activists say they are rapidly developing online and offline networks to mobilise people elsewhere. Katherine Marsh is the pseudonym of a journalist working in Damascus. Syria Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …A senior aide to Seif al-Islam has visited London in recent days to hold secret talks with British officials, government sources tell the Guardian . The Foreign Office says it won’t “provide a running commentary” on the talks, but one Western diplomat says it’s looking increasingly like Seif and Moammar Gadhafi’s…
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• Forces backing Ouattara bombard presidential palace • African Union calls on president to resign and end suffering Rebel forces in Ivory Coast have laid siege to the presidential palace as president Laurent Gbagbo made a last stand and the battle for power in Abidjan raged for a second day, with the UN mission coming under heavy fire. Forces backing presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara have overrun nearly three-quarters of Ivory Coast and looked poised to topple Gbagbo, but after entering the economic capital met with stiff resistance outside his fortified residence and office. With reports of beatings, looting and arson on the streets of Abidjan, residents barricaded inside their homes reported heavy arms fire throughout the early morning on Friday. On the peninsula where the palace is situated buildings were shaking with each explosion, witnesses said. Ouattara’s spokesman, Patrick Achi, told Reuters: “His house is under attack. That’s for sure. There is a resistance, but it’s under attack. [Gbagbo] hasn’t shown any signs of giving up. I don’t think he will see the game is up, because he really believes God will save him … Gbagbo is in his house. I’m certain. He hasn’t gone anywhere.” Ouattara ordered the borders closed to prevent Gbagbo and his allies fleeing. Ouattara’s foreign affairs minister told the Associated Press: “His inner circle is trying to run, but they won’t be able to.” Not seen in public for five days, Gbagbo has been weakened by high-level defections in the military. The regular army put up almost no opposition during a four-day offensive, including in Gbagbo’s home town, where rebels said they broke into his compound and slept in his bed. Some 50,000 soldiers, police and gendarmes have abandoned Gbagbo, according to the head of the UN mission, Choi Young-jin. “Only the Republican Guard and his special forces remain loyal, guarding the palace and residence,” he told France-Info. The chair of the commission of the African Union, Jean Ping, urged him to immediately hand power to Ouattara “in order to shorten the suffering of the Ivorians”. But a core of Gbagbo loyalists have fought to defend their shrinking territory. A spokesman, Abdon Georges Bayeto, told the BBC: “The president is not going to step down. He’s been elected for five years and we are going to put up a fight.” The heaviest clashes were at the state TV station, which went off air after Ouattara forces seized it overnight. Gbagbo’s forces said they had retaken it this morning. A senior diplomat said fighting continued. Heavy weapons fire was also heard at two military bases. Amid a sense of anarchy, the UN called on Ouattara to rein in his forces. A spokesman for the UN Commissioner for Human Rights said: “We are receiving unconfirmed but worrying reports that [pro-Ouattara forces] have been committing human rights violations.” French forces took 500 foreigners, made up of 150 French nationals plus other Europeans and also Lebanese citizens, to safety in a military camp. Thierry Burkhard, a spokesman, told Reuters: “There is a security vacuum and that has opened the way for looters to roam the streets.” There were no plans to repatriate the French nationals, he said. “There is no proof the French are specifically targeted. The looters are pillaging houses where there is something to take.” The UN said its compound came under heavy gunfire on Thursday afternoon from Gbagbo’s special forces, entrenched close to the presidential palace. The UN troops returned fire in a gun battle that lasted three hours. Zahra Abidi, a Swedish official of the UN peacekeeping mission, was killed on Thursday. A security source said she was standing on the balcony of a friend’s house while shooting was going on nearby and was hit by a bullet. Charity workers said it had become impossible for people in Abidjan to obtain medical care. Many are also out of food and water, as the markets are closed. Gbagbo lost last November’s presidential election, according to his country’s election commission and international observers, but has refused to step down. Sanctions imposed on him and his circle have failed to dislodge him. The offensive is expected to end Gbagbo’s regime within hours or days. “It’s over except for the shooting,” one diplomat said. The four-month standoff since the election has killed nearly 500 people, according to UN figures, although the real toll is probably far higher. About 1 million have fled Abidjan alone, and 122,000 more have crossed into Liberia, according to the UN. Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo Alassane Ouattara United Nations David Smith guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Forces backing Ouattara bombard presidential palace • African Union calls on president to resign and end suffering Rebel forces in Ivory Coast have laid siege to the presidential palace as president Laurent Gbagbo made a last stand and the battle for power in Abidjan raged for a second day, with the UN mission coming under heavy fire. Forces backing presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara have overrun nearly three-quarters of Ivory Coast and looked poised to topple Gbagbo, but after entering the economic capital met with stiff resistance outside his fortified residence and office. With reports of beatings, looting and arson on the streets of Abidjan, residents barricaded inside their homes reported heavy arms fire throughout the early morning on Friday. On the peninsula where the palace is situated buildings were shaking with each explosion, witnesses said. Ouattara’s spokesman, Patrick Achi, told Reuters: “His house is under attack. That’s for sure. There is a resistance, but it’s under attack. [Gbagbo] hasn’t shown any signs of giving up. I don’t think he will see the game is up, because he really believes God will save him … Gbagbo is in his house. I’m certain. He hasn’t gone anywhere.” Ouattara ordered the borders closed to prevent Gbagbo and his allies fleeing. Ouattara’s foreign affairs minister told the Associated Press: “His inner circle is trying to run, but they won’t be able to.” Not seen in public for five days, Gbagbo has been weakened by high-level defections in the military. The regular army put up almost no opposition during a four-day offensive, including in Gbagbo’s home town, where rebels said they broke into his compound and slept in his bed. Some 50,000 soldiers, police and gendarmes have abandoned Gbagbo, according to the head of the UN mission, Choi Young-jin. “Only the Republican Guard and his special forces remain loyal, guarding the palace and residence,” he told France-Info. The chair of the commission of the African Union, Jean Ping, urged him to immediately hand power to Ouattara “in order to shorten the suffering of the Ivorians”. But a core of Gbagbo loyalists have fought to defend their shrinking territory. A spokesman, Abdon Georges Bayeto, told the BBC: “The president is not going to step down. He’s been elected for five years and we are going to put up a fight.” The heaviest clashes were at the state TV station, which went off air after Ouattara forces seized it overnight. Gbagbo’s forces said they had retaken it this morning. A senior diplomat said fighting continued. Heavy weapons fire was also heard at two military bases. Amid a sense of anarchy, the UN called on Ouattara to rein in his forces. A spokesman for the UN Commissioner for Human Rights said: “We are receiving unconfirmed but worrying reports that [pro-Ouattara forces] have been committing human rights violations.” French forces took 500 foreigners, made up of 150 French nationals plus other Europeans and also Lebanese citizens, to safety in a military camp. Thierry Burkhard, a spokesman, told Reuters: “There is a security vacuum and that has opened the way for looters to roam the streets.” There were no plans to repatriate the French nationals, he said. “There is no proof the French are specifically targeted. The looters are pillaging houses where there is something to take.” The UN said its compound came under heavy gunfire on Thursday afternoon from Gbagbo’s special forces, entrenched close to the presidential palace. The UN troops returned fire in a gun battle that lasted three hours. Zahra Abidi, a Swedish official of the UN peacekeeping mission, was killed on Thursday. A security source said she was standing on the balcony of a friend’s house while shooting was going on nearby and was hit by a bullet. Charity workers said it had become impossible for people in Abidjan to obtain medical care. Many are also out of food and water, as the markets are closed. Gbagbo lost last November’s presidential election, according to his country’s election commission and international observers, but has refused to step down. Sanctions imposed on him and his circle have failed to dislodge him. The offensive is expected to end Gbagbo’s regime within hours or days. “It’s over except for the shooting,” one diplomat said. The four-month standoff since the election has killed nearly 500 people, according to UN figures, although the real toll is probably far higher. About 1 million have fled Abidjan alone, and 122,000 more have crossed into Liberia, according to the UN. Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo Alassane Ouattara United Nations David Smith guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Forces backing Ouattara bombard presidential palace • African Union calls on president to resign and end suffering Rebel forces in Ivory Coast have laid siege to the presidential palace as president Laurent Gbagbo made a last stand and the battle for power in Abidjan raged for a second day, with the UN mission coming under heavy fire. Forces backing presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara have overrun nearly three-quarters of Ivory Coast and looked poised to topple Gbagbo, but after entering the economic capital met with stiff resistance outside his fortified residence and office. With reports of beatings, looting and arson on the streets of Abidjan, residents barricaded inside their homes reported heavy arms fire throughout the early morning on Friday. On the peninsula where the palace is situated buildings were shaking with each explosion, witnesses said. Ouattara’s spokesman, Patrick Achi, told Reuters: “His house is under attack. That’s for sure. There is a resistance, but it’s under attack. [Gbagbo] hasn’t shown any signs of giving up. I don’t think he will see the game is up, because he really believes God will save him … Gbagbo is in his house. I’m certain. He hasn’t gone anywhere.” Ouattara ordered the borders closed to prevent Gbagbo and his allies fleeing. Ouattara’s foreign affairs minister told the Associated Press: “His inner circle is trying to run, but they won’t be able to.” Not seen in public for five days, Gbagbo has been weakened by high-level defections in the military. The regular army put up almost no opposition during a four-day offensive, including in Gbagbo’s home town, where rebels said they broke into his compound and slept in his bed. Some 50,000 soldiers, police and gendarmes have abandoned Gbagbo, according to the head of the UN mission, Choi Young-jin. “Only the Republican Guard and his special forces remain loyal, guarding the palace and residence,” he told France-Info. The chair of the commission of the African Union, Jean Ping, urged him to immediately hand power to Ouattara “in order to shorten the suffering of the Ivorians”. But a core of Gbagbo loyalists have fought to defend their shrinking territory. A spokesman, Abdon Georges Bayeto, told the BBC: “The president is not going to step down. He’s been elected for five years and we are going to put up a fight.” The heaviest clashes were at the state TV station, which went off air after Ouattara forces seized it overnight. Gbagbo’s forces said they had retaken it this morning. A senior diplomat said fighting continued. Heavy weapons fire was also heard at two military bases. Amid a sense of anarchy, the UN called on Ouattara to rein in his forces. A spokesman for the UN Commissioner for Human Rights said: “We are receiving unconfirmed but worrying reports that [pro-Ouattara forces] have been committing human rights violations.” French forces took 500 foreigners, made up of 150 French nationals plus other Europeans and also Lebanese citizens, to safety in a military camp. Thierry Burkhard, a spokesman, told Reuters: “There is a security vacuum and that has opened the way for looters to roam the streets.” There were no plans to repatriate the French nationals, he said. “There is no proof the French are specifically targeted. The looters are pillaging houses where there is something to take.” The UN said its compound came under heavy gunfire on Thursday afternoon from Gbagbo’s special forces, entrenched close to the presidential palace. The UN troops returned fire in a gun battle that lasted three hours. Zahra Abidi, a Swedish official of the UN peacekeeping mission, was killed on Thursday. A security source said she was standing on the balcony of a friend’s house while shooting was going on nearby and was hit by a bullet. Charity workers said it had become impossible for people in Abidjan to obtain medical care. Many are also out of food and water, as the markets are closed. Gbagbo lost last November’s presidential election, according to his country’s election commission and international observers, but has refused to step down. Sanctions imposed on him and his circle have failed to dislodge him. The offensive is expected to end Gbagbo’s regime within hours or days. “It’s over except for the shooting,” one diplomat said. The four-month standoff since the election has killed nearly 500 people, according to UN figures, although the real toll is probably far higher. About 1 million have fled Abidjan alone, and 122,000 more have crossed into Liberia, according to the UN. Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo Alassane Ouattara United Nations David Smith guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Forces backing Ouattara bombard presidential palace • African Union calls on president to resign and end suffering Rebel forces in Ivory Coast have laid siege to the presidential palace as president Laurent Gbagbo made a last stand and the battle for power in Abidjan raged for a second day, with the UN mission coming under heavy fire. Forces backing presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara have overrun nearly three-quarters of Ivory Coast and looked poised to topple Gbagbo, but after entering the economic capital met with stiff resistance outside his fortified residence and office. With reports of beatings, looting and arson on the streets of Abidjan, residents barricaded inside their homes reported heavy arms fire throughout the early morning on Friday. On the peninsula where the palace is situated buildings were shaking with each explosion, witnesses said. Ouattara’s spokesman, Patrick Achi, told Reuters: “His house is under attack. That’s for sure. There is a resistance, but it’s under attack. [Gbagbo] hasn’t shown any signs of giving up. I don’t think he will see the game is up, because he really believes God will save him … Gbagbo is in his house. I’m certain. He hasn’t gone anywhere.” Ouattara ordered the borders closed to prevent Gbagbo and his allies fleeing. Ouattara’s foreign affairs minister told the Associated Press: “His inner circle is trying to run, but they won’t be able to.” Not seen in public for five days, Gbagbo has been weakened by high-level defections in the military. The regular army put up almost no opposition during a four-day offensive, including in Gbagbo’s home town, where rebels said they broke into his compound and slept in his bed. Some 50,000 soldiers, police and gendarmes have abandoned Gbagbo, according to the head of the UN mission, Choi Young-jin. “Only the Republican Guard and his special forces remain loyal, guarding the palace and residence,” he told France-Info. The chair of the commission of the African Union, Jean Ping, urged him to immediately hand power to Ouattara “in order to shorten the suffering of the Ivorians”. But a core of Gbagbo loyalists have fought to defend their shrinking territory. A spokesman, Abdon Georges Bayeto, told the BBC: “The president is not going to step down. He’s been elected for five years and we are going to put up a fight.” The heaviest clashes were at the state TV station, which went off air after Ouattara forces seized it overnight. Gbagbo’s forces said they had retaken it this morning. A senior diplomat said fighting continued. Heavy weapons fire was also heard at two military bases. Amid a sense of anarchy, the UN called on Ouattara to rein in his forces. A spokesman for the UN Commissioner for Human Rights said: “We are receiving unconfirmed but worrying reports that [pro-Ouattara forces] have been committing human rights violations.” French forces took 500 foreigners, made up of 150 French nationals plus other Europeans and also Lebanese citizens, to safety in a military camp. Thierry Burkhard, a spokesman, told Reuters: “There is a security vacuum and that has opened the way for looters to roam the streets.” There were no plans to repatriate the French nationals, he said. “There is no proof the French are specifically targeted. The looters are pillaging houses where there is something to take.” The UN said its compound came under heavy gunfire on Thursday afternoon from Gbagbo’s special forces, entrenched close to the presidential palace. The UN troops returned fire in a gun battle that lasted three hours. Zahra Abidi, a Swedish official of the UN peacekeeping mission, was killed on Thursday. A security source said she was standing on the balcony of a friend’s house while shooting was going on nearby and was hit by a bullet. Charity workers said it had become impossible for people in Abidjan to obtain medical care. Many are also out of food and water, as the markets are closed. Gbagbo lost last November’s presidential election, according to his country’s election commission and international observers, but has refused to step down. Sanctions imposed on him and his circle have failed to dislodge him. The offensive is expected to end Gbagbo’s regime within hours or days. “It’s over except for the shooting,” one diplomat said. The four-month standoff since the election has killed nearly 500 people, according to UN figures, although the real toll is probably far higher. About 1 million have fled Abidjan alone, and 122,000 more have crossed into Liberia, according to the UN. Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo Alassane Ouattara United Nations David Smith guardian.co.uk
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Soaring number of sanctions against unemployed amid claims that DWP staff are being told to trip people up with paperwork Rising numbers of vulnerable jobseekers are being tricked into losing benefits amid growing pressure to meet welfare targets, a Jobcentre Plus adviser has told the Guardian. A whistleblower said staff at his jobcentre were given targets of three people a week to refer for sanctions, where benefits are removed for up to six months. He said it was part of a “culture change” since last summer that had led to competition between advisers, teams and regional offices. “Suddenly you’re not helping somebody into sustainable employment, which is what you’re employed to do,” he said. “You’re looking for ways to trick your customers into ‘not looking for work’. You come up with many ways. I’ve seen dyslexic customers given written job searches, and when they don’t produce them – what a surprise – they’re sanctioned. The only target that anyone seems to care about is stopping people’s money. “‘Saving the public purse’ is the catchphrase that is used in our office … It is drummed home all the time – you’re saving the public purse. Feel good about stopping someone’s money, you’ve just saved your own pocket. Its a joke.” The claims came as the big businesses handed contracts to get the long term jobless into worktoday said the government should privatise jobcentres so that their firms could work with people who have been jobless for less than a year. Statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show the total number of cases where people have lost their benefits has soared since the beginning of 2010 to 75,000 in October, the latest month available. The figures also reveal the number of claimants with registered disabilities being cut off has more than doubled to almost 20,000 over the same period. This follows a change in the rules in April last year where sanctions were extended to claimants who were late for jobcentre interviews and other less serious offences. When a claimant is sanctioned their jobseeker’s allowance is stopped. They then have to apply for hardship payments, which are usually about half the allowance, or just over £30 a week. John, in Wigan, has been sanctioned for six months and says he has to rely on food parcels and must sleep on his friend’s couch. “It’s left me in a state of depression. I’ve lost weight, I’m tired … I feel like I’ve been attacked for no reason.” The whistleblower blamed the targets. “We were told suddenly that [finding someone to sanction] once a week wasn’t good enough, we were far behind other offices, and we went to a meeting where they compared us with other offices, and said we now have to do three a week to catch up. Most staff go into work and they’re thinking about it from moment one – who am I going to stop this week?” The DWP denies there are specific targets, but the Guardian has seen email evidence of referral targets in one office, and the issue of targets has been raised by employees on online forums. The DWP said: “To say that we are targeting vulnerable people is ridiculous. We only sanction people if they do not adhere to their agreement. We are massively expanding the help and support that jobseekers will receive to ensure that they get the right help and support to get into work. If someone is incapable of work, they will continue to receive unconditional support.” But the whistleblower said the policy hit the vulnerable instead of hardcore benefit cheats, who he said were a small group. “The young often fall into it, because they haven’t been there long enough, they are generally a major target. The uneducated are another major target. I’ve seen people with … seriously low educational standards and it’s easy to exploit them.” He said staff had different ways to ensure they could stop benefits for a set amount of people. “So, for example, if you want someone to diversify – they’re an electrician or a plumber, they may not want to go into call centres or something. What you do is keep promoting such and such a job, and you pressure them into taking it off you, the piece of paper. Then in two weeks you look at the system, you ask them if they applied for it … they say no – you stop their money for six months. “You very rarely see the hardcore taken because they know the forms – they know it better than the staff, the system.” Shirley Cramer of the charity Dyslexia Action warned that the true impact on people with learning difficulties was likely to be higher because in many cases it was a hidden disability. “Because we know there are large numbers of them, and that they are hidden, and that they are over-represented in disadvantaged groups, they are very much at risk. And we know that with a bit of help they can be terrific employees.” Martin John, national officer for the Public and Commercial Services Union, said ministers had demanded a tougher approach since the general election. “We are against the use of targets for labour market sanctions, and are worried about the financial impact on people.” Citizens Advice has reported a significant rise in clients who have had their benefits cut. Andy Robertson, a caseworker in South Tyneside, an area with 13% unemployment, has a huge pile of paperwork for appeals, and says his casework has more than doubled in the last year. “What’s happening at the moment is possibly the worst thing I’ve ever seen with regard to practice from the DWP. Clients seem to be getting sanctioned for next to nothing,” he said. Robertson worked for eight years as an adviser and financial assessor at jobcentres. He has also seen the changes affect many vulnerable clients, such as those with dyslexia or mental health problems. “Advisers were previously exercising their discretion … now the client-adviser balance doesn’t seem to exist any more.” Yvonne Fovargue, the Labour MP for Makerfield, raised the issue of sanctioning in parliament during a reading of the new Welfare Reform Act. She is worried that at a time when funding to support groups such as Citizens Advice is being cut, an even stricter regime is being introduced. Fovargue said the situation would only get worse with the drive to bring people off incapacity benefit and on to the jobseeker’s allowance, where they are suddenly exposed to these sanctions. The whistleblower also thinks there will be an impact. “A lot of them haven’t been in work for a number of years. So I’m not expecting them to understand the system … which will make for easy sanctions. “This cannot be right that we are using a department that’s supposed to help people into work to stop them getting benefit that a lot of them are entitled to.” In Wigan, John said he first found out he had been sanctioned when the money did not appear in his account on the usual day. His jobcentre told him it was because he had missed the deadline for three jobs. He said his Jobcentre adviser said he would send application forms in the post, but they arrived too late. “It’s outrageous … to leave someone with no money for six months. It’s totally hindered my jobsearching, I spend all of my time dealing with these problems now.” The whistleblower says his office has been told there is no more money for back to work training from April. “From April, we offer no provision … nothing, no training course, nothing. The funding ends at the end of March. “[Now] your office can shine through one of two targets. You can either shine through getting people into work, but that’s really difficult. Or you can stop their money, and that’s really easy.” Case study John Robson, 53, South Shields “It never seems to go away. Every day you’re thinking: ‘I haven’t got a letter today, so obviously there isn’t a sanction going against me.’ Another day there’s a brown envelope from the DWP and you think: ‘What’s this for?’ There’s always that cloud hanging over you.” Robson was made redundant from his job as a delivery driver 13 months ago. “I was 17 when I started work so I’ve been working for 35 years. I’m not Jack the lad who’s never been in a job and is trying to con the government. I want to work, I just can’t get a job. “You try your best, and the minute you do something wrong, they’re on you like a ton of bricks.” Robson has been sanctioned three times. First he was ill and missed a jobcentre appointment. Next he was sanctioned for not applying for one job. “I was sure I had applied for it but I
Continue reading …Soaring number of sanctions against unemployed amid claims that DWP staff are being told to trip people up with paperwork Rising numbers of vulnerable jobseekers are being tricked into losing benefits amid growing pressure to meet welfare targets, a Jobcentre Plus adviser has told the Guardian. A whistleblower said staff at his jobcentre were given targets of three people a week to refer for sanctions, where benefits are removed for up to six months. He said it was part of a “culture change” since last summer that had led to competition between advisers, teams and regional offices. “Suddenly you’re not helping somebody into sustainable employment, which is what you’re employed to do,” he said. “You’re looking for ways to trick your customers into ‘not looking for work’. You come up with many ways. I’ve seen dyslexic customers given written job searches, and when they don’t produce them – what a surprise – they’re sanctioned. The only target that anyone seems to care about is stopping people’s money. “‘Saving the public purse’ is the catchphrase that is used in our office … It is drummed home all the time – you’re saving the public purse. Feel good about stopping someone’s money, you’ve just saved your own pocket. Its a joke.” The claims came as the big businesses handed contracts to get the long term jobless into worktoday said the government should privatise jobcentres so that their firms could work with people who have been jobless for less than a year. Statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show the total number of cases where people have lost their benefits has soared since the beginning of 2010 to 75,000 in October, the latest month available. The figures also reveal the number of claimants with registered disabilities being cut off has more than doubled to almost 20,000 over the same period. This follows a change in the rules in April last year where sanctions were extended to claimants who were late for jobcentre interviews and other less serious offences. When a claimant is sanctioned their jobseeker’s allowance is stopped. They then have to apply for hardship payments, which are usually about half the allowance, or just over £30 a week. John, in Wigan, has been sanctioned for six months and says he has to rely on food parcels and must sleep on his friend’s couch. “It’s left me in a state of depression. I’ve lost weight, I’m tired … I feel like I’ve been attacked for no reason.” The whistleblower blamed the targets. “We were told suddenly that [finding someone to sanction] once a week wasn’t good enough, we were far behind other offices, and we went to a meeting where they compared us with other offices, and said we now have to do three a week to catch up. Most staff go into work and they’re thinking about it from moment one – who am I going to stop this week?” The DWP denies there are specific targets, but the Guardian has seen email evidence of referral targets in one office, and the issue of targets has been raised by employees on online forums. The DWP said: “To say that we are targeting vulnerable people is ridiculous. We only sanction people if they do not adhere to their agreement. We are massively expanding the help and support that jobseekers will receive to ensure that they get the right help and support to get into work. If someone is incapable of work, they will continue to receive unconditional support.” But the whistleblower said the policy hit the vulnerable instead of hardcore benefit cheats, who he said were a small group. “The young often fall into it, because they haven’t been there long enough, they are generally a major target. The uneducated are another major target. I’ve seen people with … seriously low educational standards and it’s easy to exploit them.” He said staff had different ways to ensure they could stop benefits for a set amount of people. “So, for example, if you want someone to diversify – they’re an electrician or a plumber, they may not want to go into call centres or something. What you do is keep promoting such and such a job, and you pressure them into taking it off you, the piece of paper. Then in two weeks you look at the system, you ask them if they applied for it … they say no – you stop their money for six months. “You very rarely see the hardcore taken because they know the forms – they know it better than the staff, the system.” Shirley Cramer of the charity Dyslexia Action warned that the true impact on people with learning difficulties was likely to be higher because in many cases it was a hidden disability. “Because we know there are large numbers of them, and that they are hidden, and that they are over-represented in disadvantaged groups, they are very much at risk. And we know that with a bit of help they can be terrific employees.” Martin John, national officer for the Public and Commercial Services Union, said ministers had demanded a tougher approach since the general election. “We are against the use of targets for labour market sanctions, and are worried about the financial impact on people.” Citizens Advice has reported a significant rise in clients who have had their benefits cut. Andy Robertson, a caseworker in South Tyneside, an area with 13% unemployment, has a huge pile of paperwork for appeals, and says his casework has more than doubled in the last year. “What’s happening at the moment is possibly the worst thing I’ve ever seen with regard to practice from the DWP. Clients seem to be getting sanctioned for next to nothing,” he said. Robertson worked for eight years as an adviser and financial assessor at jobcentres. He has also seen the changes affect many vulnerable clients, such as those with dyslexia or mental health problems. “Advisers were previously exercising their discretion … now the client-adviser balance doesn’t seem to exist any more.” Yvonne Fovargue, the Labour MP for Makerfield, raised the issue of sanctioning in parliament during a reading of the new Welfare Reform Act. She is worried that at a time when funding to support groups such as Citizens Advice is being cut, an even stricter regime is being introduced. Fovargue said the situation would only get worse with the drive to bring people off incapacity benefit and on to the jobseeker’s allowance, where they are suddenly exposed to these sanctions. The whistleblower also thinks there will be an impact. “A lot of them haven’t been in work for a number of years. So I’m not expecting them to understand the system … which will make for easy sanctions. “This cannot be right that we are using a department that’s supposed to help people into work to stop them getting benefit that a lot of them are entitled to.” In Wigan, John said he first found out he had been sanctioned when the money did not appear in his account on the usual day. His jobcentre told him it was because he had missed the deadline for three jobs. He said his Jobcentre adviser said he would send application forms in the post, but they arrived too late. “It’s outrageous … to leave someone with no money for six months. It’s totally hindered my jobsearching, I spend all of my time dealing with these problems now.” The whistleblower says his office has been told there is no more money for back to work training from April. “From April, we offer no provision … nothing, no training course, nothing. The funding ends at the end of March. “[Now] your office can shine through one of two targets. You can either shine through getting people into work, but that’s really difficult. Or you can stop their money, and that’s really easy.” Case study John Robson, 53, South Shields “It never seems to go away. Every day you’re thinking: ‘I haven’t got a letter today, so obviously there isn’t a sanction going against me.’ Another day there’s a brown envelope from the DWP and you think: ‘What’s this for?’ There’s always that cloud hanging over you.” Robson was made redundant from his job as a delivery driver 13 months ago. “I was 17 when I started work so I’ve been working for 35 years. I’m not Jack the lad who’s never been in a job and is trying to con the government. I want to work, I just can’t get a job. “You try your best, and the minute you do something wrong, they’re on you like a ton of bricks.” Robson has been sanctioned three times. First he was ill and missed a jobcentre appointment. Next he was sanctioned for not applying for one job. “I was sure I had applied for it but I
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