Young people 'taking advantage of benefits system'

Unemployed youngsters in Jersey are taking advantage of the benefit system, according to a number of shop owners in St Helier.

They say they are being asked to sign benefit books for young people coming into their shops and making half-hearted attempts to inquire about vacancies so that the shop owners will sign their benefit books to say they have been actively seeking work.

But in reality, these shop owners say these young people turn up with little intention of gaining a job, and just want to claim their generous £90 a week benefit money.

Jersey's Minister for Social Security says he is aware of the problem and new measures to clamp down on benefit fraud are being introduced. (from CTV)

ah well something both islands have in common then..these little as**oles wont work as long as benefits are being paid and nobody actually checks if they have been for interviews or that they have even attempted to find work

i know many where i live await for their money ..makes me masd when i see my poor hubby struggle to go to work each day even though he has a disability and these lazy farts stop in bed moaning cos they did noit sleep very well .if they got their ass out of bed in the morning toi work they might just be able to sleep at night

sorry rant over

i totally agree kat..imo when these little twats are sent for interviews someone should go with them to see why thye are not suitable for a job x

i know many where i live await for their money ..makes me masd when i see my poor hubby struggle to go to work each day even though he has a disability and these lazy farts stop in bed moaning cos they did noit sleep very well .if they got their ass out of bed in the morning toi work they might just be able to sleep at night

sorry rant over

A HOTLINE and website set up to catch benefit swindlers have been flooded by Islanders seeking to shop fraudsters.

Since the public awareness campaign, ‘Benefit thieves – let’s stop them’, was launched by Social Security last week, the department has received nearly 90 tip-offs.

Contribution and enforcement manager John Poole said that he was delighted with the response.

‘As of Monday we had been contacted 87 times,’ he said. We had 51 through the phone line and 36 through the website,’ he said (from JEP)

shame we have not got a hotline here it would be on meltdown