MYTHS ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY 6: “MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED HAVE BEEN OUT-OF-WORK FOR A LONG-TIME”

Whilst long-term unemployment is a problem for those people it affects, it is wrong to frame the debate about parental unemployment and poverty around long-term unemployment or to suggest that many parents ‘choose’ to stay unemployed and don’t work for long periods of time.  Most people don’t stay out-of-work for more than a year and the real problem is people who find themselves regularly in and out-of-work, are trapped in the no pay/low pay cycle.

Most people on Job Seekers Allowance claim for less than a year.  In fact, 55% of those currently receiving JSA have been claiming for less than 6 months.