Reading the letters page of the London Metro this morning, I see that the story is still rumbling around regarding Cait Reilly, the graduate who is suing the Government over being made to take a work placement in Poundland, or lose her benefits.
http://graduatefog.co.uk/2012/1849/poundland-intern-cait-reilly-backlash-jan-moir/
While I can see the arguments on both sides of the story, what sticks out for me is the hypocrisy being shown by many commenters.
Kids at school are told that they had better work hard enough to go to University and get a degree, otherwise they’ll end up working in Poundland. So the kid works hard and gets their degree, and then they’re berated for not wanting to take a job in Poundland.
I’ll wager that most students (unless they come from an exceptionally privileged family background) have done plenty of grunt jobs to pay their way while studying already. What possible value can an extra few weeks’ work in Poundland add to their CV?
This scheme was supposed to be to catch out people who are working illegally while claiming benefits. While a lawsuit might be a bit extreme, at least it’s got people talking about how unintelligently the scheme is being administered.
