Getting 'on yer bike' is easier than getting a travel pass

On Wednesday the Government will publish the latest round of unemployment statistics and the safe bet is they will be depressing. Typically, members of the front bench will point to numerous initiatives that are now running, or shortly due to start. They will also talk about how private enterprise will shortly take up significant numbers as business grows.

Opposition benches will accuse the government of failing to tackle the rising numbers signing on. Neither will take a hard look at why the unemployed are increasingly refusing to look for work. In a report in “New Statesman”, Alice Miles correctly asserted that one of the driving factors is because the cost of transport to interviews is often prohibitive.

Jobcentre Plus has established a system to help claimants claim expenses when these things happen. Unfortunately it is bureaucratic frequently acts as a disincentive to search for work.

First the client has to go to the jobcentre to fill in a form and have an interview with an adviser, who will decide whether to fund the trip. This adviser will also check afterwards to see if the client turned up. Conservative estimates are that this bureaucracy costs approximately £50 - £75 every time a claimant needs travel money.

The problem is even more complex as we live in an information age where employers often arrange same/ next day interviews. Many claimants do not get as far as the paperwork because the jobcentre cannot see them until the following day, so they often can’t get their costs paid on time.

A while ago, American research found that inadequate transport was often one of the key determining factors that prevented claimants from looking for work. Car ownership is often too probative for most claimants, so many need to rely on public transport – but in many areas public transport routes do not exist, or are too expensive and this can frequently block opportunities for the unemployed to return to work.

Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has shown that travel costs can often be 10 to 20 per cent higher for those living in rural areas. With significant cuts now being implemented across most councils this will result in reductions to the transport subsidy, leaving many people isolated.

The government needs to consider how they intend to get people back to work if claimants can’t get to work. No doubt the government is hopeful Work Programme will make this easier as more clients are slowly fed directly through to providers, who, in turn, will take responsibility for funding travel costs.

Unfortunately this presupposes all claimants will be transferred to an independent provider. It also assumes these providers are capable of responding immediately and appropriately to the needs of the client – something that has historically been found to be seriously wanting.

No, the solution will need to be far simpler and believe it or not, it’s not rocket science. The client rings up during office hours and jobcentres guarantee a same day service to ensure clients have funds to get to interviews. If the caller rings between 5pm and 6pm s/he can speak to a JSA adviser, who can liaise with local transport services to ensure they are able to pick up a travel warrant from the local railway station. Seamless delivery at its finest.

Unfortunately, I have reached the stage in life where I have become something of a grumpy old man. As a result I am confident that instead of looking at how DWP could iron out the wrinkles in my approach they would prefer to trash it and assume it is inoperable.

So if you are unemployed and have an interview away from home, don’t expect the jobcentre will jump for joy and respond immediately to your requests. They are more likely to suck their teeth and say “Oooh, we don’t get a lot of call for travel warrants around here!”

Your patience will be tested, your nerves frazzled and your blood pressure sent through the roof, but in some cases you will get help ……….. if you really, really, really ask nicely!