'Slave labour' says benefit claimant of work scheme
A BENEFIT claimant has hit back at Social Security for trying to get him to work for his money, calling it 'slave labour'.
Trevor Mauger, 52, was asked to participate in the department's Work2Benefit scheme, in which claimants who are able to work have to do a certain amount of work or training organised by the States.
However, after refusing to work 35 hours a week at the Fontaine Vinery waste sorting site, Mr Mauger's benefit was cut by £25
a week.
'I think it's slave labour,' he said. 'They are expecting me to work for less than £4 an hour at most. I've spoken to other people who've told me that they wouldn't work for that either.'
Mr Mauger said he normally had an income of between £130 and £140 per week, £68 of which went on rent that he never saw as it was paid directly to the Housing Department.
He was allowed to keep £30 from a spare-time job he has with the Indian Cottage Restaurant doing deliveries in the evenings, for which he pays his own petrol.
Before the £25 reduction was made, Social Security was giving him a further £32 to £42 most weeks via benefits. The figure depended on how much he earned from the spare-time job.
