UK Unemployment rises to highest level since 1996

In message , Mansi writes

That makes sense, - 1996 was when the last Tory government were in power. This coalition will beat that figure with ease, especially when many long term sick and disabled people are off invalidity benefit and "looking for work".

And Labour's massaging of the figures and putting/allowing the long term unemployed to claim other benefits so they wouldn't be counted in the figures has nothing to do with this? The unemployment figures going up are just the Coalition justifiably reversing the trend.

A significant proportion of those on disability/sick benefits were found to be claiming inapproriately. Disability benefits are more lucrative than plain JSA, so it makes sense for the long term unemployed to get those if they can, and Labour made it very easy for them.

In message , Jake writes

If you believe that you must read the D.M. ;-) Tell that to the service personnel who are to be made redundant! What kind of jobs will men who have been trained to kill look for?

The last figures I heard quoted was that 80% of *new* applicants have been accepted for the benefit.