Please read to the end
DWP forced to reveal vast list of firms using benefit claimants for unpaid work after 4-year legal fight!
18:02, 29 JUL 2016 UPDATED 18:48,
The Tory government has spent four years trying to stop you knowing firms it linked to Mandatory Work Activity – from Cash Converters to Nando’s….
Iain Duncan Smith’s department mounted a four-year legal battle to keep the names secret but
the Tory government has been forced to reveal a vast list of firms that hoovered up free labour from benefit claimants after spending almost half a decade and tens of thousands of pounds trying to keep it a secret.
Poundstretcher, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons are among more than companies, charities and councils named as having used Mandatory Work Activity.
Others on the list from 2011 included payday loans firm Cash Converters, Nando’s, WH Smith, Superdrug and DHL.
More than 100,000 jobseekers were put on the hated ‘workfare’ scheme, which forced them to work 30-hour weeks unpaid for a month each or have their benefits docked.
Eventually the Tories quietly scrapped the scheme that forced 120,000 job-seekers to work for free or lose their benefits, yet the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) still mounted an astonishing and costly legal battle to keep the firms’ names a secret.
Officials claimed revealing those involved would hurt their “commercial interests” because protesters would boycott them.
The DWP stood its ground for nearly four years despite being overruled by the Information Commissioner (ICO) watchdog in August 2012.
Campaigners and Labour condemned the vast cost of the cover-up – in which taxpayers had to fund lawyers for both the DWP and ICO.
Neither party told the Mirror what they spent, but court fees they racked up in previous cases suggest the bill could run into tens of thousands of pounds.
Labour leadership contender Owen Smith, a former shadow work and pensions secretary, told the Mirror: “Under the Tories there’s a culture of cover-ups at the DWP that needs to end”.
Owen Smith, Labour MP for Pontypridd said the Tories had a “culture of cover-ups”
“Whether it’s cuts to Universal Credit, the Bedroom Tax or Work Capability Assessments, the Tories always try to hide the true effects of their cruelty and incompetence.”
Debbie Abrahams, who took over his job as Labour welfare chief, said: “This scheme truly reflects the Tories’ skewed view of the world. First they thought it was acceptable to force people into unpaid, poor quality work and couldn’t see why there was an outcry against the scheme but to then use public money to try and keep the list of companies taking advantage of this a secret, is beyond the pale.”
Anti-workfare activist Frank Zola, who made the original Freedom of Information request, said: “These workfare schemes cost the public billions, Why should employers be able to hide behind the DWP’s cloak of secrecy and legal shenanigans?”
All 534 organisations on the list were named as “placement providers” for Mandatory Work Activity in a narrow six-month period between July 2011 and January 2012.
The list also featured well-known charities and councils including Scarborough, Essex, Hartlepool, Fenland, Leicester, Rochford and Thurrock.
A tide of charities – including Cancer Research, Scope, Age UK, the British Heart Foundation, the Red Cross, PDSA and Sue Ryder – pulled out of the scheme only after protests against it grew.
Debbie Abrahams said the scheme “reflects the Tories’ skewed view of the world”
Some – including Barnardo’s – said they had been included on the list in error.
Others – including MIND – voiced concerns about the scheme and said they upheld the highest standards.
Defenders of the scheme, which ran for five years, said it was designed for community benefit and firms funded all training and induction themselves.
A DWP spokesman said: “Employment programmes help thousands of people every year gain new skills and experience to get into work.”
All 534 organisations on the DWP’s list
PLEASE NOTE: These are firms, charities, religious groups and any others which the DWP says were “placement providers for Mandatory Work Activity” between July 2011 and January 2012. NONE are current providers of Mandatory Work Activity because the scheme ended in April this year. Many of them stopped before that date.
Source: DWP file released through WhatDoTheyKnow.com
1. African Childrens Fund
2. Abacus Children’s Wear
3. ABCAL
4. Ability
5. Ace of Clubs Charity Shop
6. Acorns
7. Action for Disability
8. Action Housing
9. Active Community Team
10. Advocacy Support
11. Afro Caribbean Centre
12. Age Concern
13. Age UK
14. Agnew Community Centre
15. Air Ambulance
16. Aire Valley Recycling Ltd
17. Airedale Computers,
18. Al-Khair Foundation
19. All Aboard
20. Allied Healthcare
21. Almadene Care Home
22. AMF Torquay Bowling Alley
23. Amicus Horizon Housing Association
24. Animal Krackers
25. ARAS German Shepherd Inn
26. ARC
27. Archer Project
28. Arthritis Research UK
29. Arthur Rank
30. Arts Factory
31. ASAN
32. Asda
33. Asha Charity Shop
34. Ashgate Hospice
35. Aspire Community Enterprise Ltd
36. Auchinleck Talbot F.C.
37. Autism Plus
38. Aylestone Park Boys Football Club
39. Babygear
40. Back2Earth
41. Bangladesh People
42. Bangladeshi ass sangag centre
43. Barnardos
44. Basic Life Charity
45. B’Dwe
46. Beaumaris Hostel
47. Bedfordshire Education Academy
48. Belgrave Hall Museum
49. Bernicia Group (Social housing provider)
50. BHF
51. Blaby & Whetstone Boys Club
52. Blue Cross
53. Bluebell Wood
54. Bookers
55. Boots
56. Botanical Gardens
57. Bottle Rescue Aireworth Mill
58. BR Environmental
59. Bradford Autism Centre
60. Bradford Community repaint
61. Breaking Free
62. Brian Jackson House
63. Briardale Community Centre
64. Bright House
65. Brighton and hove wood recycling
66. Britannia College
67. British Heart Foundation
68. British Red Cross
69. British Waterways
70. Brockhurst Community Centre
71. Bryncynon Strategy
72. Bryncynon Strategy
73. Butterwick Hospice
74. Cancer Research
75. Cancer Uk
76. Capability Scotland
77. Care & Repair
78. Carers Centre
79. Caribbean Centre
80. Caribbean Restaurant (Streatham)
81. Carlisle Park
82. Carr Vale Allotments
83. Cash Convertors
84. Castle Gresley Community Centre
85. Cat Haven
86. Cats Protection League
87. Cauwood day services
88. CCA Furniture Outlet
89. Cerebal Palsey Care
90. Changing Lives in Clevedon
91. chapletown youth community centre
92. Chesterfield FC Community Trust
93. Chestnut Tree House Shop
94. Children in Distress
95. Children Scrapstore Reuse Centre
96. Children Trust
97. Childrens Society
98. Chopsticks North Yorkshire
99. Circulate
100. Citizen Advice Bureau
101. Claire House
102. Clic Sargent
103. Comfort Kids
104. Community Association – Trefechan
105. Community Re-Paint
106. Community Resource Centre
107. Community Voice
108. Complete Professional Care
109. Compton Hospice
110. Congburn Nurseries
111. Cooke Computers
112. Cooke E – Learning Foundation
113. Co-op
114. Corby Boating Lake
115. Cornerstone
116. Cornwall Hospice Care
117. County Durham Furniture Help Scheme
118. Croydon animal samaritans
119. CSV Media
120. Cusworth Hall
121. CVS Furniture
122. Dan’s Den Colwyn Bay
123. Dapp UK
124. DC Cleaning
125. Deans
126. Debra
127. Demzela
128. Derbyshire Timber Scheme
129. DHL
130. Dial Intake
131. Didcot Railyway Museum
132. Disabled Childrens Services
133. Discovery Community Cafe
134. Dogs Trust Glasgow
135. Dogsthorpe Recycling Centre
136. Doncaster College
137. Doncaster Community Centre
138. Dorothy House Hospice
139. Dorset Reclaim
140. Dovehouse Hospice Shop
141. Dragon Bands
142. Durham Wildlife Trust
143. E Waste Solutions
144. Earl Mountbatten Hospice
145. East Anglia Childrens Hospice Shop
146. East Cleveland Wildlife Trust
147. East Durham Partnership
148. East Midlands Islamic Relief Project
149. East West Community Project
150. Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
151. eco Innovation Centre
152. Elleanor Lion Hospice
153. ELVON
154. Encephalitis society
155. English Landscapes
156. Enhanced Care Training
157. Enterprise UK
158. Environmental Resource Centre
159. Essex County Council
160. Extra care Charitable Trust
161. Fable
162. Family Support
163. Fara
164. Fare share Malmo Food Park
165. Featherstone Rovers
166. Fenland District Council
167. First Fruits
168. FN! Eastbourne
169. Foal Farm
170. Food Cycle
171. Fops Shop
172. forget me not childrens hospice
173. Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy
174. Fountain Abbey
175. Fox Rush Farm
176. FRADE
177. Frame
178. FRESCH
179. Fresh water christian charity
180. Friends of St Nicholas Fields
181. Furnish
182. Furniture for You
183. Furniture Project
184. FurnitureLink
185. Gateway funiture
186. Genesis Trust
187. George Thomas Hospice – Barry
188. Geranium Shop For The Blind
189. Glasgow Furniture Initative
190. Glen Street Play Provision
191. Goodwin Development Trust
192. Govanhill Baths Community Trust
193. Greenacres Animal Rescue Shop
194. Greenfingers
195. Greenscape
196. Greenstreams Huddersfield/ environmental alliance
197. Grimsby District Health care charity
198. Ground Work
199. Hadston House
200. Happy Staffie
201. Harlington Hospice
202. Hart Wildlife Rescue
203. Hartlepool Council
204. Hartlepool Hospice
205. Hartlepool Prop (Mental Health)
206. Hartlepool Trust Opening Doors
207. Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling Project
208. Havens Childrens Hospice Shop
209. Havering Country Park
210. headway
211. Healthy Living Centre
212. Hebburn Community Centre
213. Help the Aged
214. helping hands
215. High Beech Care Home
216. High Wycombe Central Aid
217. Hillam Nurseries
218. Hinsley Hall Headingley
219. Hobbit Hotel
220. Holmescarr Community Centre
221. Home Start
222. Homemakers
223. Hope central
224. Hospice of hope
225. Hounslow Community Transport Furniture Project
226. Hull Animal Welfare Trust Hull
227. Humanity at Heart
228. I Trust
229. Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO)
230. Intraining Employers
231. Ipswich Furniture Project
232. Iranian Association
233. Islamic Relief
234. Jacabs Well Care Center
235. Jesus Army Centre
236. JHP
237. Julian House Charity Shop
238. K.T. Performing Arts
239. Kagyu Samye Dzong London
240. Keech Hospice Care Shop
241. Keighley & District Disabled
242. Kier Services – Corby
243. Kilbryde Hospice
244. Killie Can Cycle
245. Kingston Community Furniture Project
246. Kiveton Park & Wales Community Development Trust
247. LAMH
248. Leeds & Moortown Furniture Store
249. Leicester City Council
250. Leicester Riders
251. Leicester Shopmobility
252. Leicestershire Aids Support Services
253. Leicestershire Cares
254. Lifework
255. Lighthouse
256. Linacre Reservoir
257. London Borough of Havering
258. London College of Engineering & Management Woolwich
259. Longley Organised Community Association
260. Lyme Trust
261. Lynemouth Resource Centre
262. Mackworth Comm. Charity Shop
263. Making a Difference
264. Marie Curie
265. Mark2 (marc)
266. Martin House Hospice
267. Mary Stevens Hospice
268. Matalan
269. Matchbox
270. Matthew25 Mission
271. Mayflower Sanctuary
272. MDJ Lightbrothers
273. Meadow Well Connected
274. MEC
275. Mental Health Support
276. Midland Railway Trust
277. MIND
278. Miners Welfare community centre
279. Mistley Place Park
280. Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal Regeneration Partnership Scheme
281. Moore Cleaning
282. Morrisons
283. Muslim Aid
284. Myton Hospice
285. Nandos
286. Naomi Hospice
287. National Railway Museum
288. National Trust
289. NDDT
290. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
291. Necessary Furniture
292. Neighbourhood funiture
293. Neterlands Dog Rescue
294. New Life Church
295. Newham Volenteers Group
296. Newport City Council
297. Nightingale House
298. NOAH enterprise
299. North East Lincs Motor Project
300. North London Hospice Shop
301. North Ormesby Community Shop
302. Northumberland County Council
303. Norwood
304. Old Nick Theatre
305. One 0 One
306. Open Secret
307. Overgate Hospice
308. Oxfam
309. Papworth Trust
310. Partner Shop
311. Paul Sartori Warehouse
312. Paws Animal Welfare Shop
313. PDSA
314. Pegswood Community Centre
315. Pennywell Community Association
316. Peterborough Streets
317. Pheonix Community Furniture
318. Pilgrim Hospice
319. Placement Furniture Project
320. Platform 51 Doncaster Womens Centre
321. Playworks
322. Plymouth Food Bank
323. Plymouth Play Association
324. Plymouth Volunteer Centre
325. Pound stretcher
326. POW Shop
327. Powys Animal Welfare Shop
328. PPE Paving
329. Preen Community Interest Company
330. Primrose
331. PRINCE & PRINCESS OF WALES
332. Prince of Wales Sherburn in elmet
333. Princess Trust
334. Queen Elizabeth Foundation
335. Queens Walk Community
336. Queensland Multi-Media Arts Centre
337. Rainbow Centre
338. Rainbows End Burngreave
339. Real Time Music
340. Recycling unlimited
341. Red Cross
342. Refurnish
343. Regenerate Community Enterprise
344. Remploy
345. Restore
346. Rhyl Adventure Playground Association
347. Right Time Foundation
348. RNID
349. Rochford Council
350. Rosalie Ryrie Foundation
351. Rosliston Foresty
352. Royal Society for Blind.
353. Royal Wotton Bassett Town Council
354. RSPB
355. RSPCA
356. Rudenotto
357. Rudyard Lake
358. S & S Services
359. Saffcare
360. Sainsburys
361. Salvation Army
362. Santosh Community Centre
363. Sara
364. Save the children
365. Savera Resource Centre
366. Scallywags
367. Scarborough Council
368. SCD Fabrications
369. School of English Studies
370. Scope
371. Scottish Cancer Support
372. Scottish International Relief
373. Scunthorpe Central Community Centre
374. Seagull Recycling
375. Seahouses Development Trust
376. Second Chance
377. Second Opportunities
378. Sedgemoor Furniture Store
379. Sense
380. Sesku Acadamy Centre
381. Shaw Trust
382. Sheffield Reclamation Ltd – Reclaim
383. Shelter
384. Shooting Stars
385. Shopmobility & Community Transport – Access
386. Slough Furniture Project
387. Smythe
388. Sneyd Green
389. Somali Community Parents Association
390. Somerfields
391. Somerset Wood Re-Cycling
392. South Ayrshire Council
393. South Bucks Hospice Warehouse
394. South Wales Boarders Museum
395. Southend United Football Club
396. Spaghetti House
397. Spitafields Crypt Trust
398. Splash fit
399. St Barnabas
400. St Catherines Hospice Trading
401. St Chads Community Centre
402. St Clare’s Hospice
403. St Davids Foundation
404. St Elizabeth Hospice Charity Shop
405. St Francis Hospice Shops Ltd
406. St Gemma’s Hospice
407. St Georges Crypt
408. St Giles
409. St Helens House
410. St Hughs Community Centre
411. St Lukes Hospice
412. St Margarets Hospice Scotland
413. St Oswald’s Hospice
414. St Peters Church
415. St Peters Hospice
416. St Raphaels hospice
417. St Vincents
418. St. Catherines Hospice
419. St.Theresa’s Charity Shop
420. Stages Café
421. Stannah Stair Lifts
422. Stef’s Farm (Education Farm)
423. Step Forward
424. Stocking Farm Healthy Living Centre ( Sure Start)
425. Stockton Council
426. Stone Pillow
427. STROKECARE
428. Strood Community Project
429. Strut Lincoln
430. Sudbury Town Council
431. Sue Ryder
432. Sunderland Community Furniture
433. Sunderland North Community Business Centre
434. Superdrug
435. Swindon 105.5
436. Sycamore Lodge
437. sydney bridge furniture shop
438. Sypha
439. T&M Kiddy’s Kingdom
440. Tara Handicrafts
441. Teamwork
442. Teesside Hospice
443. Tendring Furniture Scheme
444. Tendring Reuse & Employment Enterprise
445. Tenovus
446. Tesco
447. Thames Hospicecare
448. Thames Valley Hospice
449. Thanet District Council
450. The Ark Shop
451. The Art Organisation
452. The Charity Shop
453. The Childrens Society
454. The Childrens trust
455. The Crossing
456. The Good Neighbour Project
457. The Greenhouse
458. The Harrow Club
459. The Hinge Centre Ltd
460. The Isabella Community Centre
461. The Island Partnership
462. The Kiln Cafe
463. The learning community
464. The Linskill Centre
465. The Listening Company
466. The Octagon Centre Hull
467. The Old Manor House Riding Stables
468. The Princess Alice Hospice
469. The Range
470. The Reuse Centre
471. The Rising Sun Art Centre
472. The Rock Foundation Ice House
473. The Shores Centre
474. The Spurriergate Centre
475. The Undercliffe cemetary charity
476. The Vine Project
477. The Welcoming Project
478. The Woodworks (Genesis Trust)
479. Think 3E,
480. Thirsk Clock
481. Thurrock Council
482. Thurrock Reuse Partnership (TRUP)
483. TLC
484. TooGoodtoWaste
485. Top Draw
486. Traid
487. Trinity Furniture Store
488. Troed Y Rhiw Day Project
489. True Volunteer Foundation
490. Tukes
491. Twice as Nice Furniture Project
492. Twirls and Curls
493. Ty Hafan
494. Tylorstown Communities First
495. United Churches Healing Ministry
496. United Play Day Centre
497. Unity in the Community
498. UNMAH
499. Untapped Resource
500. Urban Recycling
501. Vale of Aylesbury Vineyard Church Project
502. Vista Blind
503. Walpole Water Gardens
504. Walsall Hospice
505. Wandsworth Oasis trading Company Limited
506. Wat Tyler Centre
507. WEC
508. Weldmar
509. Well Cafe
510. Wellgate Community Farm
511. Wellingborough District Hindu Centre
512. Western Mill Cemetary
513. WH Smith
514. Wheelbase
515. Whitby Council
516. Wildlife Trust
517. Wilkinsons
518. Willen Care Furniture Shop
519. Willington Community Resource Centre
520. Windhill Furniture Store Shipley
521. Woking Community Furniture Project
522. Womens Aid
523. Womens Centre
524. Woodlands Camp
525. Worsbrough Mill & County Park
526. Xgames
527. YMCA
528. York Archaeological Trust
529. York Bike Rescue
530. York Carers centre
531. Yorkshire Trust
532. Yozz Yard
533. Zest
534. Zues Gym
Thank you Donna for bringing this article and the very important contents to Teammums attention.
The fact that there are “charities” in the UK, while they serve a great purpose in their arena, who felt is was OK to make people work for NO WAGE is astounding.
Especially seeing as many of them purport to be supporting the vulnerable, elderly & disabled amongst the populace. Precisely the people who were pushed onto these workfare placements.
The real purpose of “workfare” was free labour… pure & simple.
There was a point when a poster was produced for internal purposes by a very large UK business, stating that unpaid work in the scheme was a way of reducing operating costs. This was eventually leaked to the public. This particular company then removed itself from the “workfare” providers list.
My point is, that is exactly what these schemes were / are – unpaid labour for big business & the fact that charities have taken advantage of people like this is absolutely astounding….
I am aghast that even a tentative yes may have been said under a charity CEO’s breath in response to this proposal, let alone actually going through with making the unemployed & disabled work for them for NOTHING!
However, apparently a tide of charities – including Cancer Research, Scope, Age UK, the British Heart Foundation, the Red Cross, PDSA and Sue Ryder – pulled out of the scheme only after protests against it grew.
After protests grew?????? Surely they should NEVER have been involved in the first place!
*Some – including Barnardo’s – said they had been included on the list in error, others – including MIND – voiced concerns about the scheme and said they upheld the highest standards.
Voiced concerns, yet still participated?
I am rarely dumbfounded, This news came out today…. And I have been really upset at some of the Charities named…..
My promise is, Teammum will never knowingly volunteer for or ask any of the Celeb FC Family to volunteer to raise funds or awareness for a Charity that exploits people in this way…
End of Rant…….
Teammum
