Work Stimulus Scheme in
North Somerset as a response to the Climate Emergency declaration
North
Somerset Council has declared a Climate Emergency. The central aim of the
declaration is to bring the per capita CO2 emission of North Somerset down from
6.5 tonnes per capita per annum to 2 tonnes per capita per annum as soon as
possible.
A very large
number of changes are necessary to achieve this challenging target, but one of
the simplest and most effective changes is to reduce the amount of carbon
needed for domestic and commercial space heating, which contributes about 7.5%
of carbon emissions globally.
There are four
added benefits to energy conservation in buildings:
1. Domestic heating bills will fall, helping
those on low incomes
2. Less money spent on heating bills
will enable people to spend more in the local economy, stimulating economic
activity in our community
3. Ill-health and deaths due to cold living
conditions will fall
4. Jobs will be created in the energy
conservation sector
Here is a
brief outline of how the Work Stimulus Scheme (WSS, aka Green Wage Subsidy)
would work.
1. The Council would write to the Department
of Work and Pensions seeking permission to roll our a WSS for the community of North
Somerset as a pilot study
2. An officer would be detailed to manage
and roll out the scheme
3. Local businesses involved in energy
conservation would be invited to apply for inclusion on the WSS
4. Applicants (whether private
enterprises, public services, non-profit, cooperatives or charities, but not
corporations above a specified size), would be assessed for their qualifications
and competence in carrying out energy conservation
5. Successful candidates would be given
a certificate of approval
6. Approved enterprises would go to the
Job Centre and expand their workforce by engaging new staff
7. These new employees would be allowed
to retain their benefits (whether JSA, UC ESA or other) while engaging in their
new work
8. The new employer would bring up the wage
of the new employee to the going rate for the job
9. WSS will not be allowed to displace traditional
employees, that is, the employer would not be allowed to discharge previous
employees and replace them with WSS employees. WSS will serve only to expand
the existing workforce.
10. There will be no compulsion in WSS.
It is not workfare. Claimants will be able to refuse to participate without
incurring any sanction. They will be able to leave work and claim without sanction.
11. WSS should not be time-limited
12. WSS will be applied to energy conservation
work initially, but may be extended in future to any other economical activity
associated with the Climate Emergency, for instance, tree planting and
renewable energy work.
The above
will raise many questions in the minds of officers and members, and the author
is keen to listen to and answer any questions that may arise. The major
challenge will be to get the DWP to agree (point 1 above), but given the
magnitude of the challenge of meeting the Climate Emergency, and if the case is
well-presented, there is no reason not to make the request. If you don’t ask,
you don’t get.
There are
several precedents for the aspect of WSS that makes benefits independent of
work, for instance, child benefits and pensions.
Universal
Basic Income has a long history of being considered as an answer to the
complexity of the benefit system, and is being trialled in several places at
the present time. WSS could be a precursor of UBI in that it shares the
important feature of making benefit independent of work status.
The inventor
of WSS is Dr Richard Lawson, a long term resident of North Somerset who served
in Congresbury as a GP for 30 years, and as a Councillor for the then district of
Woodspring for 6 years.
Conclusion
Wage Stimulus
Scheme offers the possibility of helping the Council to meet the Climate
Emergency, to create jobs, lower heating bills, stimulate the local economy,
and put NSC forward as an example of an innovative Council.
More information: http://www.greenhealth.org.uk/GreenEconom_files/WSS.htm
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