Flexible New Deal | New Deal Scandal: Leading Welfare Reform Concerns

I have already expressed disappointment regarding the low outcome by A4e the largest welfare provider in the UK that also has business interests overseas.

Since the Benefit Busters show, I have been reviewing feedback across the internet. The comments are shocking!

Thursday’s (20th August) show which featured the training provider Action for Employment (otherwise known as A4e) and their star tutor/trainer/sales person/staff member Hayley Taylor (which I hear has since been sacked) pursuing ten single mums in to making the transition of going back to work, highlighted a major flaw.

Yes the PR backfired. Not solely due to opinion on the show which i will report later in a separate blog article but rather by their lack of success as the UK market-leader of providing Government welfare schemes.

For a 3 part documentary called “Benefit Busters” two episodes will feature A4e. One episode that was shown on the 20th August 2009 was at A4e Doncaster focusing on lone parents whilst the other episode coming up next week will be at A4e Hull focusing on the unemployed.

At A4e Doncaster, Hayley Taylor co-ordinates a 6 week intensive course named Elevate which aims to give lone parents the confidence and skills to enter employment and persuade them they will be better off working than continuing to claim benefit.

It was largely thought that the programme would be criticising a4e and be bad publicity; it was a PR stunt all along to help develop promotion while they attempt to move in to America. My inbox was flooded with websites picking up on the A4e biased publicity from a press release and was only the last couple of days when a few sources picked up on the fame of the lone parents involved. The A4e website even has a page dedicated to Benefit Busters.

External Links:

• Channel 4 Benefit Busters: A4e elevate programme discussion @ Digitalspy
• Benefits Busted!
• Benefit Busters: Episode 1 @ watching A4e
• Official Channel 4 website on Benefit Busters
• Unreality Primetime on Benefit Busters
• The Guardian on Benefit Busters @ A4e Doncaster
• Watch with Mothers review of single parents Elevate course at A4e Doncaster
• The Scotsman: Benefit Busters TV Review
• Harpymarx on Benefit Busters and Saints and Scoungers
• Taking it easy watching Jerermy Kyle on Benefit Busters
• Burning our Money on Benefit Busters, Emma Harrison and A4e.