General Chat

Housing, child benefit, UC, PIP all grist to the mill.

"computer says no"
die

https://tinyurl.com/yy6gmqn7

Everybody's dream is the only plausible solution for 21st Century economic problems. The choice is simple: more people working less or less people working more.

Automation generally means more products with less physical work.

We have achieved technological genius of making nearly everything we need or want without working so hard any more. The big difficulty is figuring out a way of maintaining human employment.

'Idle hands & all that'.

To paraphrase, from memory only Beverley Nichols re the invention of automation ( this written in abt the 30s)

"1 machine to dig a pond
100 men with shovels to dig a pond
10000 men with teaspoons to dig a pond."

So in the age of automation when one machine can do the work of 100 what are the 99 ( one to operate the machine) to do?

We do imho have to consider that 'work for idle hands ' can be other things other than a paid 'job'.

For instance I know someone who might be termed 'work shy' by some, they could probably work if there was work ( somewhat doubtful health wise but there could be a job out there somewhere). However, in that time he shops for the housebound, makes visits to change lightbulbs and small emergencies like that, puts out their bins and brings them back...is THERE for them.

Who is to say he isn't a more productive member of society in real terms than a 'box ticking' bureaucrat?

We all know on genealogy sites that digital technology is only as good as the programmers/algorithms etc.

"The digital transformation is costing hundreds of millions of pounds. The DWP Digital’s budget has risen 17% to £1.1bn in the past year and IT firms have been awarded huge contracts to help run the system. "

There's already been a huge amount of money spent by the DWP on software that didn't deliver.

"The DWP is also testing artificial intelligence to judge the likelihood that citizens’ claims about their childcare and housing costs are true when they apply for benefits."

"Key details about the automation push remain secret. The DWP has refused freedom of information requests to explain how it gathers data on citizens. Simon McKinnon, the chief digital and information officer of DWP Digital, said this year it was developing a way to “build a holistic understanding of digital personas”, but refused to say what information was gathered to do this."