In Boston, Lincolnshire—a town where the number of sickness benefit claimants has risen faster than anywhere else in the UK—Lesley and Kevin Trott run JLS Ovens and Furnaces. The couple manages a thriving business with 15 busy employees and ambitions for growth. However, their plans are being hindered by an unexpected obstacle: they can’t recruit a trainee metal worker, despite offering a competitive salary of £26,000.
Lesley | Britain's benefits scandal Documentary On Channel
Lesley and Kevin Trott run JLS Ovens and Furnaces in Boston, Lincolnshire - a town that has seen sickness benefit rise faster than anywhere else in the UK.
They have 15 busy staff and need more to help the company grow. In the film, they share their frustration and bemusement at being unable to recruit a trainee metal worker at £26,000.
"We've been looking to fill the position since probably March, April," Lesley says. "And struggling. We pay above the national wage, so I'm not really sure what's putting them off. You know, maybe because they get more on benefits. I honestly don’t know." "We must have had 15 to 20 people apply for the job. And out of that, five have turned up for the interview."
Kevin Trott says in the film: "There's a lot of people out there that need jobs. But unfortunately, I think ... the benefits look easier to claim than to go to work. And you know this is a great job to get into."
Research by the Centre for Social Justice shows that a typical sickness benefit claimant (70 per cent of those on LCWRA also claim PIP) can get £24,000. Close to what Lesley is offering.
