rather than pay the unemployed a fixed amount every month, why not cap the amount over each decade. thus the short-tern unlucky will get a living wage, and the long-term spongers will get the kick up the behind they so badly need

frank, swindon, uk

Nick, Birmingham - We are told that 1.7 million are officially unemployed and yet there are only 600k jobs available, and the UK is heading for a recession. The NMW and uncontrolled immigration have not helped. And not everybody unemployed is lazy; some of us DO want to work!

Paul, West Midlands,

The US Postal Service was privatized some time ago. (I think it worked better before, but that's not entirely relevant.)

Priscilla, NY, London,

Marion. We in Canada are also used to "ridiculous government interference"...Canada Post...Air Canada, and various grain and poultry marketing boards. As for the USA....spell...."Homeland Security". Government intervention is a favorite crutch of the masses.,regardless of the country.

Austin Peckham, Victoria,BC, Canada

O.K. so if unemployement is 1.7 million and population is estimated 62 million that makes 2.8% of the population out of work, which doesn't seem too desperate, i think people may have to tighten their belts for a while but the cost of housing and immigration are much more pressing issues.

Toby, cambridge, england

O.K. so if unemployment is 1.7 million and population is estimated 62 million that makes 2.8% of the population out of work, which doesn't seem too desperate, i think people may have to tighten their belts for a while but the cost of housing and immigration are much more pressing issues.

Toby, cambridge, england

the lack of restrictions on the amount of european workers is now biting more than ever,this was always going to happen it was just a question of when!!

michael cardwell, blackpool , uk

It was Gorden Brown who changed the state benefits to help with mortgage payments, these used to keep people afloat for a while -no more benefits are not payable until 39 weeks, repossesions happen before this, how come the media have not picked this up?

Shirley , Soton, UK

i agree with you rachel, i have too just been made redundant!! - Want to lend us some cash so we dont have to claim the dole NIck???..... no i didnt think you would!

Charlene, London, uk

Although I completely understood Sebastian's comment, it does seem utterly pointless. How do you manage to feed, clothe and house yourself without money? With obvious access to a computer, somebody must be paying...

Richard, Marlow, UK

Get real Nick. I've just been made redundant and despite looking for work may well be on benefit by the end of next month, for the first time in my life. I can't see how I will pay my rent and bills, I already do not have my heating on as it is too expensive. Lucky you that you can have that opinion

Rachel Bochenski, Chester, UK

Marion, have you looked at what is happening in your own country? I remember the days when the US was a free market economy. I believe you still have a national postal service?

Carsten, London, UK

Is Labour going to employ all these people in the public sector or do we start to see tax cuts to make us more competative as country. Before Labour came to power we were the 4th richest country now we are the 5th. Who knows what we will be after this mess?

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

I am from the USA, but I spend lots of time in England. I have never seen such ridiculous government interference in business and in people's lives. I am not one bit surprised that unemployment continues to rise--government, get OUT of the way of the free market!

Marion, Ft. Worth, TX, USA

The article should have been: "UK laziness rises to nine-year high". Cut the unemployment benefits and you will be surprised to see that the unemployment in UK will be one of the lowest around the world........

Nick, Birmingham,

There is no Act of Parliament which sets out in express terms that ‘they’ [the people] must ‘work’ for if there was such an Act it would amount to a collective subjugation of the human person to compulsory labour. There is also no Act of Parliament which sets out in express terms that it is compulsory for every living person to have or not to have money. Neither can this phenomenon be interpreted as an implied term because implied terms always refer to the express terms found somewhere in Statute. So why bother to work or to have money if the law does not say that every person MUST have money?

Sebastian Kornhauser , London , United Kingdom