About The CampaignWhat we are fighting for
Working Cash-in-Hand
In the last two years I have been working for cash-in-hand. I know what I am doing may be benefit fraud, but I had no choice. I was being threatened by the people I owed money to and I had to do something before the situation got out of hand. I couldn’t use my benefits to pay debts as that’s my family’s lifeline, and I owed a lot.
Most people who work informally have multiple problems. It’s because they have poor educational background, never had a decent job, single parents with childcare issues, like me, those who are in debt, like me…it’s very difficult to get out of such a situation and find proper work. You feel trapped.
Pete, father of 3
With the economic recession, rising living costs and increasing unemployment, more and more people will be on benefits.
A life on benefits, even for a short period of time, is tough. Benefits are not enough to live on (benefit levels are paid below the poverty line) There are many traps when on benefits and many barriers to taking up employment. This means that people may turn to cash-in-hand work to provide an income, as well as retain a degree of control and financial independence in their lives.
There is no way to gradually move off benefits and there is very little support on offer to remain financially secure when doing so. People quickly hit a brick wall and are left with little choice but to turn to cash-in-hand work.
Why people work cash-in-hand
- low benefits
- low wages
- rules which limit people from working when receiving benefits.
Many people work cash-in-hand out of need not greed, making just enough money to get by every day. Living in fear of the debt collector knocking on the door leaves few options. Prosecution threats and anti-fraud campaigns simply push people further underground and leave them even more excluded from society whilst debts spiral out of control.
Other issues in life
- Times of crisis brings immediate risks such as being without food or heating.
- Debt- faced with immediate fincial cisis, people feel compelled to take the first job that comes along
- High rents mean that people are afraid of losing their Housing benefit.
- childcare , cash-in-hand work is more flexible around childcare arrangements and sometimes parents can take thier children with them.
- health needs
- Finding a cash-in-hand jobs is generally easier and quicker but less secure
Working cash-in-hand takes people out of absolute poverty but ultimately traps people in relative poverty:
- you may lack employment rights such as minimum wage, sick pay and working tax credits
- you risk injury and ill health due to compromises around health & safety
- you cannot access contributory benefits such as the state pension
- you cannot get a reference from your employer and have no evidence of your work for future employment
For policy changes to be successful there must be a greater understanding of why people are working cash-in-hand. We encourage people to come forward and provide a voice for change
Government needs to support people as they move from cash-in-hand work into formal employment Read more about how this can happen