Fish and chip shop owner struggling to find anyone to employ says Brits are ‘workshy’
A FISH and chip shop owner struggling to find workers today called Brits “workshy”.
Frank Suhadolnik, 69, runs Haughton Chippy in Darlington and has never had trouble hiring staff in the past.
He recently invested £100,000 to open a second chippie in the market town but cannot find people to staff the shop.
The 69-year-old claimed Universal Credit – the controversial new benefits system - had turned Brits “workshy”.
In a letter to The Times he said: “It has to have something to do with the benefits system.
“People have to be looking for work to qualify for benefits. So they turn up to our interviews to say they’ve been looking and then leave us stuck.
“We’re just ordinary people trying to make a living and we just can’t get anybody to work. It’s unbelievable.”
The grandfather and his wife Pamela, 71, had been forced to cover 11 shifts a week to keep the chippie going.
He said: “My wife and I are very old. We don’t mind working but we never imagined that we would have to go back to work full-time”.
Frank’s son Robert, 37, who manages the chippie, told the Sun Online confusion around the new benefits system had made it very difficult to hire staff.
He said: “Our second shop opened last week on the other side of town. We've been recruiting for the last three months. We had around 300 to 400 applicants, some were unsuitable but for the ones we tried to arrange interviews for, only 10 to 15 per cent came in.
“We organised about 10 interviews a day but only one or two attended.
“Then when they get through the interview stage and to a trial shift, which is fully paid, they confirm they are coming on the day about 2pm saying they’ll be here for the 4.30pm shift but then nobody walks through the door. It’s a bit of a mystery.
“That happened for 11 days on the trot. It takes the wind out of your sails. It’s been a bit of a nightmare. We wanted to open for lunch and evening six days a week but we’ve only been able to do that for Friday and Saturdays.
“We’re still in a constant state of recruitment. We’ve got seven or interview organised for tomorrow. But are these people going to attend?”
Robert said uncertainty about the new benefits system - which rolls six payments into one - was frequently mentioned by applicants.
He told the Sun Online: “It has been mentioned quite a lot. They don’t know how it’s going to affect them and there’s no way of knowing how it will affect them until they are in work.
“If they are offered more hours in work, it might mean their council tax element gets cut, for example. That seems to be a huge concern. They don’t know where they are going to be financially and it’s a constant source of stress.”
Brits going on to the new system have said it pushes them into debt as they are forced to wait at least five weeks for their first payment.
Yesterday one mum said she'd been forced into prostitution to make ends meet while she waited.
And claimants have said they don't know what money they will be getting from week so week - with some claiming they are reluctant to get a job in case their income changes.
But new DWP boss Amber Rudd has vowed to "fix" the problems and said she would fight the Treasury for more cash.
How to get help on Universal Credit
Apply for a Universal Credit advance
When you first claim Universal Credit you won't be paid any money until five weeks after you submit your claim, you will then be paid monthly.
So, if you need help to pay your bills or cover other costs while you wait for your first Universal Credit payment, you can apply to get an advance.
You can apply for an advance payment via your online universal credit account or through your Jobcentre Plus work coach.
Check if you can get a budgeting advance
If you get Universal Credit, you may be able to apply for a budgeting advance of between £100 and £812 - depending on your circumstances - to help pay for emergency household costs.
Again, this MUST be repaid within a year and repayments will be deducted from your monthly Universal Credit payments - or via other means if you no longer get universal credit.
Are you eligible for a hardship grant?
If you fail to meet your responsibilities or what you’ve agreed in your "claimant commitment", your Universal Credit could be stopped or reduced - this is called a sanction.
You can ask for a hardship payment if you cannot pay for rent, heating, food or hygiene needs because you got a sanction.
The hardship payment is roughly 60 per cent of the amount you were sanctioned by in the last month.
Again, you will need to pay it back through your Universal Credit payments.
Struggling with your rent or mortgage payments? You may be entitled to help
If you’re having financial difficulties or you’re behind on your rent, you or your landlord may be able to apply for an "alternative payment arrangement" (APA).
Depending on your circumstances, you could get an APA to:
- get your rent paid directly to your landlord
- get paid more frequently than once a month
- receive split payments, if you’re part of a couple
Renters and homeowners may also be entitled to housing payment.
Plus, if you're struggling to pay your council tax bills you may also be allowed an up to 100 per cent reduction. Contact your local authority for more information.
Get help with food costs
If you're struggling to pay for a food shop, you may be able to get a minimum of three days' worth of food from a Trussell Trust food bank - there are around 420 of these across the UK.
to find out which referral agencies it works with in your area and how you can get a voucher.
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But Robert was eager to point out how hard working his loyal team was at the chippie.
He said: “People working for us work very hard and take pride in their work and that’s indicative of British people. We have had staff for 30+ years and we don’t tend to lose staff, most have been here for around five or six years plus.
“But when it comes to finding new people, we really don't know what to do.”
Has your business also been affected in this way? If so, please email [email protected]