British firms are failing to incentivise work

sir – I am 60, and work as a software engineer and manager.

The wages on offer today are lower than in 1998 – not in real terms but in actual numbers. What is left of the contracting industry is paying less than in 1995, and IR35 off-payroll working rules make it uneconomic (“Britain is giving up on work”, Leading Article, February 11).

Worse, despite all the experience I have, I am told I am not experienced in the things that any application requires, despite ticking every box in the advertisement – which leads me to believe that the real issue is age. Apparently I cannot switch from working on safety-critical embedded software to banking software.

Before workers head off abroad, businesses need to start paying enough, providing sufficient training and being flexible in their demands when it comes to previous experience. Moreover, requiring people to be in the office two or three days a week means that it is only possible to recruit from those who are already in the area – or able to afford to move there, despite the peanuts they will be paid.

The problem is not the British worker, but the pathetic excuse for management that this country is saddled with.

Dave Hitchman

Exning, Suffolk

sir – Welfare benefits should be a safety net, not a lifestyle choice, and should be distributed via a pre-paid debit card that can only be used to purchase essentials such as food, clothes and toiletries. Alcohol, tobacco, electronics, streaming subscriptions, meals out, beauty treatments and holidays would not qualify under such a system, and should not, realistically, be accessible to those on out-of-work benefits.

People who wish to have these things need to be told to get a job, because we are not paying. The first political party to take a meaningful stance on this country’s benefits culture is likely to gain great support from hard-working British families. Will Curtis

Raydon, Suffolk