'I want a job... please give me a f*****g job'

Sitting outside a betting shop in Oldham town centre, David Storer pats the concrete ledge beside him. “Take a seat in my home,” he says. “Welcome.”

It’s a spot the dad-of-one frequents most these days. With just £2 to his name, he will spend the next few hours begging for cash while drinking super-strength lager.

A tenner means he gets a warm hostel bed for the night. The alternative, he says, is a mouldy car in an abandoned garage which once left him hospitalised with a chest infection.

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“It’s making me depressed,” the 42-year-old says as he takes a swig from his can. “I self-harm. I do it about three or four times a week because of it.

“I drink and I know I’m an alcoholic, but if I got given a job tomorrow, I’d quit. I would happily go through withdrawal symptoms to work - happily.”

David is among the many homeless people who are desperate to work but struggle because they have no permanent address.

With addresses forming an integral part of our identification, those without them find it difficult to apply for a bank account, the electoral register, benefits or jobs.

It's an impossible situation which has led to Citizens Advice dubbing the Catch-22 "the postal paradox".

“Whenever you go for a job, they ask, ‘Where do you live?’” David added. “And if you don’t have an address, you don’t get a job at all.

“When they put you on benefits, they sanction you if you don’t verify your change of circumstances like getting a flat. They cut it off, they freeze your claim.

“You think, this is my new home, then I get my claim frozen because of my claim of circumstances. It's like walking into a lamppost and smacking your head.”

While David has dipped in and out of homelessness for the last two decades, he lost a recent address due to smoking cannabis.

David previously worked as a qualified industrial cleaner before being made redundant. He told the M.E.N he then became an Army soldier in the Royal Artillery, spending a total of four years fighting in Bosnia and Afghanistan.

But he says a criminal record dating back to his teenage years has stopped him finding work ever since – despite staying out of trouble for the past 24 years.

“I was groomed into a gang and got jailed for armed robbery and possession of a firearm,” David, from Chadderton, told the M.E.N.

"I’m a working man myself; I’m a qualified industrial cleaner. I’d love a job. If someone offered me a job today, I would take it. Any job.

“I was 18 when I got my criminal record and I’m 42 now. Why am I still being persecuted for that?

“This is what happens – people who genuinely want jobs and have kept their head down for years but have a previous criminal record want to get out of that stigmatisation.

“They want to go and get a job, to earn money, to get a house, to pay rent, but they persecute you for your criminal record.

“I’m f****** 42, I want a job. Give me a f****** job, please give me a job. It’s always push, push, push, push, but something has got to give.”

Unemployment rates have fluctuated across the UK over the last few months, according to new research.

But there are some areas that have seen a rise more than others – including Oldham. New data from Tax Bite has analysed latest unemployment claimant information to reveal areas with high levels of unemployment.

In England, Birmingham took the top spot, with 8.9 per cent of the population claiming unemployment-related benefits. As of March 2024, the city has around 65,830 unemployed residents.

Wolverhampton came second, Newham third, Barking and Dagenham fourth, Brent, Bradford and Haringey joint fifth while Oldham came sixth.

According to the data, 6.6 per cent of those living in Oldham are currently claiming unemployment-related benefits.

Angela Davidson is unable to work due to a disability – but believes more needs to be done to support those on disability benefits.

The 42-year-old finds she has 'no money at all' at the end of each month, rarely being able to treat herself as she struggles to make ends meet.

“I’m finding it very hard,” she said. “I have no money at all at the end of the month. I’ve treated myself to a new jumper today.

“It makes me feel upset. The Government should do more for us disabled people.”

Last month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a new welfare crackdown. He said benefit claimants who are unemployed for more than 12 months despite being deemed fit to work could have their benefits stopped as he announced a new crackdown on 'sick note culture'.

The prime minister described claiming benefits as a "lifestyle choice" for some and said that the reforms would "make the system fairer and harder to exploit," by demanding greater evidence for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims and making it more difficult to qualify for the benefit.

Richard Kramer, chief executive of disability charity Sense, said: “The government’s ongoing onslaught on disabled people is hard to watch, with the prime minister today taking aim at people who are long-term sick in a cruel speech demonising people with ‘sick notes’.

“This rhetoric is unbelievably damaging and unhelpful, presenting disabled people as ‘shirkers’ who don’t want to work.”

One Oldham local, who did not wish to give his name, told the MEN he worked labouring jobs including concrete repairs and roofing until he was jailed at 28.

He receives PIP for his poor mental health but says it’s not enough to survive on .

“I barely get by,” the 39-year-old said. “Sometimes I shoplift but not all the time. I got put into a shared accommodation but it’s that bad I’ve only stayed there five days in 12 months.”

A Government spokesperson said: “We support millions of people every year providing a vital safety net and this month increased disability benefits and Universal Credit by 6.7%.

“We’re also spending £2.4 billion to help people at risk of homelessness and continue to work with local authorities, including in Oldham to help people off the streets for good.

“Work remains the best path to long-term financial security and our £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan will help over a million people find, stay and succeed in work.”

A spokesman for Oldham Council said: “Oldham Council is absolutely committed to supporting our residents into work and our Get Oldham Working service has been a lifeline for a lot of our residents since it was set up in May 2013.

“Since its launch, the service has helped more than 14,000 people into employment. We urge residents to get in touch with the team to access help such as National Careers Service, Support to Succeed, ReStart and the Youth Hub – which are all designed to help people get their foot on the career ladder.

“The team also supports residents with their mental health and can provide clothes for interviews for free through the Working Wardrobe programme.

“We do recognise that the impacts of the pandemic and the Cost of Living crisis has made life very difficult for some of our residents and businesses, but we are committed to help those in need.

“The Council does not control the level of benefits residents with disabilities get – this is decided by the Government.”