Forced unpaid work still continues in the form of the mandatory work activity and community activity programme.
It is a staffed adventure playground with challenging structures, a dedicated building, an activity programme and a team of trained workers.
There's walking, rafting, mountain biking and a full children's activity programme including cable car trips, and you stay at a hotel with a heated indoor pool.
Marketing puffery aside, Embers offers easy camping with the chance to hire tents, an onsite shop, loos and showers and an activity programme including mountain biking and sailing.
One week half-board from £461pp inc Gatwick flights, transfer, windsurfing and sailing with tuition, activity programme and childcare for the over twos.
Currently we are moving away from involvement in the mandatory work activity programme towards schemes which provide longer term voluntary placements".
And our holiday, at the Gala Hogfjellshotell duly promised a dawn-till-dusk activity programme of walking, fishing, cycling and even a moose safari.
The government proceeded with the mandatory work activity programme regardless, saying it expected no more than around 10,000 jobseekers a year to be compelled to do work placements under the programme.
New this year is a 'Free Ride Team' for 13- to 15-year-olds with an evening activity programme, and an all-day ski class for beginner children of eight and older, plus daily supervised lunches for all children.
Earlier this month the Department for Work and Pensions' own research found that the Mandatory Work Activity programme in which the unemployed are forced to work for a month for free had zero effect in helping people get a job.
The Fellah Hotel (00 212 525 065 000; fellah-hotel.com) in Tassoultante, a 20-minute drive away, offers a weekly children's activity programme.
