I was revealed this week that jobseekers in the UK can get free tattoo removal paid for by taxpayers but there is no clear record of who can benefit from the scheme or how many jobseekers have already benefited from the scheme.
Apparently only extreme cases are considered for the free tattoo removal. The people in charge at the jobcentre will study demands on a case by case basis and only allow the £1,500 tattoo removal allowance to go to jobseekers who really need to have a tattoo removed in order to go back to work.
If you want to join the armed forces for instance, you will need to have any neck or face tattoo removed as they don’t allow anyone to sign up with visible tattoos. Some employers still reject candidates with tattoos although many employers start to understand that it’s only art and doesn’t stop anyone from doing the job. That said, face and neck tattoos can be frown upon by customer who are served by someone wearing visible tattoos.
The scheme is set to spark disbelief, especially at a time when the government needs to cut so many services. Can we really afford to pay for expensive tattoo removal? And if anyone can find the money to have a tattoo done in the first place, they can certainly find the money to have it removed privately if they realise they’ve done a mistake.