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mouse4702 · ‎21-01-2015

I'm fairly recently unemployed, but on the Work Programme. This entails regular workshops and jobsearch sessions. Today we had such a workshop and our leader told us a branch of Poundland is opening up 10 miles away and would we be interested? We were, until we learned it is only for 18 hours a week. She understood when I said I wasn't, which I did on the grounds that factoring in the train fare, I would be paying to work there. However as soon as we got outside the workshop, our other advisor said she's already put two of us forward for it, as we are well suited for it. If we don't, we may be risking sanctions. You can imagine how I feel.

stroppy*cow · ‎21-01-2015

HUGE hugs to Mouse, Miss Stan and Rainy.

This is precisely why I am desperately trying to stay employed, even though management are being as obstructive as humanly possible.

About 3 years after my accident, I felt sort of ready to try getting back to work. I went for an interview at the Job Centre with an advisor who was supposed to be a specialist in assisting disabled people.We ended up in the lobby as I couldn't get any further into the building in my wheelchair. At this point my self esteem was only just above zero. She told me that I shouldn't even consider looking for work, that I would be a health and safety hazard to every-one else in the building. She also belittled me because of my lack of qualifications and totally rubbished all my life experience and experience of voluntary work. Totally destroyed what little self esteem that I had.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Some days I pray for silence
Some days I pray for soul
Some days I just pray to the god of sex and drums and rock 'n' roll

rainydaywoman11 · ‎21-01-2015

AAaw (((Stroppy))) - you see, that is why, in a strange way, I feel not lucky, but maybe blessed, that sounds daft doesn't it but I am sure you will know what I mean. I don't have to work and I take my hat off to you for all you've been through and you are still the breadwinner. You're magic, such a strong, special woman

******************************************************************************
Nobody told me there'd be days like these,
Nobody told me there'd be days like these,
Strange days indeed, strange days indeed,
Most peculiar Mamma.....................................

bitsnknots · ‎21-01-2015

That's awful Stroppy. How would DWP staff react if they were treated the way that they treat claimants? It just sounds like they make you feel like the scum of the earth which is grossly unfair.

rainydaywoman11 · ‎21-01-2015

See Chris, that's why I was chastised, because I thought some of the things I was asked to do were demeaning to our 'clients' (no kidding) and I knew a lot of these people. Five siblings, parents, grandparents (my Granny knew everybody) - so there was often a thread.

I couldn't do it now - I'd get the sack. Bankhaunters right, I've heard that before.

******************************************************************************
Nobody told me there'd be days like these,
Nobody told me there'd be days like these,
Strange days indeed, strange days indeed,
Most peculiar Mamma.....................................

vamo48 · ‎21-01-2015

My son is a job-seeker at the moment, and has been doing job searches via computer. He types in that he's looking for warehouse work, within a ten mile radius of home, and what comes up? Two catering jobs in Colorado!!

bhgardeners · ‎22-01-2015

@bitsnknots wrote:
That's awful Stroppy. How would DWP staff react if they were treated the way that they treat claimants? It just sounds like they make you feel like the scum of the earth which is grossly unfair.

That is the way the majority of staff at our local one treat everybody who enters the building - claimant or not!

Stan, unless they changed the system you appear to have gone at it backwards. When son came home from Uni we claimed ESA straight off as there is no way he is going to hold down a regular job or, more importantly, sign on once a fortnight(even with help). They said get a sick note, GP provided said sick note(without question). Then they paid him the equivalent of job seekers(without having to jobseek) until claim assessed. All we had to do was keep sending in sick notes which annoyed the Doctor because he said it should all have been sorted before the second sick note was needed. Note, at no time did we claim SSP or Jobseekers. It all dragged on and on and on, we filled in more forms, think DLA, we filled in more forms, we provided evidence, we boned up on the assessment etc, had the voice recorders, then about 10 months in he got a load of dosh(back pay) and a few days later his award letter. Assessment? - didn't get one. Try changing tack - Miss S doesn't need stupid idiots making her life miserable or impossible when she has a major health issue.

Looks like he'll be on it forever as well. His high powered consultant says his main condition shouldn't be stopping him from working, then he thought about his other conditions - they interact. He says he needs help to cope with living and managing the conditions so he referred him for psych help. Our local nhs does not commission said service UNLESS you are homicidal or suicidal!!!!!!!!!! Great.

bitsnknots · ‎22-01-2015

@vamo48 wrote:
My son is a job-seeker at the moment, and has been doing job searches via computer. He types in that he's looking for warehouse work, within a ten mile radius of home, and what comes up? Two catering jobs in Colorado!!

That's just typical isn't it. Can you imagine the commute to Colorado though? Why on this earth does catering come up when he's typed in warehouse work? The world's gone mad in more ways than one.

wskneil · ‎22-01-2015

Mrs WSK had her ATOS appeal medical just before Xmas so we are waiting for the results of that.
They managed to forget to tell her that they were stopping her Invalidity Benefit and putting her on Employment Support allowance. First thing we knew was her getting called in for a "preparing to return for work" interview, which I had to go to with her as she had only recently had a fit and couldn't drive. The woman there was only doing her job but had a really patronising attitude and just kept saying " we can help employees to support you in work" Trying to explain that some days she can barely get out of bed and is so dosed up on DHC she doesn't know if she is on this earth or fullers didn't seem to matter. So then a 6 month wait for a appeal where a nurse asked half a dozen questions and said thanks we will let you know.

And then we get David Cameron having the gall to say that their aim if they win the next election is to reduce eunemployment to zero! Easy enough to do when you class 10 hours a week or a zero hour contract as a job, and can deregister people for missing an interview

Rant and hijack over!

cee-dee · ‎22-01-2015

I hope you folks won't mind a suggestion but................... I'm gonna make one anyway

I think that every person who's been mucked about by job centre staff or the DWP should write to their MP.

If your actual, honest experiences were written down in a concise manner without drifting from the subject, any rudeness or making adverse, opinionated comments about the people you've had experience with and the whole lot contained on one page only, if enough people brought the matter to the fore, something would "get done", might be "later" rather than "sooner" but in the end, lots and lots of people can't all be wrong?

Never mind "it's a waste of time", if you don't try, nothing will get done.

It's life Jim, but not as WE know it.
Live long and prosper.

ed_blackadder_1 · ‎22-01-2015

Well said. People power does work, sometimes slowly but it can work, poll tax and the suffragettes spring to mind.

bhgardeners · ‎22-01-2015

Somebody tried to burn down our local job centre - must admit I felt sympathy for him.

rainydaywoman11 · ‎22-01-2015

PMSL - oh dear, I shouldn't laugh, I'm supposed to be a grown up now.

******************************************************************************
Nobody told me there'd be days like these,
Nobody told me there'd be days like these,
Strange days indeed, strange days indeed,
Most peculiar Mamma.....................................

wskneil · ‎23-01-2015

@rainydaywoman11 wrote:
PMSL - oh dear, I shouldn't laugh, I'm supposed to be a grown up now.

Who told you that? Getting older is unavoidable, growing up is optional!

bhgardeners · ‎23-01-2015

Daughter had to fax a document through to dwp one day(they had stopped payments because she hadn't answered a letter, one she didn't receive, but to the DWP sending a letter out IS proof you received it). They booked an appointment for us to go to local job centre to send it. Bear in mind this is only sending a fax. Daughter wouldn't have said boo to a goose those days. We get there 10 minutes early but have to wait. 10 minutes later the security guard informs the woman(at the next desk who has heard the whole exchange that we are there, she sits staring into space for another 5 minutes. Then she examines the documents and says she won't do it because we also need to send a,b & c documents as well. I tell her that this and only this document was the one we were asked to supply and please could she do her job and send it(she wasn't an advisor, she was the clerical support!). She said no because we needed to send the other stuff. I very, very, sugary sweet politely informed her that we had been given an appointment for that document to be sent to that number and could she please just get on and send it. She turned round and said that she was not used to being treated like something my shoe might tread on , to which I responded my shoes were very fussy what they trod on and could she actually get on and do her job. Boy, did she stalk off BUT she did send the fax(after all that was her only reason for our appointment at that time).

My opinion:

1. All that had to be done was for the form to be faxed through.

2. It was no part of her job(in this instance) to read through said (confidential)document, comment on whether we had got it right or wrong and try and delve into daughter's claim history.

3. She had deliberately sat there for 5 minutes knowing we could see her just because she could keep us waiting

4. She refused twice to send the documents

5. When told, politely & prevaricatingly, to do the job she was paid to do(after all as a tax payer I was contributing to her wages) she tried to complain she was being unfairly treated.

6. The only reason we were there was that documents faxed from job centres take priority(we were told) and the matter was urgent.

7. All public servants with jobs involving customer contact should only be employed if they have previously and successfully worked in a face to face role in private sector first! Though I must admit the customer service at our large Tescos appears to be staffed solely by ex-job centre advisors.

Mind you best one was the chap who arrived 30 minutes early for his appointment, was told to go away and asked could he please use the toilet first. WE do NOT have a customer toilet he was told and directed to the nearest public toilets - the ones that were closed long before the job centre moved into those offices!. Nice people.

bitsnknots · ‎23-01-2015

bhgardners, that just about sums up public sector employees and the same goes for the staff on customer service at our T**co. Hence the fact, we don't go into T**co anymore. I wonder why.

I worked in insurance for 16 years and you could always tell clients whose jobs entailed dealing with the public. Clients employed in education left an awful lot to be desired. The majority of them thought that wherever they where, they were still in the classroom. The clients like that always thought that they were right when more often than not, they were wrong.

5129frederick · ‎23-01-2015

I remember many years ago when I was sixteen I had no job and had to sign on the at Palmer's Green, a London borough. It was full of no-hopers, and I was feelinfg in a particularly bolshy mood. I glanced through the cards in a cursory manner, and so too was my interviewer. We were both having a bad day. "You're not even trying, are you! You've got no skill, you're just a common labourer ... " It was at that point I snapped.

"I don't care about no crummy job - I want my dole money! I've supported this country long enough, it's time it supported me." This bloke quite literally went as white as a ghost in seconds. He lent forward and stuck a steel hook about two inches from my face.

"Supported this country have you, boy? That's good - that makes two of us." He then lowered his voice, trembling uncontrollably. "I lost this out in Tripoli in '43. And for that I get paid some crummy pension not worth 9d and have to suppliment by listening to the likes of you! Talk about anything you like - unemployment, politics, immigration. Anything at all. But please, don't talk to me about supporting this country. Ok?" He then left his desk and walked into another room. I gave him a very wide berth after that!