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DWP employment waiting list
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Hi, I was on this forum discussing the DWP waiting list last year and I started work with them on 15th June last year.The first six months of the job were okay but since the beginning of the year when quite a few of the other temp contract workers left the job became a nightmare!I finished working with them on 17th June as I was suffering stress and anxiety.The problem with the DWP is that the people like me who were band Bs basically had so much work and not enough time to do it in .This problem intensified when some other temp contract workers left and no new staff were being taken on so this added more stress to us in the signing section.I basically had enough of it in May and went on the sick for a few weeks then handed in my notice.It was the most stressful job I have ever done! I am now back on Income Support but will change over to signing on in Oct as my youngest will almost be 10 then.I am hoping to get a part time job before then though,not having much luck
.Another reason i left was due to caring for my 2 kids aged 9 and 13 and working 37 hours a week and the DWP would not let me go part time-not as family friendly as they would like people to believe.I am now looking to work 20 hours a week
I read the above and have to say it so true - I'm a band B FJR and can honestly say I loved my job, I really put everything in to helping every single person I saw, However I hate it now, Our job isnt about helping people anymore, its about punishing people for being late or not doing enough to look for work and as well as this we have been given all the work to do from staff who have left, its an absolute joke, its actually a waste of someones time to sign on every 2 weeks because we are unable to give any practical help or even give you the time that you may want....Heres hoping i find a new job soon before I am off with stress too!!!!0 -
Thank you for that post hazza04; I have attended several times now when the person on the other side of the desk looked as if they had been crying, in fact they admitted this to me; the only conversation ever concerns how unhappy they are, how they would not wish to be signing on in the office where they work, and how badly they are treated.
One lady had just had her temporary contract extended by six months and said in all honesty she would rather it had been terminated as she simply did not wish to be there or be associated with what they are doing.
It's a big box ticking exercise and both sides of the desk know it. I very much appreciate those who are honest about it and I have left several times feeling extremely sorry for the person who just 'signed' me.
I have created an Excel spread sheet to record my 'job hunting' activities; I add every little thing to it and print it out once a fortnight to take with me to what is indeed a totally pointless 'signing on.'
Sometimes the signer barely glances at the three or four sheets of print out.
I actually applied for your job but did not get it. I was so relieved at the time that I had 'failed', I am quite sure this was because I made it very clear at the interview that I intended to be compassionate and treat people with respect.
I remain happy that I did not get that particular job.~*~ If you don't need it, it isn't a bargain ~*~0 -
Hello! I just happen to pass by this thread by accident. I work at a social security office. Can I just say, if you can get anything other than this..... then take it. Working for this employer is awful. You don't get a minute to relax, it's head down from the minute you go in until you leave. I now no longer speak to anyone in the office as you are on a timer to get back to work. You can't even stop and hold a door open for somone coming behind you as you are timed to get back to your desk and log back onto a telephone.
Okay I have a salary every month. Maybe I should not moan, but it's hard sometimes not to. I would not recommend DWP to anyone. If you have worked in other industry, you would be shocked at how this organisation is operated. They are not interested in advising a customer/applicant/claimant, just get them off the phone in three minutes. But with backlogs of work, the person on the phone does not accept "just phone next week for an update" I can't stand the place. I doubt this will change your want to get a job there, but honestly. It's the pits.
Blimey - where were you working? Some kind of boot camp or call centre?
I was (I left and went back into IT last January) doing stage 3 advising in the North West and it was nothing like that. The only drawback was sometimes finding trouble fitting morning and afternoon breaks in but there was certainly none of this "timer" business - in fact the flexitime was excellent: I took almost all of December off and only used a couple of days holiday. It was in terms of atmosphere and colleagues one of the nicest most fun places I've worked.0 -
Blimey - where were you working? Some kind of boot camp or call centre?
I was (I left and went back into IT last January) doing stage 3 advising in the North West and it was nothing like that. The only drawback was sometimes finding trouble fitting morning and afternoon breaks in but there was certainly none of this "timer" business - in fact the flexitime was excellent: I took almost all of December off and only used a couple of days holiday. It was in terms of atmosphere and colleagues one of the nicest most fun places I've worked.
Hi. Jeez that was ages ago I made that post and good of you to take the time to reply! :-) It was a DWP call centre I was referring to. Nothing has changed since I made that post ! Your job in your centre sounds good and the way it should be.
Honestly it is so so bad now. Flexitime for operators on the telephone line in not an option. My office has around 300 employees and they are all on some service line or another.
Everyone is faced with targets to keep calls short! Director of Contact Centre Directorate will repeatedly send out commications saying "you are helping our most vulnerable customers" except we are not really.
We are playing a numbers game, trying to get the caller off the phone as quickly as possible to meet the DWP targets. Many of the callers are not being helped at all, just made to call another number at their own expense or troop down to a Jobcentre and be turned away as they have not called in advance to book an appointment to see someone!
These are people desperate for their benfit payment. But the department seems to think the operators are meeting the needs of the caller. Except the operators are under so much pressure imposed by the employer, it's the complete opposite.
Not great for anyone involved with the DWP! But I am chuffed you "got out" when you did!
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We are playing a numbers game, trying to get the caller off the phone as quickly as possible to meet the DWP targets. Many of the callers are not being helped at all, just made to call another number at their own expense or troop down to a Jobcentre and be turned away as they have not called in advance to book an appointment to see someone!
One of the reasons I got out when I did was that at some point I was going to get myself in bother with the management - having to do so many "BOCs" a week for example ("Better off calculations") - utterly utterly pointless - more "numbers game" rubbish.
I like to think I did a good job for some people - I used to go for a pint with customers at lunchtime - and still get accosted by them if I am out shopping in town.0 -
Just came across this by accident. Looks like others had a similar experience to me. I went for an interview for an Admin post a few years ago and was put on a waiting list. The following summer I had intended to go to summer camp in America. The day before flying out I had a call to say they now had full time time positions available to start the following week so after an agonising decision I took the job and didn't go to camp. Biggest mistake I ever made!!
The job wasn't admin at all but working in the call centre for claims to benefits. It was like Big brother the way they clocked you for being a second late from lunch or taking too long on calls, worse still I know some people got in trouble for taking too long in the toilet!! They sacked a few people with illness that was covered by the DDA (no idea HOW they got away with that one)
I found the DWP the worst company I ever worked for and was glad I got out. Only lasted 5 months with them and that was 5 months too long. If only i'd gone to camp for 3 months instead, I may have been worse off money wise but I'd have had a better experience and been happier.Saved: £1566.53/ £20000 -
One of the reasons I got out when I did was that at some point I was going to get myself in bother with the management - having to do so many "BOCs" a week for example ("Better off calculations") - utterly utterly pointless - more "numbers game" rubbish.
I remember SO well about working in a Job Centre and having to do these calculations! In my days, they set a target that we had to "do something" with people who reached 6 months of unemployed. It did not matter if the customer was joiner or an actor <meaning they signed becuase they had to.> The Job Centre had no jobs to offer these people but in order to meet a "stat", I had to refer people for Basic Skills Screening. That meant they were sent to an office nearby of local Skill Shop, they idvividual were given a series of test papers with questions such as what is 10% of 100!
The provider was paid £100 by HM Government each time someone was sent there -I sent 4 or 5 people each day! Think how many people were sent there! accross an office or a city! Very few people I sent needed to go there, it was obvious from from speaking to them. What their barrier to work was - THERE ARE NO JOBS OUT THERE! But they still had to go. Just so I could tick a box and met one of their "stats".
So I know what you mean about working in a Job Centre! I have just turned 37 this month, I said to my best pal a few days ago, who still works in a Jobcentre - by the time I am 40, I am going - I am for the off!. I will apply to the Royal Mail as a delivery person or FirstScotrail as a guard. I don't care if the wage drops.
I can't work there. My job is dealing with people on a telephone line needing help. I can't help them. I need to play a game and get them off the phone quick. Otherwise, I get spoken to by my manager telling me "other people are meeting the targets, why are you not?!"
It's frustrating to the point, I now realise, it's more about how I am! I am speaking to people day in day out and the first thing that enters my mind is get this person off the phone. I have a target to meet. No-one at DWP/JobcentrePlus cares if I give the person bad advice. Just get them off the phone! Except that is not me.
Anyhoo, that is me off my soap box yet again! LOL
PLEASE DONT APPLY TO DWP. THE WAGE IS ONE THING. THE PROBLEMS YOU WILL HAVE LATER WITH YOUR CONSCIENCE IS ANOTHER.0 -
Hello, I'm just wondering how things are going with peoles FTA. I started in November 2009, was on an 18month contract, pretty much everyone got their contract extended by 6 months where I worked but I left in Dec 2010.
I hear from friends there that there is a selection exercise, basically there are 5 competencies, for each you you have to write a statement no more than 30 words I think explaining how you meet this comptency in your role. This gets marked up, you get extra points for attendance and if you have had no warnings, this then gets sent to district you make the decision. This is how its works in theory, but I have heard in reality it's all corrupt. I am very glad I got out when I did!
This is in West London district by the way.
Is anyone else going through a similar regime, will you stay or leave once your contract comes to an end.0 -
I will apply to the Royal Mail as a delivery person
I've done both of these jobs and would say go with DWP every time. Royal Mail are a terrible employer. At least DWP pay you for the hours you work.
Mind, this is probably all completely irrelevant as I doubt anyone is on the DWP waiting list after - how long - a year??? of the recruitment freeze.0
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