DWP employment waiting list

MCGONIS

newbyteacher wrote: »

I must say that I disagree but I don't deal over the phone I sign people and yes there are a few wasters but the majority are decent people who desperately want a job and feel degraded coming into sign .I treat people with respect because in a few months I might be signing on. I feel lucky to have got this job unfortunately the majority of my colleagues have petmanent jobs and they hate it. Perhaps they should find work elsewhere to see just how rough it really is!

I am speaking from a different part of the DWP to you. I originally came from the Employment Service Jobcentre and moved to the benefit side. In 9 odd years that I have been in-post, the whole organisation has changed. If you sign people on, then you are a different grade to me also. It seems from your message, you have no problem at work. Do you have not have targets to refer signers to DMA and sanction their benefit? I work in an office in a city, my old friends at a Jobcentre are under pressure to identify people to have their benfit stopped. I wouldn't mind the chance to work in your region!

newbyteacher

Yes we have all the targets to meet, maybe I'm just not as jaded ( no offence) but I originally come from a retail management position where it was all target driven and I had more paperwork than I actually have now. I was so stressed in retail and got less pay. I'm not saying that everything is all rosy but I try and keep positive as I know there are many people in a less fortunate situation than I am. I see loads of people everyday who are really down, many are horrid but I have been successful in actually finding people work. I now leave work at work and get weekends, bank hols off to spend with my family. I really don't want to lose my jpb but at the moment no one knows what is to come : (

MCGONIS

newbyteacher wrote: »

Yes we have all the targets to meet, maybe I'm just not as jaded ( no offence) but I originally come from a retail management position where it was all target driven and I had more paperwork than I actually have now. I was so stressed in retail and got less pay. I'm not saying that everything is all rosy but I try and keep positive as I know there are many people in a less fortunate situation than I am. I see loads of people everyday who are really down, many are horrid but I have been successful in actually finding people work. I now leave work at work and get weekends, bank hols off to spend with my family. I really don't want to lose my jpb but at the moment no one knows what is to come : (

Nobody wants to loose a job. Glad you enjoy yours and are not under pressure like certain parts of the DWP. I will speak to my Trade Union rep tomorrow about the fact some officers in some offices appear not to under the same pressure as others! Hee hee.... nice chatting anyhow.....

newbyteacher

You have completely read my post wrong! I am not saying I am under no pressure, or that the rest of the office is not feeling it. I am saying that I am lucky to work for a start, maybe I deal with pressure better than others. If you feel so hard done by talk to your rep. We have a good team at my office we let of steam by having a laugh ( privately) but the stress levels do show. Our DM team are kept really busy all the time by us lot trying to get sanctions imposed.

MCGONIS

No problem - [also note the "thanks" on your previous post!]

Anyhoo..... you like your job... I don't! Will I leave? No! 'cause the labour market is naff just now! All I wanted to point out at the very start was that DWP is not the greatest place on earth to work at the minute. When most places, banks, shops....whatever are wanting to keep customers. Our department is obsessed not with customer service, but just get them off the phone in three minutes. You work in a Jobcentre, so your experience is different to mine.

I have already tried to end this exchange on a positive, please accept this as a positive, as I am not replying to you. Bye for now.

tsimehC

newbyteacher wrote: »

You have completely read my post wrong! I am not saying I am under no pressure, or that the rest of the office is not feeling it. I am saying that I am lucky to work for a start, maybe I deal with pressure better than others. If you feel so hard done by talk to your rep. We have a good team at my office we let of steam by having a laugh ( privately) but the stress levels do show. Our DM team are kept really busy all the time by us lot trying to get sanctions imposed.

Did I read that right? You pressure your decision makers into turning their decisions in your favour? The only issue I have with our DM team is the time scale for decisions to be made. I don't care what they decide but the waiting is very frustrating and there hardly anything that can be done about it so a lot of other targets get stalled (like meeting referral targets). I find working where I'm based quite pressured but there are days (like today) which was relatively okay without any verbal abuse from customers.

I do have to say, it's been much more challenging working for a charity that deals with young people than working with young people in a Jobcentre and the former employer did not even pay me a salary!

newbyteacher

No we don't pressure them we just do our regular checks, sanctions are imposed only when necessary, I agree with you though about the time it takes to make decisions. Today was a good day for us, we were expecting lots of fail to signs because of the football but had less than a usual day.

Druagh

LeapingLizard wrote: »

I know that the fixed term contracts of those at the job centres are running out in December, but keep holding out hope that they will need more people as the numbers of unemployed rise.

Whilst I do feel for anyone who has been told that they are still on a waiting list, it really is time for anyone in this situation to give up on the DWP.

My area is Jobcentre Plus and it is clear as day that whatever the number of people signing on, this govornment will not employ more people in Jobcenters to deal with the extra workload. Quite the opposite. A few FTAs (like myself) may have their contracts extended (for a month or two) but only a handfull of the 16,000 FTAs will be made permanent.

Although all benefit recipients (esp. those on Incapacity) will come into Welfare to Work, we have been told that JCP will reduce staffing by 40% in the next 3/4 years. Programmes such as Pathways to Work will be outsourced (i.e. done on the cheap by private companies). Interview times will be reduced. ADF is not to be discussed. Recruitment Subsidy finishes 30/06/10. Etc, etc, etc.

The ideological cherry on the top of the Tory/Liberal cake:
Our 'Customers' will henceforth be refered to as 'Claimants', welcome back to the 1980s. Contrary to certain TV depictions, they were (to quote) no fun.

Regards (and looking for my next challenge)

Druagh

KME91

honda2006 wrote: »

It is due to there being a lack of staff ,and the fact that there are too many HEO's. I suspect that some HEO's will be demoted to grade C or even B...

they can't just demote people, unless the individual agrees to the cut in wages.

msmaz_2

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