Extra Help - Job seekers

misssarahleigh

Ok, long drawn out story. Went to uni and worked while there. Finished uni and ended up being unfairly dismissed (which means i'm now in a nasty legal balltle with my ex boss)

Though, my degree will get me a job, Nope, It Doesn't! Have applied for 100 plus jobs since september as anything. i have no chance

Been on job seekers allowance 6 months am my savings are officaially nothing. I recently had knee surgery on one knee and waiting for one on the other. I see a disability advisor at the jobcentre who FOUND ME although said i aint entitled to any extra help. Later asked about it and said he didn't know, go talk to the receptionists downstairs.

They advised me to apply for dissability living alowance (which i have done) although i don't hold much hope as apparently they are really specific about who gets it.

MY PROBLEM. In the next 4 weeks my tax disk is due on my car as well as insurence. This is going to be about £200, which i have no chance of paying.

It's not like i'm lazy, both of my knee's are 'unwell' and without my car i'm not going anywhere. where on earth can i get some help to pay for this???

alwaysonthego_2

If you are too ill to look for a job you need to go to your doctor and get signed off work (sick note) and claim ESA.

misssarahleigh

i look for any job. receptionist/admin/retail, absolutally anything. I couldn't even pass psychological testing for Tesco lol

I can work, i just can't walk very far. without my car i would have to get a bus and thats a problem because the bus stop is to far for me to walk.

KimYeovil

£121 this fortnight plus £13x after the increase. That gives you your £200 and more than £50 to live on. If you're not happy with that...

...you've been on Job Seeker's six months. You've known your tax disc and insurance were to be renewed for six months. You've had more than six months to save up the money.

Poor people have to learn to budget. Comfortably off people who do not learn to budget end up poor. It's not rocket science.

(Nice to see people who can not be bothered to write in correct English are still granted degrees. How inclusive and progressive.)

misssarahleigh

£121 i wish. Try £95. And as to living on £190 a month i don't think it's possible for anybody. I owe my mum loads for board i havn't been able to pay.

Yes been on job seekers for six month. Your point? i didn't think i was going to be on it this long, had i known that the credit crunch was going to hit and that thousands would lose there jobs i would have possibly done things differently.

And as for well off. I'm poor. I have always been poor. i worked my !!!! off through college and university and was the first to ever get a degree in my family and i'm dam proud of that even if my grammar isn't correct.

my god, how on earth have you got through life being that judgmental. You sound like a very bitter lady, dont assume things about people off a few paragraphs in a forum. although in fairness, i have judged you based on yours!!!!!!!!

poddle911

KimYeovil wrote: »

£121 this fortnight plus £13x after the increase. That gives you your £200 and more than £50 to live on. If you're not happy with that...

...you've been on Job Seeker's six months. You've known your tax disc and insurance were to be renewed for six months. You've had more than six months to save up the money.

I don't really understand why people post if they're not going to say anything constructive. How is £50 a month enough for rent, bills, living... ?!

Sarah, I'm sure the majority of people understand that it's impossible to save any money on JSA. In fact, I'm not sure how people are supposed to survive on it full stop.

I never thought I'd claim benefits, but since I was made redundant at Christmas I haven't had any luck finding a job - not from lack of trying, I should add. I am registered with agencies, I'm applying for minimum wage jobs, temp jobs in addition to looking for jobs in my field so I don't have to waste the last three years' experience.

Anyway, sorry to go off on a tangent! I know it's not ideal, but is there any chance you can extend your overdraft or take a loan from a family member to cover the car tax if you need a car to job hunt? Or look into hardship loans from the job centre?

Can you pay your car insurance monthly? Or pay 6 months tax instead of 12? I know it will work out a bit more expensive in the long run, but at the moment it sounds like you really need to save the cash. Hope this is some help! Good luck

misssarahleigh

Thank you for that comment. Some people just don't understand there are genuine people who want to work on JSA. Anyway, answer to your questions:

I can pay monthly, although need enough to cover the first installment and i can pay six, but i still don't have the money. I have a £1100 overdraft from Halifax from student days that needs to be paid off and £200 Barclays which is already maxed. I owe my mum £1200 in board etc and since she only works part time and has recently had to take a 10% pay cut i know she will give me it, but she really cannot affort neither.

I'm off to the jobcentre tomorrow but last time i asked he just said 'dont know'

poddle911

Any luck at the job centre today?

misssarahleigh

ummmm, well. I am now on a New Deal thing. Apparently it's a 13 week course, but after telling him last time i have a sparkling CV and don't need help applying for jobs they have decided i have to spend a week at 'BEST' (although i don't actually know what on earth i'm doing there or what exactally this place is) then going on a 'placement'!!!

Bit unsure about all this. i asked them to sort something out because i want to be doing something, but it doens't sound right. I apparently get £15 extra a week, although, that is to cover my travel costs. (he didn't know about getting my petrol paid) and i will be working six to eight weeks (don't know where) for free!

It seems rather odd!

He told me to apply for a job as a Benifit Advisor lol and as for the car money required. He said he would "look into it".

oldmotherreilly

How on earth did you end up on New Deal asking about ways to tax your car?! What New Deal have you joined? There are various different New Deal categories -18-24, 25+, New Deal for the Disabled. You also need to have a half hour interview to discuss early entry to New Deal and then an hour long main interview (if it's done properly that is). New Deal generally involves a 10-16 week gateway, where you are supposed to see your personal advisor every week and then you can access one of the courses after that-13 weeks for 30 hours a week- and then you enter follow through, which can last between 6 and 13 weeks depending on which category you fall into. The earliest an advisor is supposed to refer you for a course is after four weeks in the gateway. With the travel expenses-you get £15.38 per week as a training grant, out of which you are supposed to cover £4 of your travel costs; anything over that the provider should reimburse.
Hope that helps!

misssarahleigh

Hiya, thanks for the spelling comment!!!!! was very funny.

As for new deal. I said a while ago i was board at home and wanted to do something that was going to help me in some way. On new deal 16-25. my first day is tomorrow and people are already telling me "i should learn" as they seem to think i'm going to be treated like crap. I just want the placement really to get back on my feet and a good reference (as my old boss i'm taking to court for unfair dismissal)

i was woundering about the travel costs because she said keep your bus tickets, to which i replied i drive, and they said 'oh' well that £15 will cover it. I'm going to make sure i get my petrol paid on principle of, if somebody gets their bus tickets, i should get my petrol, especially since i can't go anywhere without my car cos i can't flipping walk far lol

Ayway, bit unsure about tomorrow, but i aint going to sit their jobhunting like i'm stupid and need constant monitoring. if they can't help me, they can .........!!!