Kicked off A4e and then wrestled out of job center.

willa

A few points: OP seems like a reasonable person to me. he admitted he was having a bit of a rant, he recounted his experience. His experience of benefits staff saying they'll do things, then not, 'going off to see' and not coming back etc sounds familiar from my short time on jobseekers at a certain office. Oh and losing things submitted - several times-and the presence of surly and intimidating heavies (having a go at someone because they are drinking water - I don't understand how there can be any ensuing debate about this) seems normal these days. Come on, remembering someone is sat there waiting and remembering to go back to them is pretty basic!
Having just read through this thread it strikes me how people who decide to take a dim view of the unemployed contributors can frame all sorts of insults and insinuations under the guise of being moral, upstanding, employed and stoically spreading their flu and cold viruses, but woe betide any poor benefit pauper who uses a word like 'turd' in their reply to the abuse. Oh naughty step, quick! These layabouts are obviously out of control. Using such words explains everything, they are obviously personality disordered and a danger to society. Aren't they...??:p

Stolen_Soul

WhatFrickingUsernameIsnt wrote: »

I like many unemployed was on a government "training course" called A4e

A4E isn't a government training course nor is it compulsory.

wishface

Stolen_Soul wrote: »

A4E isn't a government training course nor is it compulsory.

it's compulsory if you want to have money to live on.

hobson's choice.

wishface

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If it's not part of your job to help someone fill in a form then you risk your own job by doing so. That's not showing compassion, that's just stupidity.

you're right: it's not showing compassion.

And it's definitely stupid.

And a symptom of a very sad system that no one in authority was apparently able to offer anything to help. Though not surprising in the least.

Best thing you can do in that situation is take the forms to the (even more oversubscribed) CAB and then lodge a formal complaint. I personally don't care how much pressure JC staff are under, there really is no excuse for such treatment, and it sets an unfortunate precedent to allow it to continue.

Stolen_Soul

wishface wrote: »

it's compulsory if you want to have money to live on.

hobson's choice.

Really?

My mate lost his job last August. He attended the job centre. Started to claim JSA. They mentioned A4E to him. Told him it wasn't compulsory. He could attend if he wanted but if he decided not to, it wouldn't affect his JSA.

Oldernotwiser

wishface wrote: »

Best thing you can do in that situation is take the forms to the (even more oversubscribed) CAB and then lodge a formal complaint. I personally don't care how much pressure JC staff are under, there really is no excuse for such treatment, and it sets an unfortunate precedent to allow it to continue.

You keep using phrases like "this treatment" as if somebody's been abused and insulted. The situation as described on here was

"the JobCentre refused to help, and she was escorted off the building for refusing to take no for an answer as they said they apparently didn't have anyone experienced enough to help her."

which sounds to me like an unfortunate situation but not something to either make a complaint about later or a fuss about at the time.

If you go into the bank and they haven't got somebody suitably trained to help you with a loan application then surely you don't "refuse to take no for an answer", need to be escorted off the premises or even put in a formal complaint afterwards - and that's with an organisation where you really are a customer! You huff a bit and make an appointment when somebody suitable's available, don't you?

wishface

A loan application isn't the same as filling in forms that determine whether you have enough to live on. (if that's the case, you're in the wrong place.)

Your continued misreading of the situation is laughable.

seven-day-weekend

But wishface, if JC employees are not allowed to help with forms, 'refusing to take no for an answer' is not going to do anything other than inflame an already unhappy situation.

It's still not going to get their form filled in, is it?

I understand the person's distress, but she would have been better going somewhere where they COULD help her to fill it in.

Oldernotwiser

wishface wrote: »

A loan application isn't the same as filling in forms that determine whether you have enough to live on. (if that's the case, you're in the wrong place.)

Your continued misreading of the situation is laughable.

If you go back and read the relevant post, you'll see that the form in question was for a budgetting LOAN! People who take out bank loans can be pretty desparate as well; it's not all about new cars and kitchens!

You are just trying to present this situation as something that it isn't; I am reading the actual posts.

wishface

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If you go back and read the relevant post, you'll see that the form in question was for a budgetting LOAN! People who take out bank loans can be pretty desparate as well; it's not all about new cars and kitchens!

You are just trying to present this situation as something that it isn't; I am reading the actual posts.

budgeting loans are not equivalent to bank loans.