Jobcenter course waste of time can i quit without losing benefit?

mrxed

I'm in Nottingham and am being forced to attend a new 6 week interview- where we sit as a group and talk about how we can do better at finding a job.

To put this in context, I don't need any help to find a job, I have many applications in the pipeline, have a multitude of qualifiations, and very relevent work experience for the jobs I'm applying for, and I've only been unemployed for 6 weeks! I explained this to my signer and apparently- get this.... ready for it.... if 'I' don't get anything from it, maybe I can help someone else at the group meeting to find a job!!!! Err.... no, I don't think so.

As much as I feel for others who struggle, it isn't my job, and I dealing with enough myself. Pathetic waste of time

onlyforboards_2

You are allowed to have access to job search methods. If your training cannot provide this ask for papers to be brought in daily or access to a local library.
Good luck, I can't imagine anything more frustrating than having job searching and application filling time lost to useless courses at this difficult time.

Oldernotwiser

mrxed wrote: »

To put this in context, I don't need any help to find a job, I have many applications in the pipeline, have a multitude of qualifiations, and very relevent work experience for the jobs I'm applying for, and I've only been unemployed for 6 weeks! I explained this to my signer and apparently- get this.... ready for it.... if 'I' don't get anything from it, maybe I can help someone else at the group meeting to find a job!!!! Err.... no, I don't think so.

I think that's quite a reasonable suggestion actually; after all, MSE is about helping others in the same situation.

red_devil

mrxed wrote: »

I'm in Nottingham and am being forced to attend a new 6 week interview- where we sit as a group and talk about how we can do better at finding a job.

To put this in context, I don't need any help to find a job, I have many applications in the pipeline, have a multitude of qualifiations, and very relevent work experience for the jobs I'm applying for, and I've only been unemployed for 6 weeks! I explained this to my signer and apparently- get this.... ready for it.... if 'I' don't get anything from it, maybe I can help someone else at the group meeting to find a job!!!! Err.... no, I don't think so.

As much as I feel for others who struggle, it isn't my job, and I dealing with enough myself. Pathetic waste of time

they treat you like children dont they its pathetic. Most of the training providers are so understaffed and incompetent they couldnt organise a !!!! up in a brewery!

andy2004

red_devil wrote: »

agree you have to stick it out but complain to your mp and see if you can get others to do the same.

Doesnt work, I did complain to my local MP and he quoted me when he went on TV, or should I say he used exactly the same words that i did.
Yes these jobclubs, back to work programs are rubbish <putting it nicely, I done my fair share of them usually 2 a year, had my benefits stops 20times for non-attendance for some of them, when i say 20times, i mean at least 3 times for the same course, how they worked it, 6months sanction then wait 1month and then put you on another 2x6month sanction, making a total of 7months and 3 sanctions to appeal against and they had a freaking nerve to turn out and said "we are going on strike next week, we're not getting enough to live on," they each at the time where getting £250 a week, and now are telling me i had to live on NOTHING, after gulp 17 years of being unemployed. and been put on various back to work courses, they used to have a 5 stage course, after each course if you werent back in work you did the next course, well i got to the 5 course and finished it, they gave me 2 options, 1, loose my benefits for 6months, 2 do something else like start up a business, and i asked how the hell am i suppose to start up a business on £75 a fortnight. <that was back when i was 25, now 34
What with Labour screwing the country up even more and now more and more people loosing their jobs, thank you Gordon Brown, it now even more difficult to get back into work.

red_devil

andy2004 wrote: »

Doesnt work, I did complain to my local MP and he quoted me when he went on TV, or should I say he used exactly the same words that i did.
Yes these jobclubs, back to work programs are rubbish <putting it nicely, I done my fair share of them usually 2 a year, had my benefits stops 20times for non-attendance for some of them, when i say 20times, i mean at least 3 times for the same course, how they worked it, 6months sanction then wait 1month and then put you on another 2x6month sanction, making a total of 7months and 3 sanctions to appeal against and they had a freaking nerve to turn out and said "we are going on strike next week, we're not getting enough to live on," they each at the time where getting £250 a week, and now are telling me i had to live on NOTHING, after gulp 17 years of being unemployed. and been put on various back to work courses, they used to have a 5 stage course, after each course if you werent back in work you did the next course, well i got to the 5 course and finished it, they gave me 2 options, 1, loose my benefits for 6months, 2 do something else like start up a business, and i asked how the hell am i suppose to start up a business on £75 a fortnight. <that was back when i was 25, now 34
What with Labour screwing the country up even more and now more and more people loosing their jobs, thank you Gordon Brown, it now even more difficult to get back into work.

ask the MP how we would like to go on one? Bet he wouldnt last 5 minutes. One course i went on people were using the computers to chat etc not to look for jobs. All the staff were sat infront of computers. They were not really interested to tell you the truth.

As for those timesheets sigh!

SomeBozo

after gulp 17 years of being unemployed

Sorry, but there is something wrong with your job-seeking skills if you have not had one for 17 years.

17 years equals at least 2 recessions and lots of growth.

You should be grasping any help available with both hands and just to have 20 "sanctions" over 17 years means, on average, you are claiming benefits for over 10 months of the year from a possible 12.

IMO thats not a bad social security system.

What with Labour screwing the country up even more and now more and more people loosing their jobs, thank you Gordon Brown, it now even more difficult to get back into work.

Labour have been in power since 1997, thats 12 years ago, you have been out of work for 17 (!) years.

I really think you need to direct your anger into getting a job rather than a political party.

Bozo

Horace

andy2004 wrote: »

like start up a business, and i asked how the hell am i suppose to start up a business on £75 a fortnight. <that was back when i was 25, now 34

Yes the programme was called New Deal for Self Employment which was a 3 stage course spread over several months - the final part being 6 months test trading. You used to get your JSA only they didnt call it that as they sent you a P45 plus £15.38 a week training allowance - so in total I used to get £75.88 which was used to live on (I still got HB and CTB) the £15.38 was put into a business bank account and was and still is used to pay my business insurances my back to work grant of £100 also went into my business account towards insurances and towards my subscription to the Federation of Small Businesses. I am 47 and was made redundant in 2007, I finished my New Deal programme in April this year. Thankfully I had 30 years of employment behind me before I was made redundant in August 2007 - try adding a disability to the mix as that makes it 10 times harder to get a job. I now work for myself and get working tax credit (I am not disabled enough to get DLA so I get the lowest WTC) at £50 a week and I have to live on that - I have had to fight to get HB and CTB reinstated but thankfully that has now been done.

Without being rude you sound almost proud to have been unemployed for 17 years - I would have used that time to get some training and find myself a job because there were jobs around 17 years ago and even 12 years ago. You could even have applied to the Princes Trust for help to set up a business.