looking for some advice...

Webby1985

hi all, newbie here just wanting some advice sorry if my explanation is long winded but best to get as much detail in i suppose!

i was made redundant back in January and have since then applied for the police and got through successfully, im awaiting my start date and have been told to expect a date around September ish. Anyway the problem is ive not worked since jan at all, and have been living off of redundancy money (Due to the fact with the police i never knew when and what was going to happen next, which would have been fine had i been working but as im not i thought i shouldnt start a new full time thing and then suddenly have to leave etc etc...)

now the problem i have is im literally down to my last bit of money and am definately going to struggle for the next few months. People have suggested going on the dole, which i was hoping to avoid and im not even sure how it all works if im honest. others suggest a temp job in a bar or something along them lines...

the dole seems the 'easy' option from what little i know as i wanted to avoid full time work yadda yadda. but i would feel im scrounging a bit as i 'could' be working right now...

i seem to have answered my own questions here but any input / advice will be happily recieved

Thanks Webby

Horace

When you were made redundant - you should have gone onto the dole. At least with the dole you are getting your NI stamp paid (this goes towards your state pension). Go on the dole now - you will either get contributions or income based JSA. Try not to think of it as scrounging but as getting benefit from all the tax you have paid over the years. You have earned it so go get it. Not all jobcentres are filled with scroungers - some have people who are genuinely looking for work.

As you have already found getting even a temp job in this current economic climate is hard..so why not go on the dole until you get your start date for the police? You cannot live on fresh air alone.

Bobl

Surely this is easy; if you can get work then you should, deliberately avoiding work and claiming benefits is scrounging. And I don't go along with the 'I have always paid tax so I am owed it', if that was true we could all just give up.

Well done for getting into the Police, but don't spoil your success by becoming a statistic!

bap98189

Benefits are there to provide minimum level of income when people fall on hard times. They should be to tide people over when they have lost their job or whatever. You should not be ashamed to go and claim Job Seekers Allowance or whatever for the next few months. During that time you should try look for some sort of temporary job, but getting something for that short period of time may not be easy.


Remember, you are not a scrounger. You have not sat on your !!!! doing nothing, you have got yourself a new job. Good on you and congratulations!

Webby1985

thanks for the replies people. appreciated.

samr_2

Congrats on the job

As mentioned, you should have signed on when first made redundant but definitely do so now. You will still have to be looking for jobs but they're not going to force you into a position.

As it is coming up to school holidays there may be some council/police run schemes for children that you could apply for that would fill your time til Sept. Presumably you would have an enhanced CRB so that wouldn't be a problem.

Good luck

bendix

Get a job. Any job. Keep your dignity.

You seem to imply you can easily get one; to go on the dole in those circumstances would be wrong.

catenorfolk

just sign on while you are looking for a job - that way you get help to live in the meantime. Cant see a problem with that!!

Webby1985

thanks again to the replies, i dont think i can get a job easily by any means, and i rung today and have an interview at the jobcentre next week to discuss plans etc.

the last thing i want to do is other people to pay my way, (hence not signing on straight away) but the woman on the phone said i should have the week i left my job, and that i could be entitled to 3months worth of back payments?

i have no clue but will find out next week.

Webby

ferien_uk

Webby1985 wrote: »

thanks again to the replies, i dont think i can get a job easily by any means, and i rung today and have an interview at the jobcentre next week to discuss plans etc.

the last thing i want to do is other people to pay my way, (hence not signing on straight away) but the woman on the phone said i should have the week i left my job, and that i could be entitled to 3months worth of back payments?

i have no clue but will find out next week.

Webby

I delayed signing on for a couple of months as well because that's the way I felt. But you're not doing it to avoid working, it's called Job Seeker's Alowance for a reason. And I know that there are people out there that take advantage of it, as long as you know you are not one of them, you shouldn't feel guilty about getting extra support if you are struggling.

Plus, you'll be contributing to society when you are working for the police, and if you really feel bad about it, you could always start a regular donation to charity when you are earning money.