Help paying for job websites?

Ames

Hi, my sister's just signed on to JSA having finished uni and not been able to find a job. She's a member of two websites that advertise jobs in her field, but they cost about £7.50 and £15 a month, with discounts for paying for a full year. The only interviews she's had have come through these sites. She's going to struggle to pay this out of her JSA, and I wondered if there's any help available to her? I thought maybe a community care grant, but I wasn't sure which, if any, category would fit. There's always the social fund, but given her outgoings she'd struggle to repay it. Is there anything else I'm not thinking of?

hayley11

What kind of jobs is she looking for? I've never heard of this, it sounds like a total scam to be honest. What are the websites she's joined and paid for?

How is she paying them? If it's direct debit, get her to cancel them ASAP and keep an eye on her bank incase they take it out anyway.

There are so many job searching websites out there, I can't imagine why she would have paid, all you have to do is google "jobs" and loads come up. Loads of FREE ones I might add

healy

I would very much doubt there is any help available for this kind of expense.

I would be interested to hear what others who know more about this have to say.

Ames

They're jobs in the music tech business, she's had interviews through them for well established businesses (I've been taking her to the interviews). The jobs are listed on them and she has to apply through the site.

I've just facebook'd her asking for the names of the sites.

hayley11

Ames wrote: »

They're jobs in the music tech business, she's had interviews through them for well established businesses (I've been taking her to the interviews). The jobs are listed on them and she has to apply through the site.

I've just facebook'd her asking for the names of the sites.

Ahh well there you go, possibly not scams then. I am still inclined to believe that you can search for these jobs for free though. Has she thought about finding a forum for this type of work and asking on there? Or maybe contacting companies and asking what agency they use? Or even applying direct if she can?

I also doubt very much that there woud be any help for this, definitely not a community care grant anyway. You have to be on income related JSA for at least 6 months before you can apply for a budgeting loan by the way.

Ames

The sites are uk music jobs and stagejobs pro, apparantly the BBC use them. I don't think she can apply direct as all contact details are only given out if you pay to join the site. I think she's looked at every website even remotely connected to the field!

I didn't realise you could only get budgeting loans after 6 months, it doesn't say anything about that on the direct gov website, so thanks for pointing that out!

ETA just found a different direct gov page which does say about the 26 week thing.

Ames

I've just looked up jobseekers on the JC+ site, and it says that there's help available for

• help if you are seeking professional or executive jobs
• help with one-off expenses that might help you get back to work quickly, for example, the cost of buying formal clothes for an interview or basic tools such as paintbrushes needed to take up a job where an employer will not provide these items

Would paying for the websites come under either of these? I've never claimed JSA (I've been disabled since childhood so I've only claimed disability benefits), so I don't know too much about it.

NASA_2

I very much doubt she would get anything from DWP for this. Usually they make payments if you pretty much have a job but needs something in order to guarantee it.

Run of the mill jobsearching though - anyone could ask for money for that,.

Jomo

Maybe she could get part-time work or just enough to get the payments together? I'm sure you can work a few hours before your JSA is affected?

KimYeovil

Ames wrote: »

I didn't realise you could only get budgeting loans after 6 months, it doesn't say anything about that on the direct gov website, so thanks for pointing that out!

And since budgeting loans are paid back at more than £22.50 per month they are not much help for this case.

jamespir

Ames wrote: »

Hi, my sister's just signed on to JSA having finished uni and not been able to find a job. She's a member of two websites that advertise jobs in her field, but they cost about £7.50 and £15 a month, with discounts for paying for a full year. The only interviews she's had have come through these sites. She's going to struggle to pay this out of her JSA, and I wondered if there's any help available to her? I thought maybe a community care grant, but I wasn't sure which, if any, category would fit. There's always the social fund, but given her outgoings she'd struggle to repay it. Is there anything else I'm not thinking of?

why doesent she just use fish4jobs jobcentreplus.gov and monster theere all free