JCP - Weekly sign ons

Thomas_UK

Hello,

I'm 19 years old, and for the past 12 weeks I have been claming JSA due to being made redundant from my last place of work.

To be honest, my experience so far of the JobCentre has been awful. Near enough every advisor I've had so far has been rude to me and I don't know why because I also go in well mannered and very polite.

I always keep a log of the jobs I have applied for. It is always up to date - I was given a mouth full by one member of the staff because I didn't put down on my diary the days that I checked the internet for jobs, even though I explained that I did this every single day, 3 times or more a day. Just a pathetic attitude from that member of staff and he said if I didn't complete it next time, I would lose my benefits.

You go in that place, already feeling down and depressed because you are out of work, and then get treated like a piece of dirt by the staff.

Anyway, I have now been told that the new rule is that people in my age group have to sign on every week for 30 weeks. When I asked what the advantage of this was, the advisor couldn't answer the question properly and just said it helped with a jobsearch. Fair enough, but I am more than capeable of searching for jobs.

Has anyone else here been put on this scheme, and have you felt that it has helped you to find work?

Thanks

dugdale_2

If you're between the age of 18 and 24 and have been receiving JSA for 13 weeks you are required to sign weekly for 13 weeks

Thomas_UK

dugdale wrote: »

If you're between the age of 18 and 24 and have been receiving JSA for 13 weeks you are required to sign weekly for 13 weeks

My advisor definitely said 30 weeks. It was a new regulation bought in not long ago according to him.

Person_one

Thomas_UK wrote: »

My advisor definitely said 30 weeks. It was a new regulation bought in not long ago according to him.

I attended a back to work session on Monday, where it was made very clear that it was indeed 13 weeks for under 25s and 6 weeks for 25 and over.

The 30 week thing would have had to be implemented since then, otherwise either your adviser has it wrong or you misheard!

Tigsteroonie

I attended a Back to Work session this morning, and it was said that for 18-24yo, after the first 13 weeks of fortnightly signing, you then get a period of 13 weeks of weekly signing (over 25yo have 6 weeks). It was explained that this was so that you would be there more often to receive additional time from advisors and additional assistance with jobsearching.

Whilst you may be more than capable of jobsearching, many others aren't (as I'm sure you've seen from the people surrounding you at sign-ons). Unfortunately the rules/practices have to be devised around the many incapables, not the few capables. Also you have to be patient with the advisors if you feel they are patronising you when you sign on, it's generally because they've had to process twenty idiots before you.

Thomas_UK

Thanks for your replys guys. Maybe my advisor did get it wrong, because I remember asking him if it really was 30 weeks because it seemed like a really long length of time.

I guess I'll have to re-clairfy on my next sign on.

CCFC_80

dugdale wrote: »

If you're between the age of 18 and 24 and have been receiving JSA for 13 weeks you are required to sign weekly for 13 weeks

And of course with the claimant signing on weekly instead of fortnightly, it is going to greatly improve their prospects of finding a job now Isn't it ?

SueC_2

Would it help to think of the process of signing-on / assisted job search as your work for that week? ie:

Job Description: to attend JobCentre, be polite, keep a stiff upper lip and smile in the face of adversity whilst an advisor is rude, demonstrates a pathetic attitude, threatens loss of job and treats you like a piece of dirt.

Hours of Employment: approximately 20 minutes one day per week.

Remuneration: £51.85 per week.

In fact, put like that, JSA could be equated to an hourly rate of £155.55, which in turn is an annual salary of approximately £304,000. Hell, no wonder some people think they're better off on benefits than they would be in employment!

Sorry, did I digress??? :rotfl:

Thomas_UK

SueC wrote: »

Would it help to think of the process of signing-on / assisted job search as your work for that week? ie:

Job Description: to attend JobCentre, be polite, keep a stiff upper lip and smile in the face of adversity whilst an advisor is rude, demonstrates a pathetic attitude, threatens loss of job and treats you like a piece of dirt.

Hours of Employment: approximately 20 minutes one day per week.

Remuneration: £51.85 per week.

In fact, put like that, JSA could be equated to an hourly rate of £155.55, which in turn is an annual salary of approximately £304,000. Hell, no wonder some people think they're better off on benefits than they would be in employment!

Sorry, did I digress??? :rotfl:

I would make a reply to that detailing why I think your outlook on it is totally wrong, but I don't want to sink to that level.

Do you work for the jobcentre at all?

SueC_2

Thomas_UK wrote: »

I would make a reply to that detailing why I think your outlook on it is totally wrong, but I don't want to sink to that level.

Do you work for the jobcentre at all?

No, and I categorically wouldn't want to. Ever.

And you may well think my outlook is totally wrong, but actually there's a lot to be said for finding positive ways to look at negative situations and/or finding a bit of humour where you can.

SevenOfNine

To be fair, I think it's a distinct possibility that a big percentage of claimants seen are rude, lazy and quite happy just to have their benefits doled out, with absolutely no plans to work if at all possible.

Try not to take their rudeness personally, from things I've read every Job Centre everywhere seems to have staff who are really rude and abrupt to everyone who goes in so you might as well let it float over your head! I wonder if those genuinely looking for work and unhappy at being on the dole are slightly more sensitive to the abrupt, snappy attitude of Job Centre staff?

I will have my first contact with the my local Job Centre in a few weeks, when I claim Contribution Based JSA, I am anticipating the renowned 'treated like dirt' attitude and plan to say, "I expect you see lots of really unpleasant people in this job, I'm not one of them so please treat me with some courtesy, otherwise go and get someone who can".

Having said that, I'm 35 years older than you and won't have some jumped up squirt talking down to me.