Not happy!

dane-katie

I went to the job centre today, was due there for an appointment at 2.10pm i arrived early, at 1.30pm (i would either be early or mega late with buses around here) it was to sort out a crisis loan.

I turned up and was told to go away till my appointment, i asked if i could stay inside and sit in the empty waiting area, i was told no. I tried to explain i am ill, i have struggled to get here and my bipolar was bad at the minute, the man said ok.

I went and sat down, he shouted the security over (why do they need security in a job centre?) both men came to me and told me to leave, i said i wasnt leaving as i had an appointment. I explained my disability (of nothing they listened) told them i cant go and stand outside where there is loads of people and would they be willing to ring an ambulance if i had a panic attack, to which they said you either leave or i am calling the police and cancelling your appointment!(they said i am a security risk?) i dont get what i did wrong, i sat in a empty waiting area and was early for my appointment, they would be moaning if i had been late.

I was so annoyed i burst in to tears, i had 2 big security guards threatening me with the police, i thought they where gonna drag me out.

Never been treated so bad in my life, any other job centre i have been to have never bothered if i turn up early and sit in the waiting area :mad:
Why do they think they can treat me like scum

ash4becks

plain full on discrimination for your mental health i bet not what you want to hear iam sure but i hope you put a complaint in, did you end up geting your crisis loan etc

dane-katie

Yeah, i am going to put a complaint in writing, apparently the bloke who told me i had to go was the manager?! according to the security guard, i managed to get my crisis loan but had to wait until my appointment was due and not any earlier.

mandyboops1973

you turned up early for an appoinment and where told to go away and that your now allowed to take a seat in the wating area? you where then thrown out by security depite telling them about your ilness? and they threatnd to call the police? i woul have said call them! what exatcly did they plan on saying? please arrest this person as they have arrived to early for an appointment? what the hell?

that is riddiculous i have never heard anything like that happening before, what job center was this?

ash4becks

dane-katie wrote: »

Yeah, i am going to put a complaint in writing, apparently the bloke who told me i had to go was the manager?! according to the security guard, i managed to get my crisis loan but had to wait until my appointment was due and not any earlier.

so stupid that, way he was going on sounds like your only allowed in the job centre if you fit for work madness as ever with them

Indie_Kid

Apart from arriving early, what did you do wrong? Reading your post, it seems like nothing.

DX2

dane-katie wrote: »

why do they need security in a job centre

Because staff get threatened and abused on a daily basis.

dane-katie

It was job centre in Rotherham, i told them to call the police but they said they would cancel my appointment too if they did.

The security guard says he has to do what the "manager" says or he will be in trouble, one of the security guards said that he wanted to come to some agreement, my only options where leave or be chucked out by the police! i felt like a right prat sat there crying and being forced to leave.

dane-katie

sh1305 wrote: »

Apart from arriving early, what did you do wrong? Reading your post, it seems like nothing.

All i did was arrive early.

foreign_correspondent

poor you - what a rotten experience, really sorry you had to go through that.

dmg24

dane-katie wrote: »

It was job centre in Rotherham, i told them to call the police but they said they would cancel my appointment too if they did.

The security guard says he has to do what the "manager" says or he will be in trouble, one of the security guards said that he wanted to come to some agreement, my only options where leave or be chucked out by the police! i felt like a right prat sat there crying and being forced to leave.

Whilst your experience was horrid and very heavy handed, DX2 is correct, they have security because the incidence of assaults/ threats etc is high. I know someone that works at Roth JCP and their incidence rate is well above average.

I can see both sides of the argument here - they should have been more considerate of your condition, but equally if other people had seen you there it could have led to further problems ('Why can she stay if I can't?').

If you need to go in future, try to get the direct number of the person you are seeing, and ask if you can call when you are a few minutes away so you can go straight through.