New job, new beginnings.

patman99

Emergency Fund is growing nicely. I now have 2 assistants at work so this helps a lot.

My peadophile B-in-L finally gets sentenced next week (I'm hoping he gets a long stretch).

Remembrance Day parade for the Scouts today. Nice to have 20 young people turn up. Their behaviour was exemplary as usual.

patman99

Well, had an interview for a (lower-paid) permanent role today. Will find out if I'm lucky tomorrow.
Got back in from work and checked my emails to find that I have another interview for another job next week.

It's not that I don't enjoy my current role, in fact, I really enjoy it. Trouble is, it is only a temp role via an agency. Having spoken to the manager at the place I.m working at, I know that as the company won't shell-out the agency finders fee, I am not going to be taken-on permanently.

If I get one of the jobs, I will use this to try to leveradge a permanent contract out of my current placement. After all the best way to get want you want in this world is to wave a crowbar in the face of the person most able to forefill your needs and having another job to go to is one giant crowbar.

patman99

Had no idea that I had not updated my diary for 2 weeks.

From Jan. 2015, I will be on a DMP with Stepchange. It is a relief as I can then see an end to my debts.
I will have to put my debts in to MSEs snowball calculator to see if it can calculate my debt free date.

patman99

Another 2 weeks between updates. Quite shocking. Must try harder.

Since the last update I have become unemployed once again. This time however, I have a decent job coach (unlike the woman I had before who had a look on her like a bulldog chewing a lemon-soaked stinging nettle).
He has, however, set me a whole load of weekly tasks but as no-one at the DWP ever checks to see if the ones logged as being done actually have been, I reckon I could put anything down and he'ed believe me.

So far, I have applied for quite a varied range of jobs, but am not worried if I don't get them as the last firm I worked-at have told me they will have me back when the work picks up in March, so I only need to survive a month or two on benefits.

patman99

That's Christmas out of the way. Just New Year to go.

DMP with S/C kicks-in on January, so will be on a much better financial footing.

Have applied for over 30 jobs since signing-on last. My coach will be well happy.

Even got myself on an assessment day for one job, but as that's in London, I need to find-out if I can claim back my travel costs.

Aloofdragon

Good luck on the job hunt x And wow I had no idea companies would put off taking anyone on permanently due to financial penalties. Crazy !

Fab news about SC I felt instant relief too, sadly I need to go self managed but quite looking forward to the challenge, something i found odd was the totals owing on SC site update monthly but they are approx only so keep an eye on actual totals your end too x
The snowball is a fab idea I am going to have a bash at this too x

patman99

Yes, If you are an Agency worker and a company you are on placement at wants to take you on, the Agency can demand up to 6 months salary as a 'finders fee'.
If the Agency is only contracted to act in the role of finding candidates for a role which will be direct with the company from the start, then they usually charge a set fee based on the work required for undertaking the role.

patman99

Went to London to have an assesment day for a Prison Officer. Failed the eye-test though, so got no further than the medical. Seems that with only 1 working eye, I can drive a train, HGV or bus, but not be a Prison Officer.

The nurse did however look into the issue and I can apply for a role as an OSG as this has no need for a medical.

Interesting bus journey back though.
Got on the No. 29 back to Trafalgar Square and noticed there was a seat left, but there were people standing. However, they were giving the seat a wide berth. A quick sniff of the air confirmed that the occupant of the adjoining seat had no odour issues, and there were no strange stains on the seat, so I sat down.
5 minutes later, I realised why no one else was sitting in the seat when then the lady in the adjoining oned got her phone out and started to photograph another passenger who had got on at the next step, then turned to me and said "sorry, but I need to keep a record of the American Special Services Agents who are following me".

At that point, the penny dropped. I was sitting next to a paranoid American nut-job. The rest of the journey was spent trying very hard not to wind-up the American lady as she mused about wanting to be a lawyer and how President Kennedy sgot his wife because of a sign from God.

The second part of the journey back to Liverpool Street Station was quite boring in comparison.

patman99

Got a shock in the post today. A letter from one of my creditors with whom I have an over-drawn account. They have decided to renage on their original slow reduction in the overdraft limit and suspend the account instead.

Before they did this, they bounced around 10 dds (there was money in the account to pay these and still leave a good gap between the amount left and the o/d limit. I have emailed a complaint to them and as I used to have a mortgage with them, will be looking in to reclaiming the PPI they charged me over the 9 years they were my mortgage provider.

I looked into cashing-in my private pension, but as I'm not 55, this option is very much closed.
Looks like I may have to turn to the likes of 'GoFundMe' to see if I can get some donations to clear my debts and start to be able to live without fear again.

Skint_but_Optimistic

Oh pat what horrible news.

I hope you are keeping your chin up, thats a terrible way to be on