Spill the beans... on surviving unemployment

taruffle

I've been unemployed now for almost a year, tho' I did have 2 months of work in March and April.
Of course, it's dreadful that so many young kids are out of work, but can I put a word in for us middle aged-ish types? At 54 I'm apparently deemed scrap heap material, and frankly I've pretty much given up hope that some one will employ me. I realise I must create my own employment, and when things get easier financially(whenever that will be!?)because I have a unique skill, that will be possible, but in the meantime......

1) I think it's funny that some folk say now they're unemployed they'll switch to the cheapest utility provider, but surely that should be every one's course of action, whether they're working or not? I hate giving these electricity/gas/telephone robbers any more than I have to, and never have done, and feel at liberty to switch whenever I'm offered a better deal.
2) If you really put your mind to it, and this involves much studying of times when the reductions occur, you can eat very well(M&S Aberdeen Angus steaks for 50p anyone?)for around a tenner a week. It's something of a job in it's self, but once you know when all your local shops reduce, you can get into a routine. Every thing in my freezer has a yellow tag on it! If you give the lovely shop assistants plenty of space and time to do their reductions, and thank them and smile, they'll be kind to you.
3) I went through a spell of being completely bummed out after I'd left the JCP, having signed on. It's been my experience that the people who work at JCP are very pleasant and helpful, so it's all about what's going on in my head, not them. So I resolved to change my attitude, and to remember all the times in the past where I'd been despondent for one reason or another, that those times always passed, and a change always came for the better.

Before anyone thinks I've completely sussed it, let me assure all, I get bore shirtless, and have used up all my projects and am seriously contemplating painting my loft!
Om Shanti......

koolandkrazy

Just had to say dole money is nopt much at about £67 a week,but Ive still got savings from it.People go to post office and go i want all of it and then spend it all in 1 day.
I smoke,use buses,have internet and phone and manage to save too.
I just passed my motorbike test and bought a new bike.
I was also doing 3 courses at the same time.Its all about money management which people don't learn about now so have to sell everything they own on ebay.
Ive used ebay to buy with my dole money and then resell at double.
People want everything given to them.

ceridwen

taruffle wrote: »

I've been unemployed now for almost a year, tho' I did have 2 months of work in March and April.
Of course, it's dreadful that so many young kids are out of work, but can I put a word in for us middle aged-ish types? At 54 I'm apparently deemed scrap heap material, and frankly I've pretty much given up hope that some one will employ me. I realise I must create my own employment, and when things get easier financially(whenever that will be!?)because I have a unique skill, that will be possible, but in the meantime......

1) I think it's funny that some folk say now they're unemployed they'll switch to the cheapest utility provider, but surely that should be every one's course of action, whether they're working or not? I hate giving these electricity/gas/telephone robbers any more than I have to, and never have done, and feel at liberty to switch whenever I'm offered a better deal.
2) If you really put your mind to it, and this involves much studying of times when the reductions occur, you can eat very well(M&S Aberdeen Angus steaks for 50p anyone?)for around a tenner a week. It's something of a job in it's self, but once you know when all your local shops reduce, you can get into a routine. Every thing in my freezer has a yellow tag on it! If you give the lovely shop assistants plenty of space and time to do their reductions, and thank them and smile, they'll be kind to you.
3) I went through a spell of being completely bummed out after I'd left the JCP, having signed on. It's been my experience that the people who work at JCP are very pleasant and helpful, so it's all about what's going on in my head, not them. So I resolved to change my attitude, and to remember all the times in the past where I'd been despondent for one reason or another, that those times always passed, and a change always came for the better.

Before anyone thinks I've completely sussed it, let me assure all, I get bore shirtless, and have used up all my projects and am seriously contemplating painting my loft!
Om Shanti......

Sounds like you are trying to take a very "positive" stance on this. Sorry its not going well - and even all the "projects" have been "used up":(.

Middle-aged is not a good place to be re job loss - as I guess the assumption is that everyone in that agegroup will now "just mentally give up" any idea of having a job again and accept an enforced "early retirement". Hmmm....I would personally take the view "Well - I'd better say I'm unemployed (to keep that benefit coming in okay) - but, in my own head, I will be early retired and will start to lead the lifestyle I expect when retired."

So - in your case - as someone who doesnt have that "Actually - I'm unofficially early retired" mindset in your head - then I guess the thing is to be aware that there are a lot of people (like myself) who would be "unofficially" early retired at that point. So your thing that you could do perhaps is to brainstorm with yourself and friends as to how to convey the message to everyone (JCP - as in "I really DO want a job - despite the agegroup I'm in") and employers (so that they are seriously considering you - rather than thinking you are just applying in order to keep the benefit coming in).

So - my own "message" I would be conveying in my circumstances would be"Keep off the grass employers - I dont actually want you to give me your job" and to the JCP "You know and I know that I dont really want a job - look at how old I am - and please dont hassle me, as I'll be officially retired soon".

Your "message to convey" is quite the opposite - so DOES need working on - as I'd be willing to bet its quite the opposite message to what a lot of people in our agegroup would be trying to get over...

I would think its safe to say that everyone will regard someone in our agegroup as unofficially "early retired" UNLESS a very deliberate effort is made to say "Hey - look - I'm still in the running and really DO want a job". Just being unemployed and applying for jobs and "getting on with your life" will be taken by everyone as being the default setting of "Really - I'm unofficially early retired now". You have to make it plain YOU personally arent on "default setting".

PipneyJane

I really don't understand how anyone can be expected to live on contribution based JSA. When my husband was unemployed last year, it was £64/week. 20-odd years ago, it was £45/week when food, travel, etc, were a hell of a lot cheaper (London rents were about the same, though).

There is an assumption built into the system that anyone with a spouse will be supported by the spouse but with housing costs the way they are, many people can't live on one income. For instance, if I lose my job my husband's wages will be entirely swallowed up just paying the mortgage. It wasn't always that way but after being made redundant in 2009, he took the only permanent job available which pays less than half his old salary. He's now about to get his hours cut, so that's a further drop in income. We can't be the only ones in that situation.

chrisgwynne_2

if you think its hard to be unemployed, try being disabled too. i have had mobility problems for the last few years, as well as asthma and mental health issue's, also my hands shake because of mild tourette's ( i don't do the shouty swearing thing.) i've worked all my life doing everything from being a soldier to working on a sewage works, i worked full time whilst bringing up my 3 kids alone, one of whom is disabled, ( i'm male, so the company i worked for at the time also made my life hell.) i was made redundant because of illness nearly 3 years ago and because i'm a carer for my son and my dad and i'm disabled i am told by the disability adviser at the jobcenter i stand no chance of getting a job, yet the media and the public are screaming to get benefits cut. i'm sick of it all, i spend most of my time wishing i was dead. the only thing that stops me ending it all is the thought of what would happen to my son and my dad. i just wonder how long it will be before we disabled are rounded up and put into camps.

innerdavid

I was unemployed for a few years after doing a mid-life degree.
I did volunteer, and indeed that led to my current job.

I volunteered with the Army Cadet Force as an adult instructor - not everyone's cup of tea I know, but as an unemployed person you can benefit from plenty of time during the week, and can get into the many courses they run.

Volunteering leads me to the real thrust of my post - keep records.

People have said on here about volunteering, only for charities or only for 16 hours etc.

I do not know what the law says, but what I would say is the DWP don't have a clue themselves - if you phone and ask, the answer you get will depend on the time of day, person on duty, sunspots etc. In my case I did between four hours a week and full time for two weeks (Paid) - it doesn't stop your claim, but does affect how much the DWP give you.

So - you must keep a little notebook detailing the number you phoned, the time and who you spoke to, and what advice they gave.

That way when they try to take a wedge of money off you because they claim you got it wrong, you can take them to a tribunal and win - I did - twice.

If you do work that can be paid, but don't take pay, then the DWP can take that notional income from your benefit - they mis-informed me about that, and the tribunal found a way to prevent them stopping the money for that particular episode.

The DWP are so snowed under, that when you send them stuff, or phone them they loose it or take too long to act on it - again by keeping records I prevented them from taking money off me because of their sloppy record keeping.

Everything you send to them you must copy (they rarely get round to returning anything, so there go your payslips, bills or whatever), and get a certificate of posting (free at the post office). Better still for important stuff make an appointment and go to the office and get them to copy it while you are there - but they won't give you a receipt (they actually refuse), so keep records.

Because the Army cadets paid me for some of the time I spent with them, I always sent details of this when I got pay slips - after about six weeks the DWP start adjusting your benefit, by which time you have sent them another payslip etc. - start expecting a positive deluge of brown envelopes - I think my best was five on the same day, all saying different things, and around 15 to 20 per week at one point.

You have to check what they are doing because they don't know themselves. At one point I went to my MP, who wrote to some geezer in charge, and suddenly senior managers were phoning me and trying to find out what was going on. At one point I even sent one of their managers a phone bill showing time and date of a particular unpleasant call I had with the DWP, and after much investigation she could not find the call on their records!

If you do end up going to a tribunal, then if you have records and put them infront of the tribunal chair, invariably he or she will take your side as the truth, not least of all becaue the DWP didn't turn up.

The tribunal is free, and relatively easy (although I did do a law degree), but if it seems daunting the CAB can sometimes offer advice and even attend with you.

All in all unemployment can give you opportunities that employed people don't get, and can give you the chance to make a fresh start in a different direction, but to be honest the DWP nearly drove me insane.

ceridwen

Absolutely!

Never EVER assume that anyone knows their job - that way you won't be disappointed. Always check...check...check...

I've had my own experiences of people not knowing their job and/or not "telling all" (unclear as to whether it was because they "didnt know their job" or were following instructions "not to tell" - either way I ended up losing money I could/should have had because of it....:mad:).

EconomicsGirl

I took voluntary redundancy this summer and have just had a job offer, its worked out well for me in the end only a salary match with my old one but a more interesting job and also I got a good VR payout.

What I found helpful:
- Use Indeed.com to get daily vacancies.
- Do something other than looking for work - if you've got kids then you've got that, if not a hobby, something on the house, voluntary work, learn to drive/a new skill, courses etc - at least then you feel you're achieving something.
- Ensure your CV is as good as it could be and you are filling in application forms as well as you could be. Its better to fill in a few applications well a week than loads badly.
- Use the time to think about what you want to do with your life. Then work out how you can achieve that.
- Ignore negative people, their negativity is their problem.
- Believe in yourself, you will find something.
- Research, research and research again before an interview and learn how to do a competency based interview. You can find guides on the internet and buy books. Be enthusiastic at interviews and sell yourself. Write down a list of why they should employ you before you go to the interview and try to get this over.
- If you've been employed for a while seriously consider voluntary work and/or courses.
- Financially always be as careful as you can with money whether working or not, save whenever possible, get the highest interest rate you can on savings, rent a room in your flat, utility bills etc best buys and cut out anything you don't need. E-bay can be very good for buying things.
- Try to meet up with friends though remember to talk about them as well as you.

Also if you do feel very depressed please get help from friends and family and a doctor if needed. I never felt depressed as I was with my kids and enjoyed it but its understandable to be depressed.

onesixfive

PipneyJane wrote: »

I really don't understand how anyone can be expected to live on contribution based JSA. When my husband was unemployed last year, it was £64/week. 20-odd years ago, it was £45/week when food, travel, etc, were a hell of a lot cheaper (London rents were about the same, though).

There is an assumption built into the system that anyone with a spouse will be supported by the spouse but with housing costs the way they are, many people can't live on one income. For instance, if I lose my job my husband's wages will be entirely swallowed up just paying the mortgage. It wasn't always that way but after being made redundant in 2009, he took the only permanent job available which pays less than half his old salary. He's now about to get his hours cut, so that's a further drop in income. We can't be the only ones in that situation.

We too have been in this situation over the past 5 years.
My husband had worked for over 30 years in one job, & was made redundant, with very little to show for it - although he found another straight away - this was short-lived, and as he was last in he was first out, & lost the new job after a just couple of years.
In that time I was elbowed out of a well-paid job by downsizing & relocation. I too found (much) lower paid work straightaway.
So in a 5 year period our incomes approximately halved, and then we lost one income all together.

We were entitled to no Means-tested benefits, & only 6 months contributions-based JSA

After almost 12 months out of work - the last few months of which he received no state benefits at all - and in the absence of any Full Time work - he took a part-time job.
This developed & expanded by him covering for staff absences, and this week they have finally offered him full time work! Yippee!!




Anyway - we got through this period in our lives by:

• (Reluctantly) using my hubbys first redundancy payments to pay off all Credit Card debts, Get settlement deals on loans & pay them off/pay off a big chunk - companies dont like it - they lose interest on the money but you reduce monthly outgoings. Ours went down by over £300 a month!
• If you MUST have a car - We bought smaller newer car outright, with smaller fuel & tax & insurance & upkeep costs (this has only recently been replaced).
• Reducing all utility bills etc to lowest tariffs.
• Playing off Virgin v Sky etc for lowest prices one-off deals.
• Set up an EBay selling account & clear your wardrobes & cupboards & those of your friends & family (its a great time-filler & money-earner, and warmer than Car Booting) - but remember around a third to a quarter of all income goes on post costs & fees. Far more profitable than doing charity work - charity begins at home! (Anything that doesnt sell can go to charity!)
• Get rid of all non-essentials (Sky Movies & Sports add a fortune to bills)
• Combine bills - Mobile, Broadband, TV will give a better deal together.
• Shop online - Tesco delivery is well-worth the cost - saves a fortune on "trolley-dropping", and they have the brands you may not spot instore.
• If you must shop instore - check out "whoops" corners - & freeze it - all stores (including Boots etc) have them - we're addicted!
• Likewise with Charity Shops - (Some) Great places!
• We even saved enough in 20p's for a couple of days away (to restore sanity) albeit a couple of nights in a b & b - but vital for US time.
• Adapt your lifestyle - weekly meals out were replaced by £5 specials, and a monthly treat to the local. This was much-appreciated and rewards outweighed costs.

keet83

Here's some useful websites to check out for jobs and advice -

https://www.allaboutlaw.co.uk
https://www.jobs.nhs.uk
https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk
https://www.jobs.timesonline.co.uk
https://www.charityjobs.co.uk
https://www.jobsearch.co.uk
https://www.cwjobs.co.uk
https://www.jobserve.com
https://www.efinancialcareers.co.uk
https://www.jobsite.co.uk
https://www.environmentjob.co.uk
https://www.l2b.thelawyer.com
https://www.findaphd.com
https://www.lawcareers.net
https://www.fish4.co.uk
https://www.milkround.com
http://targetjobs.co.uk
https://www.monster.co.uk
https://www.gradcracker.com
https://www.prospects.ac.uk
https://www.gradjobs.co.uk
https://www.reed.co.uk
https://www.gradplus.com
https://www.rollonfriday.com
https://www.graduate-jobs.com
https://www.s1jobs.com
https://www.gumtree.com
https://www.targetjobs.co.uk
https://www.iagora.com
https://www.thegraduate.co.uk
https://www.insidecareers.co.uk
https://www.totaljobs.com
https://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
https://www.w4mp.org
https://www.jobcentreonline.com
https://www.wikijob.co.uk
https://www.jobs.ac.uk
https://www.jobs.guardian.co.uk