The Work Programme New Thread

LadyMissA

athenajm wrote: »

If they have no phone then how can employers contact them if they want them to come for an interview? Yes they may email, but I think 90% of my job interviews have been arranged by telephone. IMO not having a phone of any kind is a barrier to getting a job and personally I would question how committed someone is in looking for work if they have no contact number.

Some providers in Cardiff have been known to buy customers phones and also top them up every month!

Like I have said if they have no phone at all they can not sanction them now if they have been on JSA a year or more and now the WP provider decides too. It's up to them to put in a complaint to the WP and ask for the £ to buy the phone and top it up if they have to start with £10 on it etc. I am amazed with no phone at all they are looking for work however.

looby75

I've got to admit that in this day and age there is no real reason why someone doesn't have a mobile. You can get a basic PAYG handset for £15 and most sims only need to be topped up every year or so to keep them active.

I don't see how anyone can properly job search without giving either a landline number or mobile. There have been application forms I've filled in that have required you to give at least a mobile number and won't let you progress until you do.

Vincent_Buenisedes

LadyMissA wrote: »

The evidence would be a threat from them saying if you didnt get a phone you would get no JSA!


Still I say no one can get a sanction for not having a phone!

I have a mobile, but I have no voicemail or credit on it so it's just a phone so people I know can get hold of me.

I would agree with you (about not getting a sanction), but the DWP will use any excuse whatsoever to apply a sanction: it makes their figures look good. All the WP provider has to say is that the "client" failed to make themselves available or some other flimsy reason and the DWP would buy it (in my experience). Personally, I would never give my direct landline, mobile or email address to a provider as I have had my finger burned before - I would only let them have the contact details that the DWP pass over to them, which are minimal.

LadyMissA

Vincent_Buenisedes wrote: »

I would agree with you (about not getting a sanction), but the DWP will use any excuse whatsoever to apply a sanction: it makes their figures look good. All the WP provider has to say is that the "client" failed to make themselves available or some other flimsy reason and the DWP would buy it (in my experience). Personally, I would never give my direct landline, mobile or email address to a provider as I have had my finger burned before - I would only let them have the contact details that the DWP pass over to them, which are minimal.

The DWP obviously know already that this person has no phone and have (as far as we know) not said anything about this. Only now it comes to light since the WP have told them they have to buy one.
This person should have the guts to ask for the ££ - I would!

wantsajob

looby75 wrote: »

I've got to admit that in this day and age there is no real reason why someone doesn't have a mobile. You can get a basic PAYG handset for £15 and most sims only need to be topped up every year or so to keep them active.

Not Asda and Vodafone ones, they cut you off pretty quickly. I have found Tesco sims to be quite good in this regard though.

Besides, fags and booze are far more important than a mobile phone, as these benefit claimants would agree...

looby75

wantsajob wrote: »

Not Asda and Vodafone ones, they cut you off pretty quickly. I have found Tesco sims to be quite good in this regard though.

My mother in law has a orange basic phone that cost about £20 a few years ago (they are even cheaper now) she's only ever topped her phone up twice and rarely uses it but it's still activated so I think Orange must have a good "cut off period"

donnajunkie

athenajm wrote: »

If they have no phone then how can employers contact them if they want them to come for an interview? Yes they may email, but I think 90% of my job interviews have been arranged by telephone. IMO not having a phone of any kind is a barrier to getting a job and personally I would question how committed someone is in looking for work if they have no contact number.

Some providers in Cardiff have been known to buy customers phones and also top them up every month!

an employer could easily write a letter, although i agree most want to phone people. it depends on how professional the employer is. i think more professional employers are more likely to arrange an interview by letter.

LadyMissA

donnajunkie wrote: »

an employer could easily write a letter, although i agree most want to phone people. it depends on how professional the employer is. i think more professional employers are more likely to arrange an interview by letter.

Are you serious? Professional companies ONLY arrange an interview by letter? I would bet that at least 99% of interviews are arranged by phone call or email. I have never had an interview arranged by letter. Are you seriously saying all the agencies out there will contact you by letter if their client want to see you for interview? That will take at least 2/3 days to get a letter out to you and by then the job is gone. You have to be contactable by email (to call them back) or on a phone line.
I'd like some hiring managers on here to tell me they agree with asking people to interview by letter. I have an interview this week with a major trasnport company and they called me, no letter sent at all and then all confirmed on an email.

donnajunkie

LadyMissA wrote: »

Are you serious? Professional companies ONLY arrange an interview by letter? I would bet that at least 99% of interviews are arranged by phone call or email. I have never had an interview arranged by letter. Are you seriously saying all the agencies out there will contact you by letter if their client want to see you for interview? That will take at least 2/3 days to get a letter out to you and by then the job is gone. You have to be contactable by email (to call them back) or on a phone line.
I'd like some hiring managers on here to tell me they agree with asking people to interview by letter. I have an interview this week with a major trasnport company and they called me, no letter sent at all and then all confirmed on an email.

i am only going by my experiences. big or reputable companies have usually informed me about an interview by letter. as far as agencies go well they are all cowboys arent they.

LadyMissA

donnajunkie wrote: »

i am only going by my experiences. big or reputable companies have usually informed me about an interview by letter. as far as agencies go well they are all cowboys arent they.

Think of how many interviews you may have missed out on if the letter got lost in the post.

Why would you think any company would write a letter to you to ask you to attend an interview in 2012?

Agencies who get a temp job in for 3 mths say tomorrow and if you have registered with them they are not going to waste their time sending a letter and if they can't get hold of you by phone they then pull you from the interview.

I am going to see TFL so I think they are pretty big.