The Work Programme New Thread

LadyMissA

EndlessStruggle wrote: »

http://www.bt.com/includingyou/other-products-services-bt-basic.html

Have you considered BT Basic for cheap line rental if you don't really use home phone, you qualify on Income Based JSA. You pay £14.40 every 3 months, you get roughly £5 call allowance for 3 months and some free calls at weekends and you can put broadband on top.

Broadband too?

miss_scrooge

LadyMissA wrote: »

Its £27.50 on its own!! LOL

I pay £28 for the BT line and broadband so no its not a good deal at all is it!

I pay 22.50 for virgin broadband on it's own unless other people pay more in different areas but that's what I pay.

EndlessStruggle

You have to pay extra for broadband but just go for bts cheapeast broadband option which I think is about £13. It is just cheap line rental as compared to BTs usual £14 a month it's £14 for 3 months and good for if you don't actually use the phone.

donnajunkie

miss_scrooge wrote: »

I pay 22.50 for virgin broadband on it's own unless other people pay more in different areas but that's what I pay.

just had a look on their site and that is the price of their cheapest stand alone package. it is half price for the first 3 months as well.

LadyMissA

EndlessStruggle wrote: »

You have to pay extra for broadband but just go for bts cheapeast broadband option which I think is about £13. It is just cheap line rental as compared to BTs usual £14 a month it's £14 for 3 months and good for if you don't actually use the phone.

very surprised no one told me this exsisted, no one at the JC, no one at the WP or BT then I re newed my contract. A bit late now

EndlessStruggle

No they don't shout about it as obviously it is a very reduced rate, I only know about it as did some research on cheaper phone options when I was doing voluntary work with debt clients.

LadyMissA

Lady at JC today when I was signing asked what I thought of the WP. I said it was a waste of time and I was out the building in 10 mins. She said 'you do job searches there'? to which I replied 'no I do them all at home, what's the point of sitting there doing what I can do at home'?

Her reply to that was 'when were your last interview'? I told her and she said 'that's why you aren't getting interviews' 'What'? I said?

She said the reason why I am not getting interviews is because the WP people are NOT helping me to fill in applications!

I said 'are you joking? You do know there is about 250+ people applying for jobs that I go for and there are near on 3million out of work' Woman - shrugs shoulders!

I was fuming! I am going to email my WP guy and tell him now that he must help me with ALL my applications, even ones where I send my CV.

What a load of s**t

scooby088

When I signed I was asked have i done any work in the last fortnight which I hadn't, but the previous fortnight i did a shift for an agency, think i'm going get that question for a while now just because I declared it.

When I go to the JC they ask my address and DOB I sign, they show me the screen saying it has gone through and say good luck see you in 2 weeks.

My provider I haven't heard anything from for 2 weeks but no doubt I'll get a letter for an appointment sooner or later. I think providers have that many on their books they actually can't give you anymore than 10 mins a month. It is sad, my advisor said he cannot help me as I am already doing more than enough.

out_of_cash

Summerstage wrote: »

OK, here goes, may not be a popular post but trust me when I say it is meant to assist and nothing else.

The WP as we know is targeted to get "clients/customers" into a job, the same way as an Employment Agency is.

No, they send people on courses,mostly dead head ones of which do not enhance a huge percentge of people getting a job.

The success rate from this workprogramme costing billions to the tax payer is one of the biggest failures going of our time.Somtimes its best to do nothing when all is going !!!! shape.

Agencies are only interested in those they can place successfully with an Employer, to ensure payment and also repeat business from the Employer.

Their also interested in paying the lowest hourly rate they can get away with,dosent matter that t he employee needs to make a living etc.


So it goes without saying that skills/qualifications/experience are important, but a large part of ensuring the Employer is satisfied is the how the potential employee fits in - with the culture of the company, any existing staff, customers, contacts etc.

Only someone very in experienced would not know this, you are stating the obvious,this kind of stuff is the crap they spill at the work programme dwp etc .





So I would say that no matter how you may feel at having to go to these places (WP), use them to your advantage.

As most of the WP staff are ex-recruitment agency staff, the attitude you display is key to them helping you. So in sending letters of complaints to Directors or whatever, asking for specialist treatment, or in any way standing out as someone who may be potentially "trouble" to an Employer, they most probably would not "vouch" for you. As in an Agency, they look for the most "placeable" candidates.

I understand that this is not how it should work, but I live in the real world and as such understand that this is unfortunately the way it goes.

you obviously dont! as you would then know that these private companies have been set up with finding work for the candidates on the WP but with clowns in goverment fully aware there are no-where near enough jobs to go around.

Now we have loads of these work programme providers tossing out courses to all and getting a fat fee for doing !!!!!! all as they cant find enough jobs for people etc etc etc.Its very easy to send them all on courses and collect a nice cheque,a totally different thing to find real work.

Many will fold soon as they go cap in hand to goverment.I do think that this time, the cash will have run out.

Just feel that if someone really feels they are banging their head against a wall, trying to get back into work and getting nowhere, then it may be very clever to "shine" at future WP appointments. you are having a laugh, surely.

As I said at the start, this is not meant to start a war, pretty new here, but just posting another point of view x

Thanks for your point of view, but its one i dont share.

out_of_cash

scooby088 wrote: »

When I signed I was asked have i done any work in the last fortnight which I hadn't, but the previous fortnight i did a shift for an agency, think i'm going get that question for a while now just because I declared it.

When I go to the JC they ask my address and DOB I sign, they show me the screen saying it has gone through and say good luck see you in 2 weeks.

My provider I haven't heard anything from for 2 weeks but no doubt I'll get a letter for an appointment sooner or later. I think providers have that many on their books they actually can't give you anymore than 10 mins a month. It is sad, my advisor said he cannot help me as I am already doing more than enough.

hi scooby,

same here, havent seen my advisor for weeks,but i wont complain as i know like you there is nothing they can do for me in the current climate,even if work was there for what i actually do theyhavent got a clue as to my skills.