The Work Programme New Thread

Richie-from-the-Boro

- set up by the CONdems in June 2011
- to get long-term jobseekers into sustained work and off unemployment benefits
- including ill health, disability, drug and alcohol problems and homelessness
- Dame Anne Begg, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, doesn't think it's living up to the hype
- on 21 May 2013, that committee published a report looking at its effectiveness
- a 7 month inquiry, a wide range of stakeholders and oral evidence from 23 witnesses
- concluded that the Work Programme is failing to reach the most disadvantaged long-term unemployed people
- that differential pricing means the most disadvantaged remain at risk of being parked
- the risk of parking because Work Programme providers are given freedom to choose support instead of being GOV predscriptive
- its a license to park the hardest to help, rather than to deliver support tailored to individual needs
- the first entrants are now coming to the end of their two year attachment to the Work Programme

- knowing the mess that is WP just a year ago GOV invented the £2000 backhander to employers who took on a young person
- for 26 weeks they get paid £76pw for employing you, even then the take up was poor to almost zero
- and REC, the employers' organisation, found that out of 200 firms, not a single one had taken anyone on under the scheme

That's only the tip of the iceberg regarding the way GOV deals with the unemployed, and young unemployed and GOV statistics on this subject.

scooby088

AP007 wrote: »

how do you get NI credits if you are working?

A bit like working part time when signing for JSA you still get the NI credit part of it. I only do 10 hours max so not enough hours to sign off.

leroy28

finished the work programme, went in for my first after work programme interview, have to now go in everyday for 10 minute jobsearch, it will be fine when i get my car on the road again, my next jsa payment will go on tax and m.o.t for my car to make this less annoying, apart from that theres just much more expected of you, there a couple of annoying things they want me to do, like randomly going into an employer and giving them my cv when they have no jobs. the jobcentre is alot closer for me than the work programme though, i will say one thing, when you go to youre appointment dont let them know youre not happy about it, i just acted really positive to it, i was like oh yeah that good hopefully ill get some real help

the way they tell you, is like they enjoy it ya know? like they know this is to punish and degrade you and it makes them feel good about themselves. just dont let them win. i must admit ive been tempted to go on esa just to get away from this !!!! and look for a job without this crap. the only thing that would make me sighn of is what they used to do, wich was sit in a room all day every day doing nothing. so im greatfull they dont do that tbh. the work programme wasnt bad at all, they pretty much left me alone. only had like to times i actualy seen someone. other appointments they wernt there and stuff lol

krok

leroy28 wrote: »

finished the work programme, went in for my first after work programme interview, have to now go in everyday for 10 minute jobsearch, it will be fine when i get my car on the road again, my next jsa payment will go on tax and m.o.t for my car to make this less annoying, apart from that theres just much more expected of you, there a couple of annoying things they want me to do, like randomly going into an employer and giving them my cv when they have no jobs. the jobcentre is alot closer for me than the work programme though, i will say one thing, when you go to youre appointment dont let them know youre not happy about it, i just acted really positive to it, i was like oh yeah that good hopefully ill get some real help

the way they tell you, is like they enjoy it ya know? like they know this is to punish and degrade you and it makes them feel good about themselves. just dont let them win. i must admit ive been tempted to go on esa just to get away from this !!!! and look for a job without this crap. the only thing that would make me sighn of is what they used to do, wich was sit in a room all day every day doing nothing. so im greatfull they dont do that tbh. the work programme wasnt bad at all, they pretty much left me alone. only had like to times i actualy seen someone. other appointments they wernt there and stuff lol

Did they offer to pay for your travelling expenses as they have mandated you to visit the job centre every day.

AP007

scooby088 wrote: »

A bit like working part time when signing for JSA you still get the NI credit part of it. I only do 10 hours max so not enough hours to sign off.

I have never heard of it

10 hours would be enough to sign off at say £10 a hour

red_devil

dont these silly people realise that when they are harrasing you to go for a job that there are loads of others after it.

There arent enough jobs for everyone.

its like when they say look for a job in a different area? Everyone else in that area will be looking as well.

red_devil

grai wrote: »

Are you thinking that the harrassment will fizzle out just by the sheer weight of numbers? judging by the meeting I had this morning I think what they lack in staff they will make up for in sheer vehemence!

I've never been spoken to the way I was this morning they literally told me "you have to come off benefits"

they are blatantly aggressive and unapologetic - I hope you are right that we will go back to going through the motions because they can't cope with the numbers but after today I'm not optimistic

they have taken it into a completely different league of harrassment

you cant come off benefits if theres no job ask them what you will live on fresh air?

red_devil

scooby088 wrote: »

Anyone desperate to work would and should take any interviews and jobs there are going. Be it NMW or any other money, the only way out of getting hassled by the WP provider or the JC is to get a job.

working isnt all its cracked up to be you can get hassle at work, in some way you will get hassle of some sort.

red_devil

scooby088 wrote: »

I agree with what you said, but it's other's on here suggesting they sabotage their own interview if they have one for a job they don't want. Surely any job would be better than getting harrassed by the JC or WP.

not necessarily because if it dosent work out you cant go back to signing on just like that.

They dont care about you. They would push you into any job and then if it didnt work out you would find it hard to leave.

leroy28

krok wrote: »

Did they offer to pay for your travelling expenses as they have mandated you to visit the job centre every day.

yeah they said either, i think they said buss pass, thing is i allready have a pass that lets me travel free on bus, but i didnt tell them that, i said ill be using car, as they give you an allowence that gets paid into my account, so i might just use my bus pass and then they can pay me. got to in in ten minutes actualy, i really hate going into the jobcentre and get a bit anxious.