JSA Hardship payments

Rich1985

tomtontom wrote: »

You talk about them unfairly judging claimants, but that is exactly what you are doing to them. Maybe you could have some empathy for the pressures of their job?

I feel I have a darn good right to judge, especially when I consider the hell they have put me through these passed few days, trying to trick me out of benefits I'm entitled to; and based on how they have treated me over time - I know there are many others who would take things a step further if they had experiences that were identical to mine. There is only so much a man can take before he snaps.

And I do have empathy for the pressures and struggles they face in their roles, regardless of how shoddily I am treated. I'm sure the work is awful (I've been frequenting these places for a long time so I'm not completely oblivious to this) and I do my best to ease the situation by being polite and considerate, and like I said previously I'm sure most if not all members hate their jobs - but I still don't see how it gives them the right to treat others like dirt!

The question is: do they ever stop for one moment and think about how hard things are for us, the claimants? Not only do we have to face the difficult task of finding a job (any job, suitable or not) while living on a low income, which believe me can be incredibly difficult if you have no qualifications or if your qualifications are now obsolete, but we must also accept being tarred with the same brush and labelled as being 'lazy', 'bone idle' and/or 'workshy' by the utterly ignorant who were probably fortunate enough to land a job as soon as they finished education (if only it was that simple for everybody) and have never been in a situation like mine in their entire adult lives!

The rope swings both ways.

missapril75

Rich1985 wrote: »

...being tarred with the same brush and labelled as being 'lazy', 'bone idle'.....

The rope swings both ways.

As does brush tarring an entire workforce.

donnajunkie

Rich1985 wrote: »

"at my jobcentre they get you to sign a copy of a letter for any appointment to prove you got it. they must do this because without it you would have a good chance of winning an appeal."

Indeed. Fortunately for me, at my job centre they are terribly inconsistent regarding asking you to sign letters. Even so, I'll make a diligent effort to be more alert from now on. The problem is, I've signed so many letters that I rarely bother to actually read the fine print. A very dangerous trap to fall into.

Must not get complacent!

if they were on the ball and got you to sign a letter then you would have known about it and all the hassle would never have happened.

Rich1985

donnajunkie wrote: »

if they were on the ball and got you to sign a letter then you would have known about it and all the hassle would never have happened.

Unless of course I forgot about it. Serves them right for being lazy.

donnajunkie

indeed but as i am sure you know, i forgot isnt classed as an acceptable reason to miss an appointment.

busy_mom_2

Rich1985 please do not tar all advisers with the same brush, yes the job is totally thankless, its bloody hard and I sugest you look at the bigger picture. Staff are threatened on a daily basis, they have huge expectations, low pay, and then people with attitudes like yourslef. The assistant advisers are allocated 5 minutes per person to sign. An adviser will have a caseload of over 100 customers and each interview is normally 20 mins. Post work programme is even tougher!

What exactly do you expect form the staff? It is not their job to find you a job, They are responsibile for ensuring you have met the conditions for claiming JSA, you have looked for work, applied for all suitable jobs and been available. They check to see if you have the necessary skills to be able to perform effective jobsearch such as C.V. you are to adapt it and then they may be able to assist with training. What they can and cant do is dictated by higher up, if you are not satisfied complain to your MP.

You state you are a long term visitor exactly how long?

Rich1985

"Rich1985 please do not tar all advisers with the same brush"

Why not? They, along with members of the public seem to do it to those who are unemployed. You get what you give and all that.

"I sugest you look at the bigger picture"

I already do. Hence why I make an extra effort to be polite and courteous whenever I interact with staff members. It's a shame the favour is rarely returned.

"people with attitudes like yourslef"

Can you really blame me for having an attitude, given what I've been through lately? Not really!

"Staff are threatened on a daily basis"

Is this really true, or just an exaggeration? Because in all the time I have been visiting the job centre I have not seen a single member of staff get threatened. Then again, I guess it all depends on where you are situated in the country. After all, crime rates surely vary from city to city. Anyway, if you have been threatened or have witnessed any form of intimidation or violence then you have my deepest sympathies. Then again, maybe certain claimants are provoked into being aggressive so that staff members have a valid reason to stop their benefits! If the latter is true then I can only sympathise with the aggressor.

"What exactly do you expect form the staff?"

All I want is some professional courtesy, is that really too much to ask?

"You state you are a long term visitor exactly how long?"

That's no-ones business but mine.

Rich1985

donnajunkie wrote: »

i forgot isnt classed as an acceptable reason to miss an appointment.

True, but I never said it was.

mlarmour

I have personally had bad experiences in the past with the job centre. A past adviser had a go at me for not applying for a job as a carer that she advised me to apply for. I didn't have any of the qualifications needed for the job, nor did I want to be a carer. As I pointed out to her, I could barely look after myself let alone anyone else.

However, this time I have had no issues. They just let me get go with looking for a job. They offer me help when I need it and I usually accept it because I will accept any help to help me get a job. I hate being unemployed but they are helping me to get a job. However I don't think it is far for some of you to tar them all with the same brush. They are trying their best but it seems like you won't help yourselves. I have a disability and I'm applying for any job I can find; and because due to my disability I forget things but I write everything down. How hard is it to run a diary and to take it with you to the job centre?

Rich1985

mlarmour wrote: »

A past adviser had a go at me for not applying for a job as a carer that she advised me to apply for. I didn't have any of the qualifications needed for the job, nor did I want to be a carer. As I pointed out to her, I could barely look after myself let alone anyone else.

I believe this is the chief reason why vulnerable elderly people are abused in some of these care homes that we sometimes hear about on the news and programmes like Panorama. We have nurses doing the jobs that really don't want to and are probably burned out.

A spokesperson on TV recently said: "Do not apply for these positions if you are not a caring person". I don't believe its that simple, I think some of these nurses are talked into doing these jobs by job centre staff, possibly because they they are unable to find work anywhere else and are finding it too difficult to make ends meet on benefits alone. They tried to talk me into becoming a carer once. Luckily I was in a position to decline the offer as I had secured work elsewhere.

"They offer me help when I need it and I usually accept it because I will accept any help to help me get a job. I hate being unemployed but they are helping me to get a job."

That's great to hear. I appreciate that not all centres are the same, but then I doubt you would be writing that if you had to attend the centre in my area regularly.

"However I don't think it is far for some of you to tar them all with the same brush."

That's very easy to say when you think things are starting to look up for you, and you think people are beginning to treat you better.

"They are trying their best but it seems like you won't help yourselves."

If you are referring to me then you have no idea.

"How hard is it to run a diary and to take it with you to the job centre?"

Keeping a diary, great idea as long as you remember to bring it. As a matter of fact I take my appointment card whenever I visit the job centre now, however my ability to remember appointments is excellent so I rarely bothered to take my card until recently.