Having a panic

vickiv55

Good evening all, Firstly if this is posted In the wrong forum, could mods pls move?
I'm in a wee quandary just now....
To explain, I've handed in my notice at work (last day is tomorrow) and was meant to be starting my new job on Monday.
As I'm going to be working with children I need a disclosure to be completed and was told by my new employers that this would be in place by Monday.
However, today I've found out that this is not the case. My disclosure is "in transit" somewhere and i am not allowed to start my new job until the disclosure is arranged.
My now new start date is in approximate 3weeks time, (taking into consideration the school holidays - im going to work in a school) and I will have zero Income for the next month or so....
What are my options financially??
Can I sign on in the interim period between jobs?
Is there any financial help for things like rent/food?
Will my tax credits just stop????
I'm a single mum to a ten yr old,. I can survive on minimal food for the next month or so but I don't want my son to go hungry.
I literally survive week to week and have no savings, which I'm realising now has been a bit of a stupid oversight. But When I accepted the new job, it all seemed very clear cut.... Finish old job Friday, start new job Monday and wages would be paid.....
I literally have no money coming in from the end of this month and I'm panicking !!!

fluffnutter

If your new employer agreed to take you on from Date X, then why can't they pay you from that date? Unless it's your responsibility to ensure that the disclosure is completed on time and you've delayed, I hardly see how you can be penalised for this not being ready in time.

At my old job people needed security clearance which could often be delayed. The company still paid them from whatever date their contract said, they just didn't come in to work until the clearance was in place. Frustrating and a waste of money for the company, but why should the employee suffer?

What has your new employer said?

annie_d

See if the employer is able to track the disclosure on line for you, this is usually possible

lindens

THis happened to me and my old employer kept me on until the clearance came through. very kind and i understand not every employer may do this. but worth asking

marisco_2

What start date is on your contract of employment and will your new employer honour this? If it is not down to you that these delays have occured then I dont see why you should be penalised. I suggest that you phone your new employer and clarify this point with them. It could be that your employer will suck this up and pay you anyway.

If they advise you that they wont do this then could you arrange an overdraft facility with your bank? This is often cheaper than using a credit card to tide you over, just till you start recieving your salary. Most banks will arrange a short term overdraft facility to their customers in times of cash flow difficulties.

As this situation has highlighted it is a good idea to put a little bit of money by for times of emergency. Dont berate yourself for not having done this though. You sound like a responsible mum doing her best and cannot foresee all outcomes. I hope you enjoy your new job once you do get started.

Wellyboots6

I was in this situation with a previous job, and they let me start work to do induction training etc but was not allowed unsupervised contact with clients until the disclosure came through.

Maybe you could contact the new employers and suggest that you would be happy to be supervised, spend time reading through policies, doing induction work etc until the disclosure comes through?

vickiv55

Thank you all for your advice. Its been greatly appreciated.
However, this situation has gone from bad to worse.
To update, I telephoned the person who had offered me the job on Friday and couldnt get hold of him, so I left a voicemail saying that I was getting a little concerned about the missing disclosure and that I was meant to be starting on Monday so was worried... could he phone me back...
I also phoned the Head office and was put through to the personnel department.
I was told by them that there is no way I should have been offered a job in the first place and no way that I should have been given a start date until my disclosure was back.!!!!!
to clarify: The person who interviewed me, and phoned me, offered me a job.
He invited me into the office to sign my disclosure and TOLD me as it was only an update to existing one that it would only take one week and that I should give my notice in. HE GAVE ME A START DATE!!!
He also told me when I asked where my written offer of employment was, that "the other office dealt with that" and they are laxidaisical about getting paperwork together but its nothing to worry about it.

The personnel department told me they would look into it and get back to me.
Literally minutes after I put the phone down, the gentleman who offered me my job phoned.

He was quite blunt /agigtated and told me that he never made a firm offer of a job until my disclosure came back as I could have broken all sorts of laws ?!! his words! (my mum was actually with me when he initially phoned and heard him offer me the job)
And there is no way he would have told me to hand in my notice... he actually told me what I should write in my letter of notice.
He also stated that he never gave me a start date!! - and according to him he was swearing this on the bible and would say it in a court of law!! again his words...

Why on earth would i have made all this up?

While I was in his office, we worked through the calendar, and when I said I needed to give a week's notice, he said I could put it in for friday the 22nd, and that would work in well for starting on the 25th and getting nearly a full weeks start at the new post before the school holidays began.... This was not some airy-fairy nonsense that i've just made up!

When I pointed out that if what he was saying was indeed fact, then could he explain to me why I would ever leave a long-term, permanent post to become unemployed on the off-chance that this company would actually employ me?! I said that as a parent I would never willingly cut off the financial source that is keeping a roof over my head and food in my sons tummy. He went silent.

He knows damn fine exactly what conversations we have had.
He also knows that he shouldnt have done this until my disclosure was back - personnel told me this, and this I believe is why he was trying to cover his back in his rather blunt phonecall to me

He called me a liar!!

Don't get me wrong, I know I've been incredibly naive by not getting anything in writing. But this has never happened to me before. But I am also not a fool - I wouldnt have mis-heard being offered a job, I certainly wouldnt have mis-heard when my start date was, being told to hand in my notice!

I'm shocked at how I've been treated by someone who has made a mistake and is scrabbling to cover their tracks.

Further to the whole shebang on Friday, I called my old boss... and have managed to get my old job back. it must be the shortest resignation ever but i've been blinking lucky to be accepted back.

Spendless

How horrible. I read to the end thinking OMG but glad to see your old boss has let you have your job back.:beer:

Nenen

What a horrible, horrible, cowardly man - it sounds as if you have had a lucky escape! Just imagine how awful he would be to work for!

bagpussbear

What an awful thing to happen to you! I was about to suggest asking your employer if you could withdrawn your resignation, then saw that you have, well done. You are lucky, but outrageous at how you were treated, you've had a lucky escape.

marisco_2

vickiv55 wrote: »

Further to the whole shebang on Friday, I called my old boss... and have managed to get my old job back. it must be the shortest resignation ever but i've been blinking lucky to be accepted back.

Thank goodness that you got your previous job back. Your boss clearly values you and likes you being part of the team.

Probably more than can be said about the inadequate who offered you a job, when it was not his place to do so, then chose to lie and scheme in order to cover his tracks. I shouldn't think the people he works for think highly of him any more. He behaved as he did toward you because his back was up against the wall and he knew he was in the wrong. Obviously not man enough to admit it though!

Chalk all this down to experience and accept that you have had a lucky escape.