JSA and work committments

GamerInfo

monkeychops wrote: »

I would never be able to apply for anywhere near 30 jobs a week unless I applied for ones I knew I didn't have a hope in hell for. There are very few retail vacancies (shops are closing down all the time where I live) although with Christmas approaching some will be looking for temporary staff.

You have to do what they told my partner - if a job states 'no experience necessary' then he MUST apply for it whatever the job title or role. He was also told he cannot just look for jobs in and around his local area - he HAS to apply for jobs up to 20miles away, even though he doesn't drive and would have to rely on public transport.

Unfortunately now you are claiming JSA you CANNOT afford to be picky and the JC wont allow you to be choosy about your preferred work title or postcode for very long.....

Good luck in finding employment

monkeychops

AP007 wrote: »

I never said you had to apply for 30 jobs a week the Job Centre would have told you this and I am amazed you never signed anything at all?

Where you given a signing on booklet?

You don't get a separate signing on booklet now. The new form of booklet has these sections about commitments and outcome. The adviser told me it has recently changed although apparently not all areas have this yet.

As I said, I was definitely not told I had to apply for a certain amount of jobs a week. I have an appointment tomorrow so will ask about this.

GamerInfo wrote: »

You have to do what they told my partner - if a job states 'no experience necessary' then he MUST apply for it whatever the job title or role. He was also told he cannot just look for jobs in and around his local area - he HAS to apply for jobs up to 20miles away, even though he doesn't drive and would have to rely on public transport.

Unfortunately now you are claiming JSA you CANNOT afford to be picky and the JC wont allow you to be choosy about your preferred work title or postcode for very long.....

Good luck in finding employment

I am happy to apply for every job going but it does seem a bit pointless if its pretty obvious I don't stand a chance. I only really have retail experience. I did work in an office for quite a long time but that was over 10 years ago so not up on the latest computer programmes, switchboards etc.

AP007

monkeychops wrote: »

You don't get a separate signing on booklet now. The new form of booklet has these sections about commitments and outcome. The adviser told me it has recently changed although apparently not all areas have this yet.

As I said, I was definitely not told I had to apply for a certain amount of jobs a week. I have an appointment tomorrow so will ask about this.



I am happy to apply for every job going but it does seem a bit pointless if its pretty obvious I don't stand a chance. I only really have retail experience. I did work in an office for quite a long time but that was over 10 years ago so not up on the latest computer programmes, switchboards etc.

So in the booklet you have to write down the jobs you have applied for?

It really sounds very very odd indeed

GamerInfo

monkeychops wrote: »

I am happy to apply for every job going but it does seem a bit pointless if its pretty obvious I don't stand a chance. I only really have retail experience. I did work in an office for quite a long time but that was over 10 years ago so not up on the latest computer programmes, switchboards etc.

They told my partner it doesn't matter whether he has experience or not or even whether he any chance of getting the job, as long as the job description says 'no experience necessary' or 'full training will be provided' he HAS to apply for it regardless. They told him by not literally applying for every type of job going his chances of finding employment are greatly reduced - their exact words:

'you are unemployed, you cannot afford to be choosy - if the job doesn't require any previous experience then you MUST apply for it'

It is silly to be apply for jobs that you either cannot get to or have no previous knowledge of, but that's the rules and if they think there are jobs you are not applying for that you could be applying for they can and will sanction you and stop your money.

It's really tuff signing on these days and the JC make the rules as they go, you only have to read some of the threads to see just how bad it really is.....

I would certainly find out why you have signed or been issued with a JSA agreement, that to me is a sanction waiting to happen when you don't follow the agreement T&Cs

paulineb_2

I was asked to apply for I think it was about 8-10 jobs a week, but what they wanted to see was the fact that I was searching, they certainly didnt expect me to come up with 10 job leads a week and neither did they expect me to apply for jobs that I wasnt qualified for, in fact when I had my first appointment they were happy that I looked for jobs in youth work, which I had a lot of experience in, fitness which is what I retrained in and also retail, which I didnt have a lot of experience in, just a year working in a charity shop

They were quite happy that I did job searches, sent CVs out and applied for jobs that came up in jobsearches, that was 2 years ago. It might be different in different areas but I certainly wasnt asked to apply for jobs that I had nil experience in. What would have been an issue would have been if I turned up to sign on and had made no attempts to look for work in the previous fortnight.

i_want_to_believe

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/claimant-commitment-to-spell-out-what-jobseekers-must-do-in-return-for-benefits

National roll out from this Autumn

GamerInfo

paulineb wrote: »

They were quite happy that I did job searches, sent CVs out and applied for jobs that came up in jobsearches, that was 2 years ago. It might be different in different areas but I certainly wasnt asked to apply for jobs that I had nil experience in.

That's the sticking point - 2yrs ago they were very lenient with my partner, it's all a very different story now.....

They've demanded my partner to falsify information on his CV to 'make it look good', demanded email access to our private email account, demanded he show them proof he's applied for the jobs, and also demanded he not only email his CV to the companies but also to jump on public transport and hand an actual paper copy to the company (some of whom do not either display their company address or specifically state they want email only CV/applications)

And to top things off we are unsure whether he's been sanctioned because his JCP adviser told him that he didn't have to take a 12hr per week job offer as we'd be worse of financially, however they are now saying the job he turned down has been logged as being a full-time position - not true since my partner has even showed them the contract he signed with the company when he went for his interview (it clearly shows the days of the week and how many hours he would be doing).

Things are very bad for those claiming JSA at the moment (with no signs of it getting any better) - so the general advice is to follow your agreement to the letter....anything they demand above and beyond that agreement, get it in writing before you do so

AP007

i_want_to_believe wrote: »

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/claimant-commitment-to-spell-out-what-jobseekers-must-do-in-return-for-benefits

National roll out from this Autumn

my JSA already reads like that so its not new to me just odd you do not get an JSA anymore as the OP states

BurnleyBob

A different regime started to be rolled out last week in some pilot areas.

New JSA claimants are greeted at the Jobcentre entrance by smiling security guards who escort them to the manager's office for tea and biccies and a sympathetic ear.

Following a pleasant chinwag they are then introduced to the advisers who afterwards break into a welcoming song that's either For He's/She's a Jolly Good Fellow or Wet Wet Wet's Love is All Around.

Jobseekers aren't required to seek employment or sign on for three months. The downside is if they make an appearance on the appointed date 13 weeks later they will be whisked out of the back entrance where they will be summarily shot by Iain Duncan Smith using his ex-service revolver.

slenderkitten

i_want_to_believe wrote: »

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/claimant-commitment-to-spell-out-what-jobseekers-must-do-in-return-for-benefits

National roll out from this Autumn

No real details in his article perhaps they don't know themselves. i think these schemes and new rule designed to sanction people and it will be those that really want work that it will affect the most not the layabout ones who have either never worked and just breed or the who haven't worked or years for no good reason.