April JSA changes

AP007

OleGunnar wrote: »

I don't claim any of the benefits you named bar 70 odd a week JSA. I haven't been to the doctors for getting on for nearly a quarter of a decade, similar with the dentist. I don't have any children. Does this mean I should do approx 11 hours community work as recompense at NMW? Fine. I mean I already do do voluntary but if you want a formal 11 hours cool. What argument have you got for me doing the other 19 hours for 6 months?

Your story is totally anecdotal about the guy on MWA, as is my situation. That's the thing though isn't it- NOTHING is personalised, nothing is tailored. It's all one size fits. Dude is unemployed for X amount of time, it must be down to a reluctance to work. So lets make things uncomfortable.

Just like the work programme, that didn't help the vast majority, I don't see how forcing people to work UNPAID, full time for 6 months will achieve anything beneficial. It's all a punitive attempt to get you off signing on. Unless you want shocking customer service in a charity shop or people spitting in the food they prepare for old people and think that is beneficial? Voluntary work only works when it's voluntary. Especially when compelled to do it for 6 months, which is twice what the courts can impose.

I think Labours idea of a 6 month paid job at NMW is a much better idea than giving more money to the likes of Serco, A4E and every other useless provider who will source the community work. Funny thing is if people mess about or don't participate in that Labour scheme those are the EXACT people the Job Centre should be targeting and sanctioning. I mean what reason can a job seeker have for not working at NMW? It's so simple and obvious that it should be done, yet instead giving money to select private firms is what the Government favours. Wonder why?

I too only get JSA. I have been to the doctors and got a prescription and paid for it as I didn't want anyone to know I wasn't working the same for one trip to the dentist. I have an absess now and just putting up with it.

Labours idea of a paid job at NMW for 6 months?

Where are they going to get these real jobs from? Are they going to be manual jobs and professional ones? Are they going to force companies to take people on? Highly unlikely to happen at all.

AP007

Anyway lets get back to the thread title and how these interventions are going to help?

OleGunnar

AP007 wrote: »

Anyway lets get back to the thread title and how these interventions are going to help?

I think my post was entirely on topic, well certainly the bulk of it. The gist was that the interventions aren't designed to help at all! That it's an idealogical agenda, capitalising on a popular misconception and to get you off the books by any means necessary.

I don't think the April changes are necessarily changes at all. The three options they'll present are already in practice, albeit to varying degrees if you're working on the basis of we're talking about post work programme support people.

The other thing is you won't necessarily be mandated to work, you could carry on as is or sign daily. It's all up to the advisor to decide. It isn't like the WP in the respect that hitting a certain timeline triggered a definitive response.

Option 1- Mandatory Intervention:
Isn't this already in place in that you theoretically see your advisor weekly? I generally vary between weekly and fortnightly appointments, though there has been occasion where it's been longer.

On a handful of times I've seen him twice in a week, though the second meeting was more a how did you get on at the Jobs Fare I mandated you to type thing. Totally accept though the mileage will vary from area to area as to when you see an advisor. Generally I'm there for like 10 minutes no matter what.

Option 2- Daily Signing
Again PWPS already mandate people to this. My understanding from what I've read is that it's more a daily email about what you've been doing than daily visit? Though a visit is an option too. No experience of daily signing personally.

Option 3- Community Work Placement
Well they can and do mandate you to work for free. I think everybody on PWPS will have done so at some point? Though the difference, and a big one, is MWA is only for a month and can be at Tesco or a Pound Shop, whereas the new placements can't place you at anything which isn't of benefit to the community. They also last significantly longer.

---

Community Work Placements

Reference number: UI_DWP_100625
Estimated duration 28/04/2014 - 27/10/2016
Estimated value £0 - £253,800,000

Is paying Serco, A4e, Seetetc and the rest of the useless providers another two hundred and fity million wise given how poorly they performed on the Work Programme? Still it's obvious why they're interested in the tender.

The question is are there enough community placements to go around? I'd suggest they're struggling in this regard as it appears to be running late, something confirmed above by the JC employee busymom. If you read this link and it's PDFs attached it'd suggest so. I don't think they've even awarded the winning tenders yet?

The other thing is several past supporters of MWA have publicly declared that they won't be participating in the Community Placements.

The Salvation Army:

However, although we have seen first-hand the positive benefits people gain from being in work, volunteering or taking part in a work experience placement, we will not be participating in a new government programme called Community Work Placements or CWP which will start at the beginning of April this year. CWP is aimed at benefit claimants who did not find sustained employment during their time on the Work Programme.

We feel that a 26-week work experience placement is too long and would not be beneficial.

British Heart Foundation:

Our shop managers have a discussion with all applicants to ensure that their joining us is appropriate and mutually beneficial. If either side feels that this will not be the case, the applicant will not take up a position with us.

At the moment, there are around 15,000 people giving their time to support us by working in our Shops across the UK. All the opportunities we provide are voluntary. We are no longer involved in the Mandatory Work Activity scheme or the Work Programme.
We review the operation and effectiveness of all schemes regularly and make changes to our participation as necessary. It is important that any work placement with us achieves positive results for all involved.

Of course there are more than two charitable organisation in the country but I find it interesting two massive organisations, previously not adverse to forced free labour, are now saying different.

I've had no word off my advisor despite asking numerous times over the months. I've been told "dunno", lied to ("it has to pass through the House of Parliament") and most recently "nothing is decided, we find out last". It's just a hunch but I get the feeling it'll be business as usual and nothing much changing for the majority of PWPS people.

AP007

OleGunnar wrote: »

Option 1- Mandatory Intervention:
Isn't this already in place in that you theoretically see your advisor weekly? I generally vary between weekly and fortnightly appointments, though there has been occasion where it's been longer.

On a handful of times I've seen him twice in a week, though the second meeting was more a how did you get on at the Jobs Fare I mandated you to type thing. Totally accept though the mileage will vary from area to area as to when you see an advisor. Generally I'm there for like 10 minutes no matter what.

Option 2- Daily Signing
Again PWPS already mandate people to this. My understanding from what I've read is that it's more a daily email about what you've been doing than daily visit? Though a visit is an option too. No experience of daily signing personally.

Option 3- Community Work Placement
Well they can and do mandate you to work for free. I think everybody on PWPS will have done so at some point? Though the difference, and a big one, is MWA is only for a month and can be at Tesco or a Pound Shop, whereas the new placements can't place you at anything which isn't of benefit to the community. They also last significantly longer.

I still sign once every 14 days.

I go and see my advsior when she has the time and it's never a booked appointment but one called a clerical one where it's on her diary but not an offical booked on on the system as she has no places to see me.

I have not seen her since 28th February and even then she spoke of nothing at all.

Trasnfered to another advisor now as she hass been moved to another department so got to wait for an appointment.

Been back at the JC now 8 months and only been in 6 times as 3 have been cancelled (by them).

lakes17

AP007 wrote: »

Wrong as in hit the button on the http://www.do-it.org.uk/ site that says 'I'd like to know more before applying for this role' as the descriptins are very brief.

I have only heard back from 2 on that site and one was ChairtyJobs (this morning) and have to fill in a form but it doesn't ask for employment history which is very odd I think).[/QUOTE

Have you considered going direct to one of the charity shops? - British Heart Foundation, Shelter, Cancer charity shops. All of these advertise in their shop window and all it takes is an informal chat decide what number of hours/days you want to work followed by a brief application form, asking for your personal details only. You are then given the Company's handbook to read and if you want to commit a mutually beneficial start date is agreed.

AP007

lakes17 wrote: »

Have you considered going direct to one of the charity shops? - British Heart Foundation, Shelter, Cancer charity shops. All of these advertise in their shop window and all it takes is an informal chat decide what number of hours/days you want to work followed by a brief application form, asking for your personal details only. You are then given the Company's handbook to read and if you want to commit a mutually beneficial start date is agreed.

I am applying for treasury/finance roles which are not advertised in the widow as they are either home based or in their head office.

KevInChester

You need to expand your experience though, why not apply for working in the shop serving customers and the like? Anything is surely better than nothing - would get you a current reference at the very least.

AP007

KevInChester wrote: »

You need to expand your experience though, why not apply for working in the shop serving customers and the like? Anything is surely better than nothing - would get you a current reference at the very least.

Just out of interest how will a reference from a chairty shop be better for me than one from my old MD, office manager, another MD, the MD of an agency that placed me at my last job (and have known me for 10 years) and one from a CEO of a major hotel chain in the far east ? A charity shop reference will not tell a company what I can do accounts wise. Yes it may say she was on time and dressed well but nothing else.

I have 3 years retail experience though working for an upmarket jeweller and a large retail company. None of this experience comes in handy when applying for office jobs.

I am applying for a volunteer accounts role for a chairty in the city of London but will have to check if the JC let me do it as I have to be available for a 35 job search and be able to return a call 5 days a week.

KevInChester

Those references are not current references (3 years ago?) Also if the Managing Directors thought you were that amazing you would have had a job - are you trying to say the managing director of an agency has absolutely no sway with regards to recruitment?

You need to show willing, at the moment you seem to be stuck in the past rather than doing what you can to make do with the present.

melysion

KevInChester wrote: »

Those references are not current references (3 years ago?) Also if the Managing Directors thought you were that amazing you would have had a job - are you trying to say the managing director of an agency has absolutely no sway with regards to recruitment?

You need to show willing, at the moment you seem to be stuck in the past rather than doing what you can to make do with the present.

To be fair, redundancy isn't always linked to performance you know. You could be an excellent employee and still be axed - for a variety of reasons.