Unemployed to be given 'attitude tests' by Job Centres

topaztiger1983

I was long term unemployed, and I have always wanted to work, but I was unable to find anyone who would take me on, until I had an interview with KFC

The manager was really nice & told me all the info I needed, I am now working for them on a ZHC (I have 37 hours this week) & I have been told that I am needed to do as many shifts as possible

So as others have said, not all people on JSA are workshy layabouts

Viberduo

Quite true, when I left home at 17 I was eager to get a job as thought it was part of growing up, there was a small part of me that thought that it would be better to just not work(I was at college not signing on so I was not lazy just wanted relaxation time) but thought a few hours a week was fine.

When I got my first real job I was excited and turned up like 30 minutes early went home full of adrenaline etc.

These days I have been on benefits long term due to depression and disablity and though working on one hand sounds good I think if I am depressed as it is and working will make me worse off than I am financially, having to deal with feelings of lethargy, low self esteem etc.

If the JC help was more along the lines of personal support finding out your skills and nuturing them and less than it will likely be of pressuring you to take any job, not looking at the bigger picture it would be fine.

I remember in the New Deal days, I had a HNC in Media and got good grades and was spoken to like I was a child in primary school who was not just slow but actually stupid after I went on a course every 6 months, was quite funny how they also thought that despite knowing I have sleeping problems they wanted me to do a 6am placement which took 90 minutes on bus to get to each way and not just that but the job was gardening when my work experience was shop and call centre and factory!

topaztiger1983

Depression is not a reason for being unemployed nor is it a reason not to look for work, I have depression & I find that working helps me to feel better

pinpin

Is depression still considered enough of a disability to qualify for 'disabilty allowace'? (possibly an antiquated term? I'm a bit out of touch. I believe changes were made a year or so ago?)

Dayman

topaztiger1983 wrote: »

Depression is not a reason for being unemployed nor is it a reason not to look for work, I have depression & I find that working helps me to feel better

Depression isn't black and white, there are varying degrees that have varying impacts on individuals lives, exasperated by different factors.

topaztiger1983

have major depressive episodes, so I am talking from experience, I suffered very badly from depression, where I could easily end it all, but there is always something to live for, I found that something was work, I started volunteering for a local charity shop on a Saturday, & now I work full-time at KFC

So as i say always something there

sh0597

It's one of these statements that on the face of it sounds good but when you dig deeper there's no substance. An "attitude test", what does that mean? Most DWP work these days is about setting flags on a software program. The role of frontline staff is continually dumbed down and they are understaffed so spend little time with individual "customers".


Most work has been farmed out to private companies, many of whom provide no service whatsoever. The unemployed are being turned into a slave labour force.

FBaby

was quite funny how they also thought that despite knowing I have sleeping problems they wanted me to do a 6am placement which took 90 minutes on bus to get to each way

Don't know what is funny about this at all, many many people who have sleep problems do this every day and would never question the irony of it!

dandelionclock30

Dayman wrote: »

Depression isn't black and white, there are varying degrees that have varying impacts on individuals lives, exasperated by different factors.

Agreed, depression can be really bad.Obviously its different for everyone but in severe cases its difficult to work because it affects your cognitive functioning, so your thinking, memory, reasoning, decision making processess are all affected.
I once worked with a nurse and he had worked with the really severly depressed and he said that some people wouldnt move out of their chairs for days, going to the toilet where they sat.They would also have delusions, paranoia etc and that you had to watch the patients more when they were getting better.This was because they were more likley to be suicial then.
Obviously when people are this ill theres no way they are well enough for a job.

topaztiger1983

Yes but this person is asking in another thread about getting into work, so obviously it ain't that bad, is it

All I am saying is that not all depressed, unemployed people are 'unemployable', everyone is employable, they just have to find their level, thats all

Some people have delusions of grandeur and think that the only time they will work is if it is good for them, life ain't like that, sometimes you have to take a crap job to eventually get a better one, you ain't always gonna get a great job fist time, your not gonna get a great job without experience these days

Crap jobs can be your stepping stone to better jobs in the future, once you have more experience. I did not aspire to work at KFC, but I do aspire to be a chef, so KFC is my stepping stone to a better job

So all in all, experience counts for everything in the world of work thesedays