I feel humiliated by the system......

genuinegal21

I am 34 next Tuesday, and have been unemployed for the past 5 months, with a brief two week temp contract two months ago.

My background: Worked for HMRC for ten years (ashamedly so), left there to pursue higher education where I successfully graduated last year with a business degree from a top ranking university. I secured employment after 3 months of graduating working in an estate agents where I worked hard to prove how passionate I was about wanting to progress. In June of this year, they made me 'redundant', saying my role was no longer needed, and then employed someone else 2 weeks later. Completely out of the blue, just after returning from my lunch, they said I had to leave immediately. Hand on heart I never crossed any lines. I was humiliated and incredibly upset.
Prior to working for HMRC (1997-2001), i worked as a temp agency worker during a period of a job market boyant with jobs. I was never out of work.

I live in an area where Universal Credit has been introduced.

Last week, I genuinely forgot to attend an 'interview' - not a signing on appointment - because I was out that day handing out 35 CV's into different companies. It wasn't until a few days later I realised I missed the appointment. It's not like im sitting on my rear all day playing video games, i am busy trying to keep occupied and productive in my life because I fear I will slip into a depression. Spending 10 hours of the day by myself is incredibly lonely. I live in a houseshare, in a small bedroom.

I relied on my JSA to pay my rent of £230 per month. I go to sign on today on time and was told 'sorry because you missed your interview, your claim has been stopped'. I walked out incredibly upset as soon as the words left her mouth.

I am an incredibly respectful, well dressed woman, very polite and my career background demonstrates im someone who is ambitious.

I've just had to make a new claim and now it's a Universal Credit claim because my previous claim was JSA. What the government asks in terms of providing proof of identity is shocking compared to the JSA process. I have to provide 3 different forms of ID. In a houseshare, I dont have bills sent to me, the landlord pays them. Also, they want to see a bank statement?!

Im now back at home in my room deeply upset and feel the onset of depression setting in. I pride myself on not asking for other people's help (financially). Even if I wanted to, I cant because my parents don't have any money. My mum lives in a one bedroomed social housing flat, so it's not like I can go back home, I literally have to fend for myself.

Luckily, I have a 2nd job interview tomorrow which I am praying to the high heaven's I get the job. Im so scared I wont despite impressing the interviewer so much, he said I pretty much had the job and wanted me to meet the main manager.

This truly is a draconian system we live under, and not all people who are on benefits are scoungers, most of us want to work but the job market is completely dire at the moment. I can't even get a job as an Admin Assistant on £12k per year.

rogerblack

Neglecting almost everything.
I have vague memories of sanctionable failures for JSA (to attend an interview) possibly carrying over to a claim for UC.
It is worth appealing the decision to end your JSA claim.
Is it certain - or even likely to be accepted as good cause - no.

genuinegal21

I was going to appeal but thought what's the point.

Wouldn't surprise me if this was a strategic action of the government to get existing claimants of JSA over to UC, by way of sanctions: they stopped my JSA claim and now I have to make a brand new one.

I can understand if i had missed a signing on appointment, but I was never warned about sanctions faced if I missed an interview.

Feel sick to the stomach now how this UC claim is going to turn out. I hope to god I get this job tomorrow...........

rogerblack

genuinegal21 wrote: »

I was going to appeal but thought what's the point.

I can understand if i had missed a signing on appointment, but I was never warned about sanctions faced if I missed an interview.

Feel sick to the stomach now how this UC claim is going to turn out. I hope to god I get this job tomorrow...........

There are many reasons for sanctions that you're not explicitly told about.
Committing certain crimes, not turning up, or participating fully in a job interview, leaving a job without good reason, punching your advisor, ...

Appealing and winning will mean that you are paid for the time between the two claims, including any 'waiting days' before the UC claim.
I do not believe that it puts you back on JSA, that I'm unsure of.
It would certainly remove any possibility of sanctions, or escalating next time because it's your second sanction.

UC is being rolled out to increasing subsets of the population - starting with the simplest cases - people who are single, unemployed, and have no housing costs or children.
Trials are about to start widening this criteria.

In addition - any job - even for one day - will reset the sanction.

elsien

Not got much advice other than to say try not to take the system personally. The way I look at it is they're not there to be helpful they're there to meet their own targets. Us job seekers are a production line working our way through the system. No more, no less. So smile nicely, play the game even when they don't seem to have a clue what they're on about. And don't rely on the job centre people to tell you what you need to know. Find out for yourself and make sure you do what you need to, however stupid it feels. And put an appeal in - you've nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Possibly not much help at this stage, but if you start taking it as a reflection on yourself, your self esteem will plummet.

As far as the estate agency goes, perhaps you do need to think a bit more about why they let you go, as something clearly wasn't working for them.
Are you tailoring your cv to the different jobs in terms of qualifications? I lose a few for some jobs as I've been asked by companies why I'm applying for jobs that are "beneath" me - their words not mine, and have found that if I appear overqualified I'm not getting shortlisted. I've also found putting my CV up online is more effective in terms of being contacted back again than trundling round handing out paper ones.

Good luck with tomorrow's interview.

FBaby

I understand that your view is that your not scrounger and rant want to find work and therefore shouldn't be subject to sanctions but missing an interview is nor minor. I'd people were not sanctioned for it they could apply to anything and then decide not to go is it isn't a job they want to do. Your an experience person have studied business surely you have gained organisational skills to ensure you don't miss key dates.

Being unemployed when you are desperate to work is a very depressing process whether your ate claiming benefits or not but sometimes it is they desperation that gives you the motivation to keep trying. Good luck tomorrow hopefully it will be the end of that dreadful time.

supersaver2

Nothing much useful to add but I read your post and it struck a chord with me. My brother lost his job last year through redundancy after working there for 7 years. He also felt very depressed with the system and the way he was treated. He had been a higher rate tax payer and the system and people working in it should be supporting people better. Please do come back and update us and I wish you so much luck for tomorrow.

meer53

Try not to take it personally. You missed your interview, you have to face the consequences, it can't be changed. People won't know why you missed your interview, all they know is that you did, they will have heard every excuse in the book, they aren't there to judge, just to implement the rules.

Good luck for tomorrow

genuinegal21

meer53 wrote: »

Try not to take it personally. You missed your interview, you have to face the consequences, it can't be changed. People won't know why you missed your interview, all they know is that you did, they will have heard every excuse in the book, they aren't there to judge, just to implement the rules.

Good luck for tomorrow

Appreciate people's views, however, unless you are in the process of claiming UC or have been unemployed for some time, then no one is in a position to say 'dont take it personally' - it's personal to me as someone who has paid their taxes for 16 years.

I believe there should be a two strikes and your out approach, NOT miss an interview and your claim is stopped - start a new one.

elsien

I was made redundant from a job of 25 years in the summer although I'm lucky enough to be in an area that hasn't yet rolled out UC. And yes it is hard when you're signing on for the first time in your working life and feel like you're being made to jump through all the hoops when you're not a shirker, have paid into the system for donkey's years, and are trying really hard to find work.

I do still think though that trying not to take it personally is the best way to keep your sanity and not let it get you down too much. Easier said than done, but better that than taking it all to heart and sinking into a depression.

missapril75

genuinegal21 wrote: »

Last week, I genuinely forgot to attend an 'interview' - not a signing on appointment - because I was out that day handing out 35 CV's into different companies.

genuinegal21 wrote: »

I was going to appeal but thought what's the point.

You did ten years for HMRC whose employees don't have a good reputation for being nice. But I'll bet you came across some who were the exception - just like you sound.

Did something happen during that day that contributed to missing the appointment? Something that maybe you didn't appreciate at the time impacted on your ability to attend the interview but thinking about it now made it understandable that you couldn't go? Even if it's just under estimating how much of your day would be taken up with visiting 35 potential employers.

If you made an appeal coming across as you do here, you might benefit from one of those "nice people" who is prepared to use a bit of discretion. They do exist.

Good luck with the job.