attitude issue from someone at the Job seeker's allowance representatives

rogerblack

HappyMJ wrote: »

Stop the scattergun approach. It doesn't work. Applying for 100+ jobs a week won't get you a job. When I was on JSA I applied for no more than 3 jobs a week. I spent hours looking for the role I wanted to do, researching the company, writing a cover letter and changing my CV to suit the role. I got plenty of calls, interviews and offers of employment.

What matters is not what you think, or what works.

In most cases, applying for only three positions a week (at least now) _will_ get you sanctioned on JSA.

The sanctions regimen is very much not aimed at getting people into work in any evidence-based manner.
If it was, most sanction appeals would not succeed.

TELLIT01

HappyMJ wrote: »

Stop the scattergun approach. It doesn't work. Applying for 100+ jobs a week won't get you a job. When I was on JSA I applied for no more than 3 jobs a week. I spent hours looking for the role I wanted to do, researching the company, writing a cover letter and changing my CV to suit the role. I got plenty of calls, interviews and offers of employment.

Times have changed. It was like that when I claimed JSA, also quite a few years ago.
Now JSA claimants are expected to spend the entire week, 35 hours, looking for employment and sending off applications. The scattergun approach is really the only way to fulfil the requirements, as DWP expects claimants to take any job offered. The driver is to reduce the numbers on JSA, not to get people into work which suits their skill set.
I can understand the attitude of "you should take any job" if somebody has been claiming for many months without success, but it now seems to be the attitude virtually from day 1.

SnooksNJ

kittygirl20 wrote: »

What is the issue exactly? Half an hour of your time for £70 quid a week?

Yea, if I go on my lunch hour once a week can I get £70 too? Is that tax free?

Londonsu

Diary wrote: »

Please don't forget to claim expenses for being mandated to go to the job centre on any day other than your regular signing day. I was told to go every week and always claimed the 50 pence petrol money.
In my experience of the job centre they were always very unpleasant and unprofessional, so I in return made their job as difficult as I could.
I complained so loudly and aggressively about one guy who tried unsuccessfully to sanction me he was moved many miles away to another job centre. As I have worked all my life I was only allowed 6 months jsa anyway.
So complain complain complain.

So what? I have worked for 45 years and would only get 6 months CB JSA as hubby gets a pension which takes us over the earnings threshold if I lost my job, assuming that's the same for you too much household income for IB benefits why are you so bitter about not getting benefits you are not entitled to. If I was a JC employee I might have difficulty with someone who has your entitled attitude as well

Mersey_2

patman99 wrote: »

Ahhh, you are only applying for specific roles that match your qualifications. You will need to apply for absolutley everything regardless of skills required.

As for complaining ?. You have nothing to lose. My spouse complained about her advisor and the advisor got a rollicking. After that, she treated my spouse a lot better.

Not true.


New claimants and especially those with qualifications and experience are allowed a 'permitted period' of 13 weeks where they can restrict their job search to their field of expertise.


I agree it's worth complaining re poor JCP staff attitudes and so on.


Look up the DWP Service Standards. You'll be amazed what they are supposed to do!

boymuzz1

Thanks for all the responses.


However, please can someone tell me why they sanction people to go into the job center and apply for jobs there?

I want to know if this woman is a tyrant or just following rules.

Norman_Castle

boymuzz1 wrote: »

I want to know if this woman is a tyrant or just following rules.

Why?. So you can waste your time complaining. Is there any profit in that?.

p00hsticks

BigAunty wrote: »

A serious question for those in the know with JSA - does the sign on process now involve some kind of personalised service with contact via email to a dedicated and assigned member of staff? Do JSA claimants actually get the work email addresses of JC staff?

Reason I ask is that the only time I signed on back in the mid 90s, I had a paper booklet which I showed to staff who gave it a cursory glance, then after 6 months of signing on, I had a 2 minute chat in a room with 2 JC staff who had a slightly less cursory flick through of it.

So I know things have changed (websites, sanctions etc) but is the OP right to expect to be able to contact JC staff out of hours by email to respond to claimant queries?

I'm not completely "in the know", but I don't believe that two way communication by e-mail is yet possible - apart from anything else, e-mail isn't regarded by the government departments as a secure medium for bandying about personal details. I think they are looking into ways of dragging themselves into the 21st century (perhaps secure messaging etc) because they recognise that there is a demand for it from their customers but there's nothing in place yet

Under Universal Credit, my understanding is that claimants will be allocated individual "work coaches" and will (as far as possible) see the same person each time they come in to ensure continuity.

Londonsu

boymuzz1 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I'm definitely going to complain about her, I can't wait to get off this thing I honestly felt worthless for the whole day after meeting that woman. My country offers me support, then I'm going to take it. Who is she to judge!




I was !!!!ed off when I wrote it. Just checked the sheet and it's half an hour.

I still don't understand why she randomly dictates that I do it in the Job center when I've been applying efficiently at home!

I wouldn't be bothered if society didn't frown upon anyone who sets foot in that place! It's so embarrassing to sit in there!

That's where your attitude lets you down, you are not being offered 'support' you only have the right to apply for JSA.


If you apply for contribution based JSA then you are only entitled to that if your NICs cover you for the contributions you make in a qualifying year even if you have worked other years.


If you apply for income based JSA (at the onset of your claim or after 6 months of CB JSA) you are only entitled to that if you have no savings or other income like a pension yourself, or there is no household income like spouse/partners wage/pension/ savings that would need to be used to support you financially.


That takes care of the initial claim or entitlement, however to continue claiming your entitlement is subject to rules and obligations which you must follow if you want your JSA and all the other benefits associated with it, you may not like the rules or think shouldn't be applied to you, but that's the deal.


As a member of society who works and has done so for 45 years I do not frown on anyone who is on JSA but I do a have a problem with those who actually believe they have been 'offered' something for nothing and are just going to 'take' it without doing anything for it, or if they are doing something don't believe that anyone has the right to scrutinise or question their efforts.


If you really think that your advisor is being harsh then by all means question their methods, and if that doesn't get you anywhere you can always a get a job in another sector (done that myself) or don't claim.

ab1982

I think the OP hit the nail on the head. Clearly an attitude issue.