Wow, things are a bit different

joedenise

@LondonLiz - if you're entitled to JSA apply for it.  You've paid for it in the past through your NI contributions.  I had to claim a few years ago and hated it but thought I'd been paying into the system for many years and it was the first time I'd claimed anything.

It will certainly pay for some food and towards some bills and stop using up your savings as quickly.

Good luck with the job application.

beanielou

Claim what you are entitled to. 

LondonLiz

Thank you Beanie and joedenise, I know it might sound silly but I've always felt a bit guilty applying for benefits when I have savings.   My mum brought me & my sister up on benefits after my parents split when I was 8 and she had virtually no contributions from my father, in fact he stopped seeing us kids altogether by the time I was about 10.  Although I knew we couldn't have stuff other kids took for granted & we lived in lots of not so great rental housing at times, I never felt 'poor' as a child and we never went hungry or worried about money.   However in hindsight I can see just how very tight money was for her, so that's my point of reference for needing State support.

A friend has just been given notice of redundancy and has asked for some advice about the process and package.  So we are going for a brisk park walk tomorrow since she's not keen on eating at a restaurant/pub and it's too cold to sit down anywhere!   Hopefully I can reassure her a bit and make her feel a bit less worried.

And I have an interview next week too - for the job I only applied for on Monday night!  Not sure how keen I am but beggars and choosers and all that.  The JD is pretty OTT and they expect a lot in terms of experience for a OK but not overly generous salary,  but trying to get staff cheap seems the norm these days. Anyway it will be good interview practice if nothing else.

joedenise

Good luck with the interview next week.  As you say it'll be good interview practice even if you don't get the job but you need to sound positive during the interview even if you feel like I don't get it it doesn't matter - definitely think positive.

Sun_Addict

Hi LondonLiz, not sure what your profession is but civil service are recruiting quite heavily right now, maybe worth a look - Civil Service Jobs site. Did you get your wax melts from Callan Candles, aren’t they just gorgeous.

LondonLiz

HI SunAddict.  So it was you that mentioned Callan Candles!  They've not arrived yet but hopefully any day soon - I am such a sucker for smelly candles and have wanted to try melts for age.  And it makes a lovely Christmas gift too.

I have looked on the civil service jobs website  - my only hesitation is the sheer size of some of the departments, I tend to fit in better in smaller organisations.  I work in HR and it's so much easier when you have some influence over policies and autonomy to act, which is way harder with huge workforces and complicated hierarchies as they tend to be quite rigid and like the proverbial ocean liners to effect change.  But if something came up in one of the regulators or smaller more niche areas I'd give it a go, so I'm not ruling it out.

Went for a fantastic nearly 3 hour walk on Hampstead Heath today - just on 15K steps according to my app. So lovely to get properly outside (well for London anyway), it was so sunny and glorious and lots of happy, funny dogs dashing madly around having fun.   I do think the Pond swimmers are absolutely bonkers - the water must be brutally cold.   Combined with the run on Friday my legs & glutes are now aching like mad, to the point I am stiff as a board every time I stand up or sit down.   Clearly not as fit as I thought I was!

Sun_Addict

I went from working in a family owned office with 6 people to the civil service 20 years ago and it was a massive culture change for me at first. Everything is broken down into smaller teams though and there are some niche specialist teams. Worth keeping an eye on as you say.

I love London, used to go a few times a year with work pre COVID, really missing those trips.

redofromstart

I came over to say 'Hello! 'after reading your comment about Moringa Balm on Sun Addicts diary.  I am also a huge fan but as you say it isn't cheap.  Worth keeping an eye on half price gift sets on M&S on boxing day.  I bought a few v reduced Emma Hardie sets that way, and am on my last pot sadly.  Hoping they will be reduced again this year.

redofromstart

Also read back and wanted to say good luck with the job hunt.  I used to be a career HR interim, but eventually found a company that I genuinely liked and decided to stay.  That was a Wednesday advert, Thursday interview and Monday start a couple of years ago so things can and do change overnight.  If the JSA buys you the luxury of waiting for the right job, not the first job then I would go for it.

LondonLiz

Another gap since last post.  Thanks Sun Addict & Redo - I've done both interim and perm over the years last job was there 7 years but started as a maternity cover.  Not feeling at all confident as I replay the interview from last week in my head - should know by Friday.

Have had a compete drama on the washing machine front, failed installation by incompetent and rude driver/installer and then failure to  follow through on the agreed rebooking for today meaning I've been on phone for ages, finally getting an admission someone mucked it up and forgot/missed putting it through.  Was so steamed up this morning I wrote a complaint not just to customer services, who I'd already emailed last week about the drivers behavious, but the CEO, assuming I got the right address from the the internet.  It's now meant to be delivered (again) tomorrow but I am now very dubious.  Got £25 refund offered for installation which frankly for all the hassle so far is pretty measly.  Any more hassles I will cancel.