Job centre putting pressure on

jay70

I have only be on unviersal credit for 3 months.
My young employment advisor is now saying that I need to start applying for ANY job, I could not believe it when she said that a "job is a job" that I should work at Tesco reception

It's like they do not see me as a person but a number. Is was expected to take a huge pay cut.

I was told I could be made to retrain and go back to college,that I would have to go for jobs that they felt I could do. I am also 50years old, that they will stop my benefit.

I am thinking , is all this pressure worth the little I get in benefit.
I also asked - what about the long term unemployed - how come they have not found work with the kind of pressure that you are putting on me. Surly the job centre would of found them work by now even I they had no skills.
I got no response.

I get rent and JSA, can they stop my rent payment - I was only wanted help with my rent but was told I had to go on universal credit.

I am new to the benefit system, so trying to understand it.
I did Not expect this kind of treatment.

BoGoF

What has the fact they were young got to do with anything?

Explain why you think you are above working for Tesco?

tacpot12

Three months is sufficient to find job in your own field if there is one going. If there isn't a job you want to take, you need to take any job that is available. I don't think the Jobcentre are being unreasonable.

One of the Jobcentre functions is to put pressure on al claimants to move back into work if they are able to do so, and to help those that need it.

Comms69

jay70 wrote: »

I have only be on unviersal credit for 3 months.
My young - relevant somehow? employment advisor is now saying that I need to start applying for ANY job, I could not believe it when she said that a "job is a job" that I should work at Tesco reception - that seems reasonable after 3 months

It's like they do not see me as a person but a number. Is was expected to take a huge pay cut. - you already have. Your pay is £0.

I was told I could be made to retrain and go back to college,that I would have to go for jobs that they felt I could do. I am also 50years old, that they will stop my benefit. - yes that is correct. If there is no extenuating reason for you to remain on benefits and you are simply refusing work, then you can be sanctioned

I am thinking , is all this pressure worth the little I get in benefit. - That's up to you
I also asked - what about the long term unemployed - how come they have not found work with the kind of pressure that you are putting on me. Surly the job centre would of found them work by now even I they had no skills.
I got no response. - nor is that relevant, as you do have the skills

I get rent and JSA, can they stop my rent payment - I was only wanted help with my rent but was told I had to go on universal credit. - Yes

I am new to the benefit system, so trying to understand it.
I did Not expect this kind of treatment.

I don't see how you have been in anyway mistreated.

[Deleted User]

You are expected to apply for any job that you can do. Cleaning, washing pans, serving in McDonalds, greeting people on reception, cutting the grass outside, working on a checkout, packing in a warehouse, they all have to pay at least NMW which is a lot better than JSA, so regardless you would be better off.

If you refuse to apply for jobs and attend interviews you are going to find that you will receive a sanction.

Its easier to find a job whilst in a job, so its better to take anything for now.

Make sure someone has a check over of your CV and you have a basic covering letter ready too, but ensure these are tweaked for every role you apply for.

If you find you may be asked to do a course or training programme in something you have no interest in then be proactive and source a training programme or could you are interested in and express interest in completing this instead.

Regardless what job you want or think you deserve or what pay you actually desire, you are going to have to suck it up and go for NMW and then from there seek a better job with better pay.

You will find fast food places and supermarkets are always recruiting.

sam70

Thanks, i am in total agreement with some of the comments. logically its make sense..

i just do not understand, why some of these vacancy, like meet and great, packing, working reception, fast food places have not been filled by the long term unemployed.
i am aware of people who are 3-4 years or more not working and there is nothing wrong with them.

do not get me wrong, i am looking for work, attended interviews.
personally do not like being benefit this pressure is not nice. i am just looking to be treated fairly..

i guess i am scared that if i took ANY job, i will miss out on jobs - meaning that if i start a new job, then start taking time off for interviews what employer will continue to employ me after my probation period..as its oblivious i am not going to stick around.

w06

a job is a job

Comms69

sam70 wrote: »

Thanks, i am in total agreement with some of the comments. logically its make sense..

i just do not understand, why some of these vacancy, like meet and great, packing, working reception, fast food places have not been filled by the long term unemployed.
i am aware of people who are 3-4 years or more not working and there is nothing wrong with them.

do not get me wrong, i am looking for work, attended interviews.
personally do not like being benefit this pressure is not nice. i am just looking to be treated fairly..

i guess i am scared that if i took ANY job, i will miss out on jobs - meaning that if i start a new job, then start taking time off for interviews what employer will continue to employ me after my probation period..as its oblivious i am not going to stick around.

Funny I thought "Jay70" started this thread...

iarniee

Unbelievable..

3 months is definitely sufficient enough time to find a job!

Whats your area of expertise / experience?

Always tons of jobs about.

Notnewnotold

I'd heard about the 3 month 'any job' rule too, but when I was on JSA for 6 months, there was never a hint of pressure to look outside my industry. Actually there was never a hint of pressure of any sort, just popped in for a chat every couple of weeks with a coach that, coincidentally, used to work in my field as well, and realised very fast that he was unlikely to add anything constructive to what I was already doing.

Plus I suspect he just wanted a chance to reminisce about the good old days in the city, and possibly people on contribution based JSA tend to get a slightly different treatment too. I recall one of his first comments was that he didn't see many of 'us'...

Anyway, it was only me being uber-MSE that made me claim in the first place, especially as I was losing 45% of it to tax. Me working in McDonalds, that could have been really interesting (not denegrating it, but fair to say I would have been a bit of a fish out of water there, think Kevin Spacey in American Beauty perhaps...). Given the stress levels in my current job, maybe I missed a trick!

Back to the OP, yep maybe ease up on the attitude there. If you want the money, you have to accept the rules of the game... and part of that is working to the expectations of whatever coach you get...

Mrsn

As much as you might not like it they are within their rights to say we expect you to apply for any type of employment, their job after all is to get you back into work. No two work coaches are the same with their expectations from the client but it’s not an unreasonable request on their behalf. As others have pointed out failure to comply will result in you being sanctioned and benefits being stopped all together potentially