Universal Credit

JJC1956

jbs2166 said:

Hi,

 I'm new here so hello all.

I have worked full-time as Highly skilled worker for the last 3years. Recently gone through a break up. Since the last 2months I have been unemployed and on Universal Credit. Unfortunately the experience has been bad. I have been looking for jobs and but so far been contacted that I was not offered those jobs. I have put a brave face on it so that I can carry on looking, so that I find a job.

Recently my work coach has messaged on the website to say there is a company interviewing for a job that's very unrelated to my experience. I have not seen any details of it  but only that the job is a Care assistant job and interview is from inside the job center.  They want my confirmation to book the interview.

I am worried for my privacy, because I do not want the work coach booking my interviews and communicating with the interviews. I wouldn't want the interviewers to know that I was claiming benefits, nor the Job coach from  inside the job center tell them all my personal situation. Also, not having confidentiality between the interviewer and Job coach strikes me with utter fear.

I'm new to this so please what do you think?

Are the interviews actually being held in the Job Centre face to face or via Zoom/Google Teams etc

jbs2166

Thank you.

If I am given a job to apply for , I've always done that, it's no problem for me. 

But,  I'm not accepting the confidential issue between employer and JC , I'm  not a second class citizen because I've been on welfare for 2months. Forcing my consent  for confidentiality with sanctions would not be tolerated,  and I would follow that up in court in my own time, once I get employed again.

I'm not going to be treated by employers differently from any other person that is  not on welfare! I will pursue in appeals or court if necessary. I will not be offered less money  or a worse deal and duties just because the job center arranged the job , forced by sanctions on my behalf. 

Personally, if I'm asked to do a Job. I will go and try to get in there. I've been in work for years before. That's never been an issue, but I'm not going to be taken advantage off or treated like a witch or second class citizen.

calcotti

jbs2166 said:

I'm not going to be treated by employers differently from any other person that is  not on welfare! I will pursue in appeals or court if necessary. I will not be offered less money  or a worse deal and duties just because the job center arranged the job , forced by sanctions on my behalf. .

No one has suggested that you will be.

jbs2166

calcotti said:

jbs2166 said:

I'm not going to be treated by employers differently from any other person that is  not on welfare! I will pursue in appeals or court if necessary. I will not be offered less money  or a worse deal and duties just because the job center arranged the job , forced by sanctions on my behalf. .

No one has suggested that you will be.

Let's see what happens, let's see. 

yksi

You're putting the cart before the horse.

(1) what was in your PERSONAL specific list of stuff that your work coach wrote in your online journal, for instance, they may have listed "Laboratory technician and assistant roles" and "Reception and office work"?
(2) what was in your PERSONAL commitments which you agreed to? Does it say you'll apply for appropriate work, you'll apply for work in your field, or you'll apply for any & all suitable roles you might be able to do?

If it's the last part, saying you'll apply for any, then you are required to do what you agreed to do or you will be sanctioned if you don't have a good reason. "I don't want to do care work" will not be a good reason, nor will "I don't want the employer knowing I am on benefits" or "I don't want them knowing any of my personal details". You are not being reasonable to disallow it. You might be reasonable to say you would like to see their privacy policy first and know how your information will be used, but when applying for a job it is expected to furnish these things. You already know how an employer uses this information, it's to assess your suitability for the job, to contact you about the application process, possibly carry out a DBS, contact your references etc. The reality is that if you're in a highly-specialised field without many job openings, there will be a time limit on how much grace they will give you to be choosy.

FWIW, mine is not nearly as broad and was written last week, although my original claim is more than a year old (for whatever reason they kept it open with a nice row of paying me zero every month).