Immigrant Job Seekers and Dorothy Perkins

ginstar · 4 February 2007 at 12:08AM

I had a converastion with my friend today who works in Dorothy Perkins and was shocked to discover that she very often deals with people who have been provided with vouchers, totalling £150, given to them from the Job Centre so that they can but a suit, pair of shoes and a blouse to enable them to attend interviews!!!! She did mention that she has only ever progressed these vouchers for people on JSA who have immigrant status.

Having worked full time all of my adult like, I have recently had the misfortune of being made redundant and having to frequent the delightful job centre every two weeks to sign on - I have received no mention of any such scheme.

Is anyone aware of this?

Please do not post your thoughts/opinions etc on immigration and the effect on the state etc. Also , please do not misconstrude my questioning with any form of prejudism.

seven-day-weekend · 4 February 2007 at 12:11AM

I don't know about the clothes vouchers, but the Jobcentre helped my son to buy a manual so that he could get up to date on the technical stuff on a job he was applying for. (He got into the last three but unfortunately did not get the job).

My son was born in the UK and has lived there all his life.

Zziggi · 4 February 2007 at 12:21AM

Yes this is true. It is possible to get help towards affording clothes to attend a job interview.

Although as asda now make £19 suits, I don't think many people have an excuse for not going to a job interview in socially expected clothing.

ginstar wrote:

I had a converastion with my friend today who works in Dorothy Perkins and was shocked to discover that she very often deals with people who have been provided with vouchers, totalling £150, given to them from the Job Centre so that they can but a suit, pair of shoes and a blouse to enable them to attend interviews!!!!

why not just write the above? Why add;

ginstar wrote:

She did mention that she has only ever progressed these vouchers for people on JSA who have immigrant status.

To get the voucher for the clothing you have to be on benefits and to get benefits you need to be entitled to them. The "immigration" thing is a red herring.

P.S. How could your friend tell these people were just immigrants? Alot of people have foreign accents despite living here for a number of years and having the right to live here and recieve benefits when needed.

JonRouston · 4 February 2007 at 12:21AM

How does she know they have immigrant status? Surely it wouldn't be written on the vouchers?

ukdickie31 · 4 February 2007 at 12:29AM

I had a converastion with my friend today who works in Dorothy Perkins and was shocked to discover that she very often deals with people who have been provided with vouchers, totalling £150, given to them from the Job Centre so that they can but a suit, pair of shoes and a blouse to enable them to attend interviews!!!!

You are referring to the Adviser Discretion Fund

You can only get an ADF in certain circumstances. It is a decision made by an adviser and is not a right or a benefit entitlement. It is a discretionary payment (at the Adviser's discretion) to overcome an obstacle to employment. There are strict procedures and payment is often via a voucher rather than cash.

Dorothy Perkins are part of a group of retail outlets who have invoice arrangements with DWP for this purpose.

This link may help

http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/ero/records/lab/29/781/173/ES765D01.pdf

ginstar · 4 February 2007 at 12:33AM

Once again, thank you ukdickie31 . I appreciate your info and your obvious appreciation that, as stated, my question was in no way applying any prejudism.

Zziggi · 4 February 2007 at 12:35AM

ginstar wrote:

Once again, thank you ukdickie31 . I appreciate your info and your obvious appreciation that, as stated, my question was in no way applying any prejudism.

Sorry ginstar, my post was not a dig. It is difficult sometimes to get across the tone in which you mean to say the words over the internet. Appologies if I offended you.

jayne.doe · 4 February 2007 at 12:38AM

This is adf can only be given 100 per yr for someone looking for work. Has to have been unemployed over 6mths and proves the money is helping them buy something so they can look for work hence clothing allowance. Immigration status pahhhhhhhh i am tired of listening to false crap tbh.

skintas_2 · 4 February 2007 at 12:48AM

yeah i was on is, and was goin to get a new deal adviosr , they where gonna help me with a new pair of shoes as i would need these for work and interviews. my friend received dp vouchers as needed a work uniform.

cattie · 4 February 2007 at 1:58PM

I have a friend who was out of work for a few months in 2005 after giving up her job. She went sick for a while citing stress & depression. When she eventually registered with the job centre she was not only able to have these clothing vouchers for DP stores given to her when she said she had no decent clothes for interviews, but also provided with a mobile phone when she told the DWP advisor she had neither a home or mobile phone.

On top of this she was also given money to go to have her hair cut & blow dried & when she eventually got a job was given more Dorothy Perkins vouchers as she told the dwp advisor she only had the 1 decent work outfit that the original DP vouchers had provided for her to look smart at interviews & that she also need new shoes.

I know your post wasn't angled against immigrants or people from other nations but I will add for the record that she is someone born & bred here who knows the system & how to get the most out of it that she can.

*Sparkle*_3 · 4 February 2007 at 2:51PM

Yes my mum also received these vouchers she's English, so it doesnt go on ethnicity.
It did help my mum get a job, boosted her confidence and three years later she still in same job and hasnt been on benefits since.

Immigrant Job Seekers and Dorothy Perkins

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