Sorry Antone - I didn't mean to get all up in your face about it, I thought this was a open free forum and not your personal email, lol OK, I understand the way it is then - basically my JCP advisor can make me go in every day and if I disagree I'll get sanctioned. And there's nothing I can do about it. Hmmmmm, a great help you've been CAG. Thanks y'all, next time I'll just go on Mumsnet. x

180 views but no one's got an opinion? OK, fine. Shame though, I could do with some advice...

Hey Sabre, thanks for reply, it's appreciated. Just to clarify it was my advisor who was "off sick" (meaning she wasn't in that day) the time I signed, not me! I've had anxiety issues in the past but after CBT I now feel better (I didn't give up on myself and settled down into a life of ESA). I still don't want to give in and apply for ESA because having read these forums there are people with real mental health issues - I'm not in the same league. If people like me claim ESA on a whim because we feel a little sad or stressed out, then it just makes those in genuine need have to be tarred with the same brush. Dig? Can you help me with my original question please? Thanks x

Hi guys, Hoping you can give me some advice before I do something really stooopid. I've had enough of my JCP advisor. I've made a complaint about her via email after y'all advice, but not heard anything back from DWP. We just rub each other up the wrong way, but today she told me from Monday I now have to sign on everyday. I told her that there's never been an issue with my job search evidence, in fact, last week I saw a different advisor because she was off sick, and this new advisor said my job search evidence was 'brilliant and not to feel down because it was clear I was making a real effort and surely something would turn up soon?' My god, I almost broke down in tears at how kind and helpful she was compared to the sour bitter-bitch I usually see. Even though my regular advisor can't fault me on my job search, she's STILL making me now sign everyday, and when I told her that I felt this was purely a punishment and in no way actually helped me get a job, the only purpose it serves is to p*ss me off, she kinda winked and said 'so whatcha gonna do about it?' My question is, IF I just refuse and get sanctioned will I be able to claim zero income hardship payments of about £50 something a week and most importantly still be entitled to my current Housing Benefit based on zero income? I can't take anymore and I'll hopefully find a job before I get a change in advisor. What's the deal? Can I just refuse to go in every day, get the sanction, and carry on looking for jobs in my own time as normal? HB is all important for me, because without that I will be literally on the street and under the bridge in a matter of weeks, because my landlord doesn't even know I'm on HB (I had to lie and falsify my bank statements just to secure the apartment last year). Any advice is really appreciated as I always thought my rope was quite long, but I've finally reached the end of it. Flaggy x

Thanks. I've got to see her again on Friday. It's on my mind constantly. It's akin to being in an abusive relationship. She has all the power and because I can't find a job and need the money, I'm unable to leave and have to stay and take being belittled. I've had depression and anxiety issues in the past, but only the normal ones that everyone gets I imagine living a normal and stressful life. I've never felt the need to avoid work by getting a doctor to sign me off sick. I have friends who have real problems like AIDS and they still manage to keep their jobs, so I wouldn't dream of putting myself in the same catagory. But this advisor is making me feel so stressed and low that I'm tempted to apply for ESA just to avoid having to work. ESA seems to work for a lot of people on here with anxiety so can anyone tell me how I can get on it too? I've really had enough with signing on every week and justifying everything I'm doing to find a job. I KNOW I'm doing everything I can, but when I sit down at the desk to justify myself I'm made to feel that I'm somehow lying and trying to put one over on them like a common criminal. It's not like I haven't paid thousands in tax and NI over the past few years since moving here. Flaggy x

Hey, don't get so defensive. Clearly I hit a nerve. But that wasn't my intention.

Hey Fletch, I think you may have misunderstood my last post. I'm saying if the OP is sincere then he's got real issues that might explain why he can't find paid employment. Or he's just being a troll. No one cares anymore whether you are gay or straight. But if he (I'm guessing by his name he must be a he) feels the need to bang on about it as the only way to define himself then that's clearly an issue? There seems to be so many good people on this site giving their love, advice, time for free that it feels a shame to divert attention to a post that seems to me about a boy trying to be a screaming queen rather than an honest gay man. Again, I apologise if I've misunderstood or called it wrong. But growing up in SF I've learned to be honest about cutting through the crap to get to the truth. xxxxx

I wish I could get free money to visit all my friends abroad on holiday and when JCP/ATOS asked me why - because I hoped it might make me feel better if I sit in the sun with mates for a while. Are you actually a troll? Jeez! Sorry if I've called it wrong, no offence meant. But you should try living in most people's shoes for a bit who spend most of their lives in a sense of panic trying to pay the bills and dreaming of a holiday maybe ONCE every decade? Where does your sense of entitlement come from? Please explain, and sorry again if I sound harsh, I'm just finding it hard today (and me and hubby haven't had a holiday in 8 years). xx

Hmmmm, I apologise - the OP is not a troll at all lol. Grow up kid, find better battles to fight. No one is threatening your right to be as gay as Liberace if it makes you happy. But at least give us a reason to care?

Well done. Good for you. (Sorry, didn't mean to threaten you so much with my opinion on enforced volunteering lol)

I agree with you, I've had a load of interviews in the past where once I told them I'd just got married in the small talk part of the interview there was the natural assumption that I was a bad bet because if I got the job and all the training to do the job, pretty soon I'd be asking for maternity pay then job share then 'hey, guess what I'm not coming back, ever' lol. On the OP question though. I used to live in SanFran before meeting my hubby. Thankfully we got over questions like this a few decades ago. Being gay/straight/trans is a matter of private choice. Why fight battles that really don't need to be fought? There's enough **** to go through finding a job without putting antagonistic barriers of your own making in the way. It sounds to me TBH that OP is a troll. If I'm wrong then I apologise but say you must be in your late teens and looking for reasons why you don't want a job? Am I close yet?

Thanks for the responses guys. I really appreciate it. I don't think there's any danger of the security removing me - I'm what you might call petite. Well, compared to this big bull dyke advisor anyway - maybe that's why she hates on me so much lol. If I manage to hold my tongue next time I see her and ask for a new advisor won't this just pee her off more though and label me as a troublemaker? Especially when the managers ask me why? I don't ask much from JCP, I long ago gave up any hope they were actually there to help me, but I still have just enough shreds of self-respect left to expect not to be talked to like a little bitch lol. Sorry for my tone, but after today I've really had enough.

That's really bad news Mr Essex. But don't give up hope. I'm sure you'll be perfect for some company that will appreciate your skills and quality. Be careful though, because from what I've read for the long-term unemployed you'll soon be back in a mandated voluntary job anyway or face sanction. It's not fair or morally right, but them's the breaks. I've never understood voluntary work anyway TBH unless you're a rich pensioner wanting to give something back to society. Why would you ever want to do a job for free if you can get paid for it? Probably not what you need to hear right now, but these are strange times.

Hi, first post and I wouldn't normally sound so rude, but today's situation has really got my blood boling. I'm normally the most polite woman you could ever meet. But my JCP advisor has had it in for me ever since I was assigned her a few months ago. Sometimes people just take an instant dislike to one another, nothing can be done. However, she has all the power. She always keeps within the rules and so do I. But recently she's been coming across to me as really insulting, denigrating and suspicious when I talk about my anxiety issues. She dismisses them like I just need to stop indulging myself and pull myself together. I'm on JSA at the moment, and reading some of the posts here it sounds like I might have an easier life if I just went to my GP and got a sick note for anxiety to get ESA (?) and get her off my back. What I want to know is if I explain to her next time I sign why exactly it is I think she's a nasty *****, as long as I've done all my jobsearches, fulfilled all my jobseeker directions, can she STILL sanction me for being insulting and rude? I don't want to spite my nose, but I don't think I can bite my tongue much longer with her. Any advice really appreciated as what used to be normal life stress is fast becoming something I think I deserve ESA for.