Back to work... back to work... back to work....what bl**dy work?!

[PriorityOne]

Does the Gov. think we're all completely stupid?.... What bl**dy work?! There are now so few jobs that provide a living wage, that the "it's your own fault you haven't got a job" mentality from middle-class toffs in suits is starting to wear really thin.

 

Gov. attempts to contnually try and shift the onus of responsibility onto people when they and their predecessors have done such a cack job of running the country for as far back as I can remember.... is outragious IMO.... People are continually being told to do this and that course and learn this and that skill... in a pitiful attempt to deflect attention from the real problem; that there is no work.

 

....

[hennessy13]

Agreed.

 

And while they're at it they systematically defraud the public by issuing targets for DWP staff to 'lose' the entitlement of their claimants, set up the ATOS nonsense where every vulnerable claimant is dragged through a system of biased assessment that ensures they will have to work - even though it's highly unlikely they ever could find any - and all the while those of us who are truly able go from course to course to effin course only to find it was all a waste of our effing time because, what, we didn't get to go to Eton like almost everyone on our effing ballot papers every single time we have a chance to raise our effing voices?

 

Well, I feel the same way. And don't worry too much. I went and figured out how to change the world. Really. I did.

 

All I need is one hundred grand. So worry about this:

 

1/ Will I ever make 100 grand?

 

2/ Will I live long enough to spend it?

 

And on that note feel free to scream and shout and rant and rage. Highly likely it'll never happen, because I'm just not toff enough.

 

And who would effing want to be?

[Elliebes]

Absolutely agree.....Im sick of doing courses that have gotten me nowhere. Im 58 years of age I dont have the brain power to do course after course. I dont get my pension until Im 64 and so ive got another 6 years of this find a job find a job find a job hell!! ......I will end up in a mental asylum by the time I get my pension.....and thats if I live this long and or they change the pension rules...

[terriersaregreat]

I'm old enough to remember the pre computer world and the warning that computers would be responsible for mass unemployment. I know, I know I'm using one at the moment. I attended a grammar school as I passed my 11+ many moons ago. But what a fantastic education. It was instilled in me that I was fortunate and there were so many people out there that were disadvantaged. It was everyone's duty to care for underprivilged, elderly, sick etc.

 

Because of my education I welcomed the comprehensive system thinking that it would be an education for all. Academic and non-academic. That was until I had children who went through that system. The comprehensives lost that feeling of value for, wait for it, the non-academic. My son who is dyslexic struggled to be kept out of a remedial class , did not acheive in school, until he was set free. My daughter who is an academic was bullied. We ended up paying for her education.

 

I am sorry to say that we have lost the practical fantastic skills that can be encouraged from an early age. We are not all deemed to go to Oxford, nor would we want to! Life should be colourful and people happy to be who they are.

 

Trouble is it seems to me that nothing is ever thought out. Logical, intelligent people of whatever education, class etc are able to say, "what the hell are they (the politicians) doing now?!!!!!!!!!!"

 

I'd like to know what happened to LOGIC???????????????

[Elliebes]

I went to grammar school after I passed the 11 plus. Then they went comprehensive and my education when right down hill. They only concentrated on the kids that were academic....with their A and B streaming system. I discovered at a later date in life that the school I went to was a 'bad' school. Oh great! Ive done NVQs, Professional Qualifications, GCSEs courses for this that and the other. At the end of the day nobody is going to offer me a full time good paying job at 58 which is what I want, like most people. But I'm under the lash to prove I'm searching for the work thats not there. God help those with a lesser means of proving they're seeking work. I'm fairly administrative and even Im finding it hard. How are people going to cope in their 60s under the lash to work? At best you only get offered part time. Or a few hours. And employers are only offering a few hours here and a few hours there how are you supposed to live on those hours??

 

Fat lot of good the TUC marches did the other weekend. The government will just ignore it and continue with their plans. Everyone is reeling with the speed of change which I believe were already set in concrete before they got into power. Vote them out at the next elections.

[bluetoffees]

agree with every word of what you've all said! i've battled poor mental health all my life. worked full time and paid my stamp when I've been well enough. now at age 56 i'm unwell again (even though I scored 0 points with atos) but luckily the decision maker reviewed my evidence 2 weeks before the appeal and I know have a 6 month reprieve of being the the ESA support group (although this could happen sooner as people on this site have pointed out) when I will have to go through the whole process again.

 

I couln't cope with the regime of proving job seeking. I can't organise myself well enough, nor would I be able to attend the jobcentre on the given days - some days I cannot bring myself to leave my bedroom, let alone my flat!

 

With my employment and health history no-one is going to take me on. I've tried applying for "permitted" work jobs to see if I could cope with 10 hours a week cleaning or some other simple task that I may be able to cope with, only to be told I don't have an NVQ in cleaning or the relavent work experience! Stacking supermarket shelves for 12 hours per week is also apparently beyond me. They might be right, of course, but I was willing to give it a try.

 

How are people meant to support themselves on part-time wages? It's ok if you have a partner but for those of use who are alone our fuel, rent, food bills are not much lower than those of a couple, yet we only have one income.

 

Maybe they will make all the single people pair off into couples so they can save even more money on housing benefits and sickness benefits by placing sick people with fit and working partners!

 

I hope Cameron doesn't look at this website - I think I may have just given him another loony policy idea!

[Elliebes]

Nothing surprises me now. I also live alone. I have no intention of taking anyone on board. We are under the lash and then the PM stands there and giving our money away to the likes of Pakistan in the 'interests of Britain' policy....Im flabbergasted we are supposed to be tightening our belts and cutting back to pay off our debt and every time the news comes on there the PM stands giving away our money to another country?? Is this my imagination??

[SueP1944]

Being of an age where working doesn't affect us anymore as I am nearer to 70 than 60 and my husband not that far behind me and is chronically ill, I have just had a look at the Jobcentre website as I can't believe that there aren't any jobs.

I put my postcode in, asked for a max of 5 miles to where I live and asked for any job. We live in a rural area with the nearest town 10 miles away and a city 70 miles away. The result, nine pages of jobs came up!

Most are paid at the NMW but surely that is far far better than what you are getting on benefits isn't it?

[Nystagmite]

There may be 9 pages of jobs where you live; but that's not the case for everyone. And that's even before you go into the fact that there may be anything up to 100 people applying.

 

And how many of those jobs are suitable for a disabled person? I had a look on Direct Gov yesterday and there was 5 pages of jobs. I could probably do one or two of those jobs...

[hennessy13]

I live in a city and we seldom see nine pages of jobs.

 

Three things to look out for:

 

How many of these jobs are advertised 'on behalf of x who is operating as an employment agency'. These often prove very damaging as temporary work can end a claim and leave you with nothing. People generally should not apply for these, but often do due to sheer desperation.

 

How many of these are bona fide? Often the jobcentre is used to post jobs that are not actual jobs, or are not what they purport to be. An example would be listing a job under a professional title only to find it is in fact for a general dogsbody. And businesses use this free, unchecked advertising to promote services and they simply want to pass on your information.

 

Often NMW is not enough, no. If you work for 40 hours at £6 you can make 240pw, minus 25% tax = 180. 720 per month IS more, but you now have the liability for all of your bills - Council tax (£100), Rent (£350), leaving you with the same money you made on a giro and more things to pay for. How do you get to and from work? How do you eat at work? It will cost you say £5 a day more than it would looking for work, and this means you are now still earning £67 pw and spending £25 a week more. That remaining £42.50 still has to pay for the expenses of living - food, water, heating, replacement of clothing, etc, etc.

 

This post started because there are no jobs that pay a living wage.

 

And even more than this, as posted above by blue, you most probably will not get that shelf-stacking job anyway because there is someone out there who is a better fit - maybe they are a no-brainer who is likely to stay there forever, maybe they have that elusive NVQ in 'product placement and merchandising', maybe they know the boss... All we know for sure is we get rejected. Honestly. And it is easy to suspect that ageism is often a factor - why should they employ a 25 or 50 year old shelf stacker, waiter or cleaner when they can employ a 17 year old and pay over a pound an hour less?

 

Blue:

 

"Maybe they will make all the single people pair off into couples so they can save even more money on housing benefits and sickness benefits by placing sick people with fit and working partners! I hope Cameron doesn't look at this website - I think I may have just given him another loony policy idea!"

 

He's already had that one:

 

http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/cms/pdf/EOY%20Insert%20-%20Final%20Version.pdf

 

The smallprint tells you this - the 'shared room rate' for under 25s now applies to under 35s. If you are under 35 you are only entitled to a bedsit and must live in close proximity to others... The intention may well be what you laid out above.

[Nystagmite]

People generally should not apply for these, but often do due to sheer desperation.

 

If you're on JSA, you're expected to apply for temporary jobs. I was to. Because of this and my soon to be ex-bank being rubbish, I was left with no money for about 4 weeks. Yes, it was nice to be doing some sort of work; but it was a pain restarting the claim.

[jadeybags]

The only job I ever got out the JC was just over 2 years ago after bringing up kids for 10 years on income support. It turned out to be an unachievable minimum wage. I was working up to 6 hours a day 4 days a week, incl sundays & bringing home 70 odd quid a week.

They had me training a Polish woman when I had only been there 3 days! She didn't speak English & she walked out on her third day saying 'too little money for too much working'

I left 4 weeks later. I did contact the min wage helpline & they wanted me to give them more details, cant remember why I didn't at the time. But the little chinese lady that managed the place was really nice, she was just doing what she was told.

I was saved by going on Sainsburys web site & finding the job I have now. A really good dept manager hired me, she is at another store now unfortunately.

Also by the way, Sainsburys & Tescos dont advertise in the job centre or local papers, Sainsburys has a web site, & Tescos I think you have to literally go in & ask. Not sure about Morrions & Waitrose.

[Elliebes]

SueP1944? You no doubt have a free bus pass or maybe a car? A regular income, your pensions. Probably own your own home. You will never be in the position many people on here are. If there is a job paying at least 800 pounds a month which will cover my rent my council tax,food bill and my fares to get to work then I would be more than happy to do it. Its all very well someone pointing out there are lots of jobs on the DWP site. Well you try getting them and let me know if you succeed.

 

Ive worked all my life in this country from the age of 15. Ive just worked 15 hour days 6 days a week abroad. Its statements like yours carrying the intimation that we are all a bunch of lazy scroungers who cant....wont work....... that makes me laugh.

 

As for temporary work nobody should be forced to take a 2 week assignment. 6 months maybe. If your job centre is forcing you to do stuff like this then change your job centre as I did.

[PriorityOne]

Being of an age where working doesn't affect us anymore as I am nearer to 70 than 60 and my husband not that far behind me and is chronically ill, I have just had a look at the Jobcentre website as I can't believe that there aren't any jobs.

I put my postcode in, asked for a max of 5 miles to where I live and asked for any job. We live in a rural area with the nearest town 10 miles away and a city 70 miles away. The result, nine pages of jobs came up!

Most are paid at the NMW but surely that is far far better than what you are getting on benefits isn't it?

 

No disprespect to you but many people of your generation share this view, including my late step-father who worked in a bank all of his working life; climbing the ladder to get on, etc. Such ladders don't exist anymore; neither do jobs for life. Your post is way out of touch with what's going on out there but it's a view that's peddled by the media because the truth is too much for the Gov. to answer to.... IMO.

 

I'm not surprised that you found 9 pages of jobs but were those jobs permanent or seasonal? Were they paying a wage that someone could live on? Were they reasonably easy to reach by public transport? Assuming so, would any of those jobs still have been viable after deducting travel costs and adding on a newly acquired Council Tax bill for yourself (homeowners)? So no, in many cases it's not better than being on Benefits...

 

I have a job so am not moaning about myself on this thread but for those caught in a repressive system that treats people like idiots and expects so much without delivering a means of enabling people to do it. Govs. destroyed out manufacuring industries years ago and sold things off for big bucks some time later, computers were introduced as someone said earlier so that it became more cost-effective to employ fewer people. Money, money, money. Our present Gov. now seems to be slashing through the service industry; the only thing we have left. Once they've figured out how to put robots into schools care homes instead of people, there'll be precious few jobs out there at all....

 

 

 

Often NMW is not enough, no. If you work for 40 hours at £6 you can make 240pw, minus 25% tax = 180. 720 per month IS more, but you now have the liability for all of your bills - Council tax (£100), Rent (£350), leaving you with the same money you made on a giro and more things to pay for. How do you get to and from work? How do you eat at work? It will cost you say £5 a day more than it would looking for work, and this means you are now still earning £67 pw and spending £25 a week more. That remaining £42.50 still has to pay for the expenses of living - food, water, heating, replacement of clothing, etc, etc.

 

This post started because there are no jobs that pay a living wage.

 

And even more than this, as posted above by blue, you most probably will not get that shelf-stacking job anyway because there is someone out there who is a better fit - maybe they are a no-brainer who is likely to stay there forever, maybe they have that elusive NVQ in 'product placement and merchandising', maybe they know the boss... All we know for sure is we get rejected. Honestly. And it is easy to suspect that ageism is often a factor - why should they employ a 25 or 50 year old shelf stacker, waiter or cleaner when they can employ a 17 year old and pay over a pound an hour less?

 

Totally agree... Speaking of shelf-stacking, a friend of mine went for a job at a huge local supermarket for a temporary, shelf-stacking job on the twilight shift.... for 7.5 hours a week. Please read that job description again before I go on.... lol.

 

I cannot remember the precise number of interviewees at the 1st interview but there was then a 2nd interview for the remaining 50 (short-listed) applicants, of which she was one. These group (aka X-Factor style) interviews then led to everyone in the group being asked a question each BUT people had to respond by including all of the other members in with the response. They were then given a psychometric test or whatever it's called and were judged on body language while all of this was going on.

 

Employers have people jumping through hoops for these ridiculous positions.... and so do DWP. Makes me want to puke!

[Nystagmite]

There may be jobs out there - but should people be really worse off by working? I am limited in what jobs I can do. I can't travel for long periods; nor can I drive or ride a bicycle. That leaves me with either getting the bus, walking (which I sometimes did in my last job) or getting my parents to drive me to work. The latter and first aren't always possible.

 

Most are paid at the NMW but surely that is far far better than what you are getting on benefits isn't it?

 

Obviously it depends on your own circumstances. I live with my parents and have a disability, which would, if I was working, entitle me to working tax credits. I'm better off working 16 hours NMW than being on JSA. There are people who, by the time you include having to pay rent, council, travel, etc, would be worse off working. I don't pay for prescriptions or eye tests regardless of my income - for others, this can be quite a bit of money out of their wages.

[jadeybags]

I was the grand total of 20 quid a week better off on income support than I am now I am working. My choice, I wont claim housing benefit anymore, but even then, I would only be about 30 a week better off. I wouldn't want to go back to benefits again though, if I were 40 a week worse off I would probably have to. But it's no fun living on benefeits is it. I was getting depressed being at home all the time.

[Nystagmite]

I have to admit that I'm getting fed of being on benefits. If I could move just like that, I would do.

[honeybee13]

I have to admit that I'm getting fed of being on benefits. If I could move just like that, I would do.

 

It's not right what you say and some of the previous threads. I'm saddened that our government thinks this is how life should be.

 

My best, HB

[JrnyFan4Life]

I'd loving nothing better than to be in paid employment, but up here in the North East we're one of the hardest hit areas. The local paper used to have over 1500 jobs published on a Thursday, now it's lucky if it'll publish 300. I signed on today, and after being made to feel like a criminal, my "advisor" managed to print off a grand total of 1 job which was suitable.

[Nystagmite]

My advisor doesn't always find 1 job for me. I've been on JSA for about 14 weeks now. They've found 2 jobs for me.

[JrnyFan4Life]

I hate mine, I've got this feeling that if I make one false move then he'll have no hesitation in sanctioning me.

[Elliebes]

I think most people would rather be in a job than face weekly or fortnightly lashings by the Job Centres. What person in their right mind puts themselves in this position? Someone who cant find work and not for the want of trying.

[hennessy13]

I live with my parents and have a disability, which would, if I was working, entitle me to working tax credits. I'm better off working 16 hours NMW than being on JSA. I don't pay for prescriptions or eye tests regardless of my income - for others, this can be quite a bit of money out of their wages.

 

Cameron is stopping tax credits. No more 'better off in work' for you, my friend.

 

Cannot comment on prescriptions or eye tests, but imho you'll have those bills too soon enough.

 

SueP, the issue here is that successive governments have run the country into the ground.

 

Doubt i'll ever own a home. Doubt i'll ever have a pension. Doubt i'll ever earn a living wage.

 

And this is despite being a graduate. I don't claim any benefits, but I do pay off my 'student loans' and eat one meal a day because i cannot afford anything more. Student loans = sizeable pension payments. So i pay off a pension before i can save for a pension. i could do both but then i would not eat.

 

What is wrong with the country? Simple answer is your generation destroyed it utterly. We're a puppet of the un-elected EU dictatorship (the ONLY parliament in the world that cannot alter laws - they are set by the overseers we cannot even elect). We are lorded over by a bunch of toffs who DID NOT WIN AN ELECTION. And we cannot make ends meet while we watch [problem] artists take home millions for failing at their jobs and usurpers like Cameron telling us we now have to do with less because he really wants to give £180 billion per year (more than our ENTIRE deficit) to the EU to build, what, sewers in effing Poland? We've done more than enough for Poland imho.

 

Sue, if you wish to suggest we need to take some responsibility then I would politely suggest you take some yourself, for your part in destroying our once great nation. It is your generation who did it: From Empire to Puppet; on your watch, love. And we're left to pick up the pieces. So please, please do not complain about us being unhappy with our lot.

 

Anyone under 30 is blameless. They didn't get a vote when Blair won. And more than that, these politicians are all the same. So thanks to your entire generation for sorting that out and giving us all a viable alternative.

 

The truth is simple: our inheritance has been blown by our parents.

 

Back to the Victorian era within ten years. Except now without an Empire. And our jewel - India - has taken all the work away.

 

Kudos.

 

FYi to be in the top ten percent of earners in the entire nation do wyou know what you need to earn?

 

 

43,000 per year.

 

5 x 43 = 215. UK House Prices. Average house price £232628.

 

Even the top ten percent of earners in the country would struggle to get an average mortgage.

 

I bet you did.

 

 

[Nystagmite]

Aren't they just stopping (or lowering the threshold) child tax credits? Because I'll be on working tax credits.

 

My free prescriptions and eye tests are due to medical condition - not heard anything about changes there.

[jadeybags]

Aren't they just stopping (or lowering the threshold) child tax credits? Because I'll be on working tax credits.

 

My free prescriptions and eye tests are due to medical condition - not heard anything about changes there.

 

Tax credits are going nowhere. Benefits are going to be replaced with the universal claim thing, but people wont be worse off working.

And I never understood why people are so obsessed with owning their own home. Ok it's cool when you retire & dont have rent or mortgage to pay anymore, but you cant take it with you when you go! And what about when the bolier packs up etc?

My mum love her was fixated on buying her council house years ago, & she did eventually. But she had to have lodgers in every bedroom & she slept on the sofa for years. And she has moved 3 times since to be able to get a better house each time, all because she wants to leave us a house. No matter how much we have said we dont need it! She'll probably outlive us anyway, she is only 20 yrs older than me & fit as a fiddle! lol