Ingeus

[Charlotte_Henderson]

I had many years at work struggling in with sickness and pain and got nothing apart from grief and beingmade redundant so excuse me whilst I am honestly not feeling good and it is genuine. Being perfectly honest, INGEUS can go stuff themselves, I have forwarded them a note from the hospital so if they do question anything they can call the hospital liars and I will come down on them like a tonne of bricks when well enough.

 

Anyway, update. My adviser at JCP (not INGEUS as she is useless) called me this morning - he is a lovely bloke and I trust him and he wished me well and said to take the full 14 days (14th-27th) although as my next signing day is 26th if I can try to attend. He will do my JSA28 with me when I am there on 26th and he assured me that my benefits will not be affected - the only way my benefits will be affected is if I go over 14 days and I will have to sort out an ESA claim with a GP note. Now even if I am in pain I don't want the performance of this so will get a lift there for the quick appointment and to complete my JSA28.

 

I have also cancelled INGEUS workshops I was due on (yesterdays) and on 24th June and asked they are rearranged and copied my JCP adviser in to my email to them so I have it on file in case they try anything on. I have also been advised by my JCP adviser I am expempt from job searches and applications whilst sick so I have time to recover and not worry about being harrassed by INGEUS so on 26th June with nothing to discuss at INGEUS and signing on I should be in and out in 10 minutes. Any form of harrassment or suggestion I have been trying it on or lying even though I have supplied a note will be met with me lodging an official complaint against INGEUS and my adviser there. I also aim to record this meeting in case I need it as evidence for a complaint.

 

I have never played the system whilst at work or whilst on benefits and as this is genuine I suggest INGEUS tread very carefully when dealing with me on this sensitive subject otherwise it is THEM that will be feeling the full force from me.

 

Glad to hear they are ok with you, i wasn't having a go by the way...just saying how Ingeus might see it

[essexmat]

Well I am still in pain, had another GP visit this morning and on stronger pain killers. JSA28 sent off recorded post and also a scan to my sdviser at JCP who has been great with explaining things.

 

INGEUS on the other hand, well, I have just lodged a formal complaint against my adviser, asked for a new one after they called me TWICE yesterday asking what was wrong and if I had medical records to prove my illness and not being able to attend their workshops. I actually do have notes from the hospital and scanned them across to them even though the JSA28 CLEARLY says I do not have to for a period of up to 14 days which also expempts me from job searching etc. I asked them to stop harrassing me whilst incapacitated and what qualifications they had to question my ability to attend workshops or appointments when I am incapacitated and also made it clear that this will be taken to the very top. I also called my JCP adviser and told him what happened and he is visiting INGEUS today anyway for signing on other claimants and will be making it VERY CLEAR to them that they cannot contact me.

 

Excuse the language but they are absolute parasites - who do they think they are?

[Charlotte_Henderson]

Well I am still in pain, had another GP visit this morning and on stronger pain killers. JSA28 sent off recorded post and also a scan to my sdviser at JCP who has been great with explaining things.

 

INGEUS on the other hand, well, I have just lodged a formal complaint against my adviser, asked for a new one after they called me TWICE yesterday asking what was wrong and if I had medical records to prove my illness and not being able to attend their workshops. I actually do have notes from the hospital and scanned them across to them even though the JSA28 CLEARLY says I do not have to for a period of up to 14 days which also expempts me from job searching etc. I asked them to stop harrassing me whilst incapacitated and what qualifications they had to question my ability to attend workshops or appointments when I am incapacitated and also made it clear that this will be taken to the very top. I also called my JCP adviser and told him what happened and he is visiting INGEUS today anyway for signing on other claimants and will be making it VERY CLEAR to them that they cannot contact me.

 

Excuse the language but they are absolute parasites - who do they think they are?

 

Ingeus think they are god for some reason, hopefully your JCP advisor will sort it for you....

[dogtanian]

Amazingly I seem to have the only decent Ingeus advisor in the world. She has acknowledged that due to my age (57) it may be a little difficult to find work even with all my previous experience. She knows I am doing the job searches and there are no more courses she can send me on which will benefit. So we've come to an arrangement. We do phone appointments every 6 weeks but I email her inbetween and she'll also let me know if anything comes up jobwise. Sorted!

[Mr.P]

So we've come to an arrangement.

 

You have been officially "parked" so that they can concentrate on the more profitable cases. Should you be fortunate to find a job before the end of your sentence, be assured, they will take an interest in you again and harass you for employer details.

[dogtanian]

Rest assured, come the glorious day I eventually get a job they will only be able to contact me by mail (which will go straight in the bin) or by knocking on the door (which my 92yo Father-in-law will politely tell them to p*** off!) Will just sign off at Jobcentre with no further details given.

[essexmat]

"Amazingly I seem to have the only decent Ingeus advisor in the world"

 

No such thing, they don't give a damn about you, they care about bonuses

Edited June 20, 2014 by ims21

[jasta11]

She knows I am doing the job searches and there are no more courses she can send me on which will benefit.

 

That never normally stops them; they'll send people on courses purely to generate payments for themselves and if the course actually benefitted you in any way then that's a mere coincidence.

 

(I'd do the phone appointments from the pub; nothing like having an adviser woffling on while you sip a cool beer )

[BomBomBom]

I had my first meeting with an extension of Ingeus (called LearnDirect) last week. What a waste of ****ing time. Had to get a 65 minute bus journey into town, to swap over for another 20 minute bus journey, then I got lost and was walking around for 30 minutes looking for the building, eventually found it and sat down with my new advisor. I was told she would "make me work" and there would be no more "lying around in bed all day" for me. She said that at her building I would have access to computers to apply for jobs and that I would go through the usual team building, mock interviews, confidence building workshops and that my weekly meetings would be 2 hours each time.

 

I just want to cry I'm fed up of this.

[essexmat]

Simply laugh at them, that is what I do now. If they want to send you and me on pointless workshops I see it as free travel i nto town for me to do some shopping and meet friends for a coffee/beer. I don't intend on taking anything INGEUS say or do seriously and simply mock them. I will laugh my way through workshops and make sarcastic comments and ask question after question simply to annoy them.

 

Truth be told, the DWP, JCP, WP providers do not have a clue what they are doing and what to do with people. There are NOT ENOUGH REAL JOBS, they will never admitit but those are the stone cold FACTS. Yes, lets go to work for minimum wage at 20 hours a week plus travel when you GET MORE on benefits. We don't choose to be on benefits, we have to be on them as WORK AVAILABLE DOES NOT PAY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE!

[Lapsed Workaholic]

Simply laugh at them, that is what I do now. If they want to send you and me on pointless workshops I see it as free travel i nto town for me to do some shopping and meet friends for a coffee/beer. I don't intend on taking anything INGEUS say or do seriously and simply mock them. I will laugh my way through workshops and make sarcastic comments and ask question after question simply to annoy them.

 

Truth be told, the DWP, JCP, WP providers do not have a clue what they are doing and what to do with people. There are NOT ENOUGH REAL JOBS, they will never admitit but those are the stone cold FACTS. Yes, lets go to work for minimum wage at 20 hours a week plus travel when you GET MORE on benefits. We don't choose to be on benefits, we have to be on them as WORK AVAILABLE DOES NOT PAY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE!

 

 

You have totally the wrong attitude, uncooperative, non-conforming and confrontational. You are totally opposed and unwilling to cower like a beaten cur before the authority of your self appointed betters.

Do I not like that?

[Mr.P]

You have totally the wrong attitude, uncooperative, non-conforming and confrontational. You are totally opposed and unwilling to cower like a beaten cur before the authority of your self appointed betters.

 

I refer the honourable gentleman to the Work Programme Agreement issued by the esteemed A4e (F.o.I. request: 5060). Please note the following quoted from page 3:

 

As well as all of the above, we also promise to:

• Treat you as we would wish to be treated ourselves

Should your Work Programme provider have issued you a document with similar wording, I would suggest that it gives one the right to reciprocate in kind if the "adviser" insults, denigrates, or abuses you.

 

 

 

Edit: Those A4e forms are so wrong on many levels - By signing any one of them, you consent to personal information being stored and processed which ignores DWP guidance on the subject....

[Lapsed Workaholic]

Pip Pip, Mr. P.

[jasta11]

I was told she would "make me work" and there would be no more "lying around in bed all day" for me.

 

Pity you hadn't recorded her saying that; she'd have been in a heap of trouble for making personal comments like that. You should start covertly recording every meeting from now on and she'll no doubt dig her own grave. Treat her the same as you would treat Ingeus ie zero tolerance if they don't follow guidance or waste your time on pointless activities.

[Charlotte_Henderson]

"Amazingly I seem to have the only decent Ingeus advisor in the world"

 

No such thing, they don't give a damn about you, they care about bonuses

 

Which of course is the correct answer, decent ingeus advisors just dont excist!

[essexmat]

I have INGEUS on Thursday buthave not done job searches or anything as I have been exempt via my JSA28 which I made sure was signed for as well as sent electronically to INGEUS as well as JCP. So what is my appointment for? "so, how are you getting on?" ... "I have been ill as YOU KNOW" ... "OK, bye"?

[CAGareBrilliant]

I obtained a job a few months ago, after having been 'with' Ingeus for about six months. They bombarded me with phone calls (I counted over 40!) and emails (over a dozen) arrogantly demanding that I talk to them about my new job, which they played no useful part of any kind (other than by being such an unpleasantly stupid experience that I was determined to try to escape their clutches - perhaps that's the real plan!) in helping me obtain.

 

A manager from their regional office finally tricked me into answering a call from her by using a disguised number. I gave her a piece of my mind, explained that I was being harassed and that I would take legal action if they did not desist. She appeared to accept this and promised no more contact. That was a couple of weeks ago.

 

This morning I received yet another email from them, entitled (menacingly) 'Unable to verify employment'. I have rejected it as spam.

 

My opinion is that this type of email is intended to create the illusion that they have some sort of ongoing legal relationship with the job finder and not only that, but by using governmental 'DWP-style' language, perhaps they want to create the impression that they have some kind of control over ongoing support, for example, working tax credit.

[essexmat]

They seem to think that as you are with them for 2 years even if you found a job in week 1 on your own with ZERO help they have an entitlement as they are there to 'support you' in your new job. Well, I would not want their help and WHEN I do find work it will be my doing and I would instantly block their phone number, place their email address as spam if they tried to contact me and anything in writing to my address would simply be replied to with a "desist from contacting me immediately otherwise I will take legal steps to stop you via a harrassment order"

[jasta11]

I have INGEUS on Thursday buthave not done job searches or anything as I have been exempt via my JSA28 which I made sure was signed for as well as sent electronically to INGEUS as well as JCP. So what is my appointment for? "so, how are you getting on?" ... "I have been ill as YOU KNOW" ... "OK, bye"?

 

Are these people thick?? (rhetorical question to which we all know the answer). If you're on the sick with pains they shouldn't even be asking you to come in. Of course their records will say 'Engaged with client today, discussed avenues of employment and options, blah blah blah'. Will look nice for the auditors.

 

If they must pester you, can they not just make it a short telephone call, rather than drag you in?

[essexmat]

To be fair I sign on in same building as Ingeus as JCP adviser visits there as it is just down the road. What I don't want is to be there 30 mins as THEY KNOW I have done nothing since being ill. I suppose I will get asked all sorts of questions like "how are you" etc. My reply is "I am under my GPs care I am not here to speak about my condition with someone who is not qualified to give advice" The whole thing sickens me to be honest

[vinny47]

They seem to think that as you are with them for 2 years even if you found a job in week 1 on your own with ZERO help they have an entitlement as they are there to 'support you' in your new job. Well, I would not want their help and WHEN I do find work it will be my doing and I would instantly block their phone number, place their email address as spam if they tried to contact me and anything in writing to my address would simply be replied to with a "desist from contacting me immediately otherwise I will take legal steps to stop you via a harrassment order"

For some people it may be the case that a contract has been formed between Ingeus and the Jobseeker

If you have been transferred from JCP to Work Programme Provider and you haven't signed any of the initial documents that the Work Programme provider requires you to sign at the initial meeting - No contract exists between Jobseeker and Work Programme Provider a contract does exist between Jobseeker and DWP/JCP, However for anyone that has signed the initial documents requested by the Work Programme Provider it is possible when signing such a document they have created an additional contract between themselves and the work programme provider

[vinny47]

To be fair I sign on in same building as Ingeus as JCP adviser visits there as it is just down the road. What I don't want is to be there 30 mins as THEY KNOW I have done nothing since being ill. I suppose I will get asked all sorts of questions like "how are you" etc. My reply is "I am under my GPs care I am not here to speak about my condition with someone who is not qualified to give advice" The whole thing sickens me to be honest

Essexmat

 

 

I think your provide more than the required information to Ingeus as far as I know when your ill you should just advised them your ill and you have completed your JSA28 nothing more nothing less if they want any more information they should contact JCP

[essexmat]

I agree with you however I like to cover ALL bases by post (registered and signed for) as well as e-copies to ALL parties as it is not confidential just the truth about being incapacitated. This gives neither the JCP or INGEUS any ground to raise a doubt against me. I even printed the signature of who signed for the JSA28 and kept a copy of what I sent and attached it all together in a file labelled "JSA28 sickness period" I trust neither the JCP and even less INGEUS to keep track of what is happening and if required I can provide evidence automatically.

[essexmat]

Absolutely DISGUSTED with INGEUS. As above I covered all bases legally and officially for my period of absence and this morning I get a text and phone call reminding me of my workshop at 2.30pm today. I have just sent the following email to INGEUS adviser as well as my JCP adviser:

 

I have just had a text reminder for a workshop today but this is one of the ones I cancelled due to being incapacitated. I covered myself for this absence via the JSA28 I sent off which has now been delivered and my first day back from sickness in on Thursday when I sign on with XXXX and then see you at 2.00pm.

 

Can you please ensure that there is no doubt/failure to attend notice put against my name for this period as I followed all of the procedures for my period of sickness which XXXX knows about as I have spoken to him. Getting the reminder this morning makes me think that this has not been noted and will be listed as a 'failure to attend' which is not the case.

 

All being well I will see you both on Thursday.

 

No doubt they are going to try it on with me even though I am fully covered with the JSA28. If this form of harrassment continues I will move to ESA as they are starting to make me ill!

EDIT: As I sent this post I got a reply from Ingeus: "That is fine, see you Thursday"

[BomBomBom]

I had my first meeting with an extension of Ingeus (called LearnDirect) last week. What a waste of ****ing time. Had to get a 65 minute bus journey into town, to swap over for another 20 minute bus journey, then I got lost and was walking around for 30 minutes looking for the building, eventually found it and sat down with my new advisor. I was told she would "make me work" and there would be no more "lying around in bed all day" for me. She said that at her building I would have access to computers to apply for jobs and that I would go through the usual team building, mock interviews, confidence building workshops and that my weekly meetings would be 2 hours each time.

 

I just want to cry I'm fed up of this.

 

Was at my second meeting with them this morning. I was booked in for 10am and when I arrived at 10am on the dot, I was told I was there "too early" and I would have to take a seat and wait on my advisor finishing with someone else. No big deal, I thought. Fair enough. I was then told to go and sit at a computer and apply for some jobs in the meantime. I politely told her I couldn't "apply" for any because I didn't have my CV on the computer to upload, but I would take a note of the job adverts to apply for when I got home. "Why didn't you bring a USB with your CV on it?" I was asked. I told her I didn't think it was necessary as they had a paper copy of my CV and I wasn't told I'd be job searching while I was here. "You didn't think you were job searching? At a place aimed at finding you a job?" she said sarcastically. I bit my tongue.

 

I then finally got called over to the desk and she basically told me the reason I didn't have a job was because I didn't have confidence. I told her I had plenty of confidence and had multiple jobs/interviews in the past and was doing fine with my confidence. She then switched it round to tell me that I don't research my employers enough. She advised me to look up employers on their websites and read about their history and what they're promoting. Again, that's no problem because I already do that anyway. She then switched it and said I'm not using the correct language in interviews and said I'm probably using generic and basic phrases instead of trying to stand out in the interview process. Without sounding arrogant, I've never really used generic phrases too much and have always tried to show character and a bit of personaliy in interviews. I appreciated the fact she was trying to help but my God, she was smug as hell. "I've been there, so believe me, I know what I'm talking about" she kept telling me. Apparently the reason I don't have a job is not because of the sheer volume of applicants for each position, it's because I myself am a failure when it comes to interviews.

 

She also kept bragging about how many people she has put into work and then booked me in for some workshop tomorrow at 9am. Apparently we'll all get to introduce ourselve and play games together and work as part of a team, then after it we get to go on the computers for an hour and do job searches then go home. If I don't go I'm sanctioned. Her final words to me were "I'm not sure how many people will turn up to it, most of my clients are booked in for things but then get offered a job and then I never see them again, it's just the nature of the business down here, so many new people in and out and so many people find work so quickly here".

 

If that's the case, why not send everyone to Learn Direct? Hmmm.