Ingeus

[ubeefortea]

Female ingeus / jobcentre advisers are always the most cruel / bitchy, the authority goes straight to their heads, I've noticed

 

Yes I have noticed this too.

I think that some females, especially those who power dress, act all macho and aggresive to try and gain promotion.

 

Female officers in the army were worse than the guys. Or at least everyone I came across.

 

Disclaimer: I do not refer to every female and nor do I intend to offend anyone. These are just my views.

My mum has authority but is the best

[stikky62]

Female ingeus / jobcentre advisers are always the most cruel / bitchy, the authority goes straight to their heads, I've noticed

 

Oh, I don't know about that. Most of my jobcentre advisors have been female and I can't remember any particularly bitchy ones. They're generally quite friendly if you are too. I've only ever had male advisors that have been a p.i.t.a.

[osdset]

Well it's a mans world (in the workplace at any rate) in my experience some women that achieve some power over overs let it go completely to their heads. One company I worked for had a female head of soft facilities management(cleaning,housekeeping etc), I was part of the hard FM maintenance team in the role of lead carpenter, from day one she tried to boss me about even though she had absolutely no jurisdiction over our department, when she realised her efforts were in vain after I read her the rule book she tried every trick in the book to stab me in the back.

 

It ended up with an ulitmatum from her to upper management, "it's him or me, one of us has to go" upper management decided that I was more of an asset, the grin on my face on the day she cleared her desk was priceless, what's the German name for it? Oh yes! Schadenfreude!

[jasta11]

..the day she cleared her desk was priceless, what's the German name for it? Oh yes! Schadenfreude!

 

Good to see a bully get their come-uppance; as the saying goes 'Revenge is a dish best served cold' My current JC advisor is a nice woman and I respond accordingly, had no problems with her at all. We all want an easy, hassle-free life so I make sure I fulfill all the requirements of my JS Agreement and we all play happily in the sand pit.

 

My only real moan in the past has been the number of times I've been given incorrect advice by advisors (ironic, given their job title) and the fact the Jobcentre will never apportion blame to anyone for making an error - the old 'Well, a lot of people have dealt with your claim' get-out clause:)

 

Generally you get back what you give; I give them no grief and they give me none...so far!

[RebeccaPidgeon]

Female ingeus / jobcentre advisers are always the most cruel / bitchy, the authority goes straight to their heads, I've noticed

I disagree....Welfare To Work Staff are not that qualified, occupy a position at a lower point in the economic food chain than Job Centre Plus and it matters not whether the W2W Clerk is male or female if they wish to adopt an adversarial attitude. Indeed, if W2W Clerks could get a job working in the Real Economy, or in the Public Sector or Third Sector, they would have been able to do so.

[tezzaa61]

I think you're correct in your earlier post when you said 'nowhere on the letter

does it state that these appointments are Mandatory and failing to attend could

affect my benefits.'

According to WP provider gudiance ( http://www.dwp.gov.uk/supplying-dwp/what-we-buy/welfare-to-work-services/provider-guidance/work-programme-provider.shtml ) (mandation-chapter3a) - the 'Required wording' is

“If you do not undertake the activities required in this notification your benefit could be affected”

 

If that's not there - no sanction.

 

Hi, thanks for your reply.

 

Looks like they have done down the route of raising an Entitlement Doubt as my

non-attendance has been reported to the JC. I will just have to have a good

excuse prepared for when I sign-on in 2 weeks time.

 

Tez

[estellyn]

The problem with non attending, even on occasions when you think you're in the right, is that if a doubt gets raised and you get a sanction, you will be without money for a while. Yes, if you are in the right you'll get it back at appeal, but that takes a long time and is a dangerous game to play.

 

I'm in two minds about the pointless courses - I'm sure it would annoy me if I were being put on them, but saying that, I've worked for several employers who loved sending people on in house courses (they were 'investors in people'). Most of the courses were irrelevant to my work, some of the courses I really enjoyed, but others were a complete waste of my time, and there were so many of them! We had to go to fortnightly 'talks' on the development of the organisation which were sleep inducing and mandatory, and I once went to a meeting about a meeting about a meeting. This type of inanity is part of the working world, and it may be best just to take the approach of 'getting on with it'. Though I agree that some stuff is not suitable for those with health issues, but that's a whole different issue of breaching the DDA.

 

I realise my viewpoint may not be popular, and I do totally sympathise with those who feel they're educated grown ups who can look for jobs themselves without all the interference. I'd be pretty irritated being treated this way too. I think to get through it I would tell myself that jobseeking is now my poorly paid job and I'm paid by the government. In order to get 'paid', I have to do the courses/attendance that I'm told and can do my real work (actual jobseeking) the rest of the time. Sometimes I've found it's best to change the way I look at things to stop myself going crazy.

 

I would however draw the line at work experience at any profit making employer (tesco/poundstretcher etc).

[signmaker]

Female ingeus / jobcentre advisers are always the most cruel / bitchy, the authority goes straight to their heads, I've noticed

 

I have a lovely lady of an advisor with the JC+ first time I saw her she raised a santion doubt with me for not applying for an unsuitable vacancy, and she didn't like the way I had filled in my activity log ( which was how the last advisor told me to do it) she was talking over me, not listening to me, and she was showing her authority over me, in front of a trainee who was sat beside her and taking notes.

She was my wifes advisor before me and she told her to "apply for any job although you will probably not get them" her exact words, no matter how many hours or your money will be stopped, we need 30 hours between us to be able to claim tax credits.

She said the job was suitable as it was less than the agreed 90 mins away, and was full time, if she had listened to me instead of arguing with me over hours she would have been told that I no longer have a car to get to work so reliant on public transport and it will take 2hrs 10 mins to get there, and was only for a temporary contract.

I am waiting for the appeal letter so that I can send in my 2 page reply, and if I win the apeal I will be putting in a complaint against this advisor.

[Nystagmite]

I've never had a problem with the female staff at the job centre. The staff on the front desk are brilliant too.

[signmaker]

You obviously have never used our JC+ we have a sort of reception desk that is manned "womaned" by whoever can be bothered, they usually stare at you in turn and then ignore you, I was signing on one day and this young advisor she must be at least 16 walked up the room I thought oh, I going to be attended to, that's quick, I had eye contact with her all the time, she then walked round two desks and sat at the nearest one to the reception and ignored me, well if I wasn't annoyed it would have been funny.

I decided to play them at their own game and put my signing doc's on the desk and walked away.

There are no caring, friendly, helpful people in this office anymore, as it says on posters all around the waiting area.

These people don't give a t**s about anyone who walks through their doors, I feel like I am a scrounging lowlife and, after 40 years of working, made redundant and now have to deal with A-holes like these who have the say, on a whim as to wether you eat or not for 4 weeks.

Now I have two lots to deal with Ingeus and JC+ it's like treading on eggshells, have I done my quota? will they be happy with what I've done? am I going to get sanctioned this week for something that I've forgotten or missed?

At 57 who's going to give me a job now? and they're pushing you to apply for any old crap job just to get you off their books..

[speedfreek]

You obviously have never used our JC+ we have a sort of reception desk that is manned "womaned" by whoever can be bothered, they usually stare at you in turn and then ignore you, I was signing on one day and this young advisor she must be at least 16 walked up the room I thought oh, I going to be attended to, that's quick, I had eye contact with her all the time, she then walked round two desks and sat at the nearest one to the reception and ignored me, well if I wasn't annoyed it would have been funny..

 

That reminds me of an experience I had at a certain London job center 5 years ago.

 

This job center was tiny had 3 security guards at the door and the front door was locked until you showed them your signing on book. I remember Liverpool in the 80s where there was 5 lines of people signing on with 2-300 people waiting to sign on and no visible security. Granted the chairs were bolted to the floor and protective screens in the special separate we've stopped your benefits section. But the everyday section was this nonthreatening open plan office with the 10 signing desks being all that separated the un washes masses from the friendly DWP staff all beavering away at their desks behind em. Every now n again you'd get offered a cup of tea and a biscuit at reviews.

 

I rock up for a 9am interview to find the person wasn't there. Another guy says sorry takes my book tot he signing desk (I wasn't due to sign on until 2pm) goes you'll be called in a minute to sign on.

 

1 hour later I complain to the security desk that I hadn't been seen. Guy runs off goes I've had a word and you'll be dealt with soon.

 

45 minutes later I'm still there and I'm about to lose it when this fat ****ing troglodyte of a woman who was stuffing her face full of chocolates ( was watching her miss the bin next to her with her endless stream of chocolate wrappers). Holds up my book and says this gentleman been waiting over 2 hours with a look that made me want to basically just kick off. Then passes my book over to her colleague. Security had to restrain me and I as genital as a kitten and playful as a lamb.

 

That office was horrendous and you got the impression that you were **** sub human **** to be abused! THe whole place was on a power trip! I was so glad when it got closed and I got transfered to another one.

 

Now the new one I was let off for being 30 minutes late to sign on (even advised by my female advisor (who was lovely) what to say next time it happened) and the bloke who became my advisor you looked forward to having a chat as he was friendly always trying to help etc etc etc. I would have married her and taken him for a pint.

 

Go figure?

[Nystagmite]

My local JCP has security near the signing on desk. But there's never been any security anywhere else.

[john27]

ingeus have me on another craptastic course - four days a week, 9am to 4pm - "skills for employment" or something like that - apparently its teambuilding, roleplay and other stuff, with a bunch of randoms - i know two lads who've been on the dole for years and they never get hassled with any of this rubbish:-x

[Putneynic]

Just to let you know that Ingeus are generating letters with a wrong number for their Operations Support Centre. The number stated - 0300 456 8060 goes through to Remploy Warrington. The Reploy person said their line has been inundated with wrong calls by Ingeus.

[Nystagmite]

Just to let you know that Ingeus are generating letters with a wrong number for their Operations Support Centre. The number stated - 0300 456 8060 goes through to Remploy Warrington. The Reploy person said their line has been inundated with wrong calls by Ingeus.

 

You'd think someone would ensure it's the right number...

[jasta11]

Just saw on Yahoo news.. Pope Benedict XV1 is apparently resigning at the end of the month (check out Yahoo homepage for the story).

 

..he'll get no benefit now for 6 months for voluntarily leaving a job. Hopefully his H/B & Council Tax will be left though. I hope there's no local Ingeus where he is though

 

Anyone want to bet that someone will place a vacancy for Pope on the much-hacked Universal Jobmatch site?

[Chester6]

Just saw on Yahoo news.. Pope Benedict XV1 is apparently resigning at the end of the month (check out Yahoo homepage for the story).

 

..he'll get no benefit now for 6 months for voluntarily leaving a job. Hopefully his H/B & Council Tax will be left though. I hope there's no local Ingeus where he is though

 

Anyone want to bet that someone will place a vacancy for Pope on the much-hacked Universal Jobmatch site?

Even the worst non-bigoted pimp could do a better job then the pope

Edited February 11, 2013 by Chester6

[Chester6]

I dunno how this will affect the programme and the various pimps but it's excellent news

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/woman-wins-appeal-over-unpaid-103852074.html#TNDgrGB

[signmaker]

A little bit off topic, but I could use some advice please,

 

I was told on Thursday when I signed on that I was going to be sanctioned for not doing enough to seek employment by not applying for a job that I thought was unsuitable, fair enough.

 

looking into this further because I have had no confirmation, have found that I am three weeks into my first sanction already!!!!!! from the 25th Jan to the 7th Feb.

I have not, and was not told anything about this, no reason, no letter, no verbal, no nothing untill today when speaking on the phone to a lady in Markerfield Contact Centre in Lancashire, when she told me that I was on a sanction already.

 

As it is a joint claim they have stopped both of our monies, not sure if she will still get hers.

 

My second sanction from a JC+ advisor from the 8th Feb ongoing untill I fill in a reclaim form, (Intermediate Level Disallowance Decision).

 

Now my question is where the hell do I stand? can anyone help? can I appeal against the first one as I didn't know anything about it?

 

It looks as though I was next in line to be sanctioned to keep up the quota, you would think they would at least have the decency to tell you that you're not going to get your JSA.

 

Any help appreciated.

[john27]

^ i've heard Poundland are one of the worst offenders for abusing those government schemes to get free labour

 

its been "full steam ahead" for me recently in terms of sending out cv's - i want off this ingeus course ASAP - it's literally 7 hours a day in a cramped room filling in a workbook - no job at the end of it or anything - i said in a previous post that i got the impression they bombarded people with as many pointless courses as possible so they give in and find anything, therefore enabling the ingeus parasites to get their bonus from the government because you found work - parasites and vampires

Edited February 12, 2013 by john27

[Vincent Buenisides]

A little bit off topic, but I could use some advice please,

 

I was told on Thursday when I signed on that I was going to be sanctioned for not doing enough to seek employment by not applying for a job that I thought was unsuitable, fair enough.

 

looking into this further because I have had no confirmation, have found that I am three weeks into my first sanction already!!!!!! from the 25th Jan to the 7th Feb.

I have not, and was not told anything about this, no reason, no letter, no verbal, no nothing untill today when speaking on the phone to a lady in Markerfield Contact Centre in Lancashire, when she told me that I was on a sanction already.

 

As it is a joint claim they have stopped both of our monies, not sure if she will still get hers.

 

My second sanction from a JC+ advisor from the 8th Feb ongoing untill I fill in a reclaim form, (Intermediate Level Disallowance Decision).

 

Now my question is where the hell do I stand? can anyone help? can I appeal against the first one as I didn't know anything about it?

 

It looks as though I was next in line to be sanctioned to keep up the quota, you would think they would at least have the decency to tell you that you're not going to get your JSA.

 

Any help appreciated.

You can ask for a reconsideration of the first sanction within one month of the date of the decision (unless they've changed it without telling anyone), so ring up your jobcentre to ask for one.

 

Did the person at the contact centre give you any idea of what the sanction was for? In my experience it was usually failing to attend an appointment or failing to apply for a job, but in today's climate it seem's anything can trigger a sanction.

 

As for the second sanction, why would you need to fill in a reclaim form?

[signmaker]

You can ask for a reconsideration of the first sanction within one month of the date of the decision (unless they've changed it without telling anyone), so ring up your jobcentre to ask for one.

 

Did the person at the contact centre give you any idea of what the sanction was for? In my experience it was usually failing to attend an appointment or failing to apply for a job, but in today's climate it seem's anything can trigger a sanction.

 

As for the second sanction, why would you need to fill in a reclaim form?

 

Hi,

I had no idea that we had been sanctioned the first time, I don't know who was at fault my wife or me, if either of us at all.

But will ask tomorrow about reconsideration.

 

The very nice lady at the contact centre didn't say why we had been sanctioned, and I think that I was so overawed at being told this, that I can't remember asking, but she was so apologetic to me by the way this sanction had been imposed, and told me to see the advisor who had sanctioned us, so I thought they may have gone about it the wrong way, and should have told me, or something before dropping it onto me.

 

It is a Jobseekers Allowance Renewal form,JSA4(RR) and I've been told that although I'm still registered as unemployed I have to fill this in because of the second sanction against me, I'm not entirely sure why I have to do it, maybe something to do with my wife still being able to claim, and to "restart my claim".

"Intermediate Level Disallowance Decision" what ever that means was mentioned in the conversation

[flumps1976]

intermediate level disallowance means that the claim for JSAA has been disallowed andin turn all associated benefits too, so in order to set the payments back up the customer is required to reclaim via jsa4rr if there are no changes in circumstances or jsa1 if there have been changes.

tbh this has always been the case if disallowed for not showing sufficent steps to be treated as actively seeking or doubts on availability. the reclaim is nothing new.

[jasta11]

A little bit off topic, but I could use some advice please,

 

I was told on Thursday when I signed on that I was going to be sanctioned for not doing enough to seek employment by not applying for a job that I thought was unsuitable, fair enough.

 

looking into this further because I have had no confirmation, have found that I am three weeks into my first sanction already!!!!!! from the 25th Jan to the 7th Feb.

I have not, and was not told anything about this, no reason, no letter, no verbal, no nothing untill today when speaking on the phone to a lady in Markerfield Contact Centre in Lancashire, when she told me that I was on a sanction already.

 

As it is a joint claim they have stopped both of our monies, not sure if she will still get hers.

 

My second sanction from a JC+ advisor from the 8th Feb ongoing untill I fill in a reclaim form, (Intermediate Level Disallowance Decision).

 

Now my question is where the hell do I stand? can anyone help? can I appeal against the first one as I didn't know anything about it?

 

It looks as though I was next in line to be sanctioned to keep up the quota, you would think they would at least have the decency to tell you that you're not going to get your JSA.

 

Any help appreciated.

 

They HAVE to first notify you in writing of a sanction before it can be put into effect and also tell you of your right to appeal. This is absolutely clearly stated in the DWP guidelines, which you can get off their own website in .PDF form.

 

The reason why I can say this with certain knowledge is that the same thing happened to me once; I was referred for a sanction for missing an appointment. I waited to hear something but after a few weeks had heard nothing at all, so I assumed they had accepted the explanation I gave in the 'reasons for missing appointment' form I was given initially.

 

Then I discovered I was a week's money short when I went to the bank and upon contacting the DWP, was told that I had in fact been sanctioned for a week; NO letter, NO phone call, NOTHING at all by way of information. The Jobcentre stated it was the duty of the decision makers to inform me of any sanction. I obtained the number of the decision makers through sheer persistence and was told by them that it was the Jobcentre's duty to inform me !!

 

To cut it short, I wrote the DWP a letter, quoting their own rules about how a sanction should be done, sending a copy to my MP and telling them that I would also notify the local media. I still heard nothing back..BUT a payment of 1 weeks benefit suddenly appeared in my bank account, headed 'Underpayment'. They didn't even have the guts to admit they'd shot themselves in the foot by not following their own rules. See below.

 

When is the decision notified

01118 A decision is notified when it is

1. handed to the claimant or appointee or

 

2. sent by post to the person's last known address1.

Where a decision is posted, DMs should bear in mind that the notification may not leave the office on the day that it is produced

2.1 SS CS (D&A) Regs, reg 2(a); Interpretation Act 78, s 7; 2 R(IB) 1/00

 

Failure to notify the decision

 

01119 A decision is not effective unless and until it is notified - see DMG 01015. This can

 

lead to disputes about whether the time for revision or appeal has expired, or

whether the condition for making an overpayment decision is satisfied. It is therefore

important to ensure that evidence is available to show that a decision has been

notified. Evidence of notice can be a clerical or computer record

 

 

Obtained from:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/decision-makers-guide/#vol1

Chapter 1 - Principles of Decision Making and Evidence.PDF (page 23)

 

 

Quote this in your complaints/appeals letter and best of luck.

 

.

Edited February 13, 2013 by jasta11

[signmaker]

Thanks for all of your input, it has given me the info that I need to tackle the JC+ now I have their own guidelines, I just hope they haven't had time to falsify a notification letter,,,,,,, as if they would.

thanks again.