Employment/Work and asscioated benefits woes

[Hacked_Off]

You have to work 30 hours a week up to the age of 59. You can work at anything.

 

If you have any children you'd get Child Tax Credits too.

 

I don't see why you can't apply to go to University if that's what you want to do, but you'd have to check out grants, student loans, and so on.

 

When you say "work at anything" does that include 'touting for business etc'

[Hacked_Off]

Right, the decision maker has agreed with me. The "advisor" put a note on the appointment on the 22nd saying "to see how she's getting on with blue orchard" the appointment with blue orchard is on the 30th!!! Apparently being capable of time travel is now a jsa requirement.

 

We're the "advisor" alleges I've signed for the letter it says "1pm". Now I sign on at 11.50 and the moved appointment was at 2.30. How can I sign for a letter when I wasn't their?

 

Also had to force him to look at my job diary. Well in sorry I haven't applied for 63 jobs in two weeks and made detailed records to have them dismissed!!!

 

Recorded all of that incase theres any more mistakes.

[Desperate Daniella]

Getting new business is part of your business. If you have to write letters to people about your business, or go and see prospective clients, that is all work. Even if you don't get those clients you have still been working.

 

They don't ask you to provide a daily diary of what you did at a particular time. Some days I have nothing to do - it depends what comes in. A lot of my work is needed urgently, so at those times I will work an 18 hour day to get it done because I have to meet a deadline, so that's over half the 30 hours to start with.

 

You just have to have some people/businesses you are genuinely invoicing for the services you provide.

[ukmartian]

I am going down the line off self employment ...I stand no chance of getting a job to suit my skills and age ....Last week i was offered the chance of work from my old employer , but as self employed ...I enquired about the NEA but was told i did not qualify as i was on the work program...i cant understand why ...they have done nothing to offer me work except unpaid labouring which i politely turned down..the allowance would allow me to sign off totally and give me 6 months financial backup which will make all the difference....do they want people to work and get off benefits ..or do they want them to be slaves

[impecunious]

I've got my appt with Blue Orchid/Orchard?? this week. I'm already self-employed but they might be able to help and NEA will come in handy .... let's see how it goes. I'm not really fussed about working for anyone else ....

 

Good luck!

 

Impecunious!

[Hacked_Off]

I've got my appt with Blue Orchid/Orchard?? this week. I'm already self-employed but they might be able to help and NEA will come in handy .... let's see how it goes. I'm not really fussed about working for anyone else ....

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

Impecunious!

 

That's odd, the "advisor" i spoke to last time told me if you already have something lined up you don't get it!

 

Let me know what they say, mines not until the 30th

[impecunious]

That's odd, the "advisor" i spoke to last time told me if you already have something lined up you don't get it!

 

Let me know what they say, mines not until the 30th

 

 

I have another couple of ideas for self-employment too ...... besides what I'm currently doing. Although, at present, there's little point being self-employed whilst claiming JSA as I only have a £5 pw disregard. If I did actively sell anything I made, my stock would just diminish without making any profit and it obviously takes time to build up a small business.

 

I'm almost 60 and getting tired looking for work. I could really do with retiring but that just isn't possible. So, instead, I'll "create" my own work and, as long as I earn more than £71 pw - to keep JCP off my back - I'l be satisfied. Sometimes you just have to jump through hoops!

 

Good luck with your adviser.

 

Impecunious!

[jasta11]

Sometimes you just have to jump through hoops!

 

Isn't that the truth. I'd hate to be in the position of having a job and still having to answer to the Jobcentre - talk about 'no mans land' !!.

 

'Work is work and dole is dole and never the twain shall meet!'

[ukmartian]

There is nothing i would like more than to take my signing book and ram it down the job centre's throat...In 2 years they have presented me with 1 job to apply for and that required qualification i didn't have

[Hacked_Off]

Settled an I've got an apology

 

The saga continues!!

 

Had a call today from the CID, the supervisor in question has only gone and done it again. Only this time he went a lot further than he did with me...

[Hacked_Off]

had my appointment about going self employed. she was very nice and told me "im nothing to do with the job centre". the "advice" the job centre "adviser" gave me was incorrect. He said you don't get nea if you have something lined up. But she said you DO get it if you have something lined up, that's the whole point in it!!

 

So Ive got my business plan to do then the job centre can *?£$ off!!!

[ukmartian]

After all the mis information from the Job centre and the delays it caused ..the company i was going to work for withdrew their offer to me ..so thanks to them i am still un-employed

[Hacked_Off]

After all the mis information from the Job centre and the delays it caused ..the company i was going to work for withdrew their offer to me ..so thanks to them i am still un-employed

 

Sounds about right, if it wasn't for the fact the person offering me work is a good friend I'm sure if be in the same boat.

[ukmartian]

its a good job i didnt invest in a van, and equipment ..but it was close however i did start to purchase a few new tools ...

[Hacked_Off]

get onto your mp and demand an explanation!

[ukmartian]

He's about as much good as a chocolate teapot ...everytime you e mail him you eventually get a 2 page letter telling you about the state of the economy and how it is labours fault ......yup he is a Tory

[Hacked_Off]

Then speak to another mp and explain why your areas mp is no good, I do it all the time.

[ukmartian]

I have given up ..i will probably get sanction tomorrow when i sign on anyhow ...4 weeks ago I was given strict instructions that i either give them access to my UJM account or supply them with printed out screen prints of my Job search activity ...well so far i aint done either ...one is my choice ..the other i cant afford the ink and yes i e mailed the facts to my MP 4 weeks ago ..he aint answered yet ...

[Guest]

ministers@dwp is where my email would go.....to the top.

[Mr.P]

4 weeks ago I was given strict instructions that i either give them access to my UJM account or supply them with printed out screen prints of my Job search activity

 

See this: http://consent.me.uk/2013/01/13/dwpaccess/ - Granting access is voluntary. If the adviser gets assertive over the issue, refer them to The UJ Jobmatch toolkit chapter 3, paragraph 50:

“You cannot issue a Jobseeker’s Direction to either require a claimant to create a profile and CV in Universal Jobmatch or to mandate a claimant to give us access to their account – this is their decision not ours.”

(from: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/department_for_work_and_pensions_group/dwp-news.cfm/id/78E359C6-7B09-4FC6-98EBD4696432C199)

If you have a laptop/pad/[suitable]phone, upload a few screenshots to keep him/her happy (or save them to a USB memory stick). An alternative, just to be a pedant - Print out a weeks worth of screenshots, ten or twenty per page.... Presumably, they never gave instruction that it was only one per page.

 

edit: Further info on DWP access to a UJM account: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ico_universal_job_match

Edited May 6, 2013 by Mr.P

[jasta11]

I save my screen prints as .PDF files and stick them on my E-Book reader. When I show my advisor, I always 'accidently' let them see all the DWP & WP Guideline docs on there too. A warning shot across the bows..

 

Of course we all know the day will come when they'll want everything we do 'on the system' but in the meantime we can play them at their own game.

[Hacked_Off]

Well, I'm off to the no jobs centre for yet another pointless appointment! It's to "see how I got on with blue orchard" mmm what a waste of my time.

 

When I signed on yesterday he got a bit nasty "I see you were not sanctioned last week.." He changed his tune when I reminded him i record everything

[Hacked_Off]

Just witnessed someone being told "tick the box to let us look on ujm or you don't get paid"

 

Then mine tells me Ive "got to" use ujm and I've "got to tick the box" to view my profile. Informed him of the law!

[jasta11]

..report the other advisor who threatened a clients benefits. Tell their boss, senior DWP, the PCS Union (they'll love that) AND the media. Pity you hadn't recorded them saying what they said.

[Hacked_Off]

I've done all that and it IS recorded!! You can hear the other advisor saying why she said faintly in the background.

 

I start recording as soon as I go through the door!!!!