Universal Jobmatch

[osdset]

It uses cookies and I don't believe they can force you to accept these cookies on your home computer because of the EU cookie directive. That means you and millions of others will have to use the handful of machines in the DWP offices. That ain't gonna work, is it? There's an FOI getting dusty on the subject of the cookies, apparently there's third-party ones on there and people want to know what they are and what they do and the DWP have simply avoided answering the FOI so a formal complaint's gone in now. My guess is the DWP are simply breaking the law again and hoping no-one will care because, you know, it's only benefit scroungers and they don't deserve law sort of thing. The DWP needs very much to be cleaned out.

 

You can say that again! I can imagine claimants fighting over a handful of terminals in a futile attempt to get 35 hrs of job search in per week, it's ludicrous.

 

The DWP are routinely riding roughshod over the law and it's about time they were straightened out.

[oblivious]

I have told them I do not have internet access anymore and their response is to use theirs which can only be booked for 45mins at a time. 45mins is not enough time to search and apply for jobs. I tell them I go to the local college where I have double the amount of time as most jobs can only be applied for online.

 

I will not see my advisor at my next sign on so will see what is said to me regarding UJM, however I will tell them I do not agree to UJM privacy policy as it puts all responsibilty on myself if I am given any dodgy details regarding a job offer. I do not wish to be forced into being held responsible for anything that might happen, as I take my security online seriously.

[JuJuxxx]

The only thing about telling them you have no access to internet, mobile phone etc. is they will make your life difficult eventually.I don't trust fillintg out job applications online as I did that once and next thing I knew a message kept popping up saying someone wants to connect to my computer.I denied them access,left the room for a few minutes only to come back and find my computer had gone to log in and I could no longer log in as administrator.Allowing people to mess with your computer could put your security at risk.

Also when I signed up for UJM a week later my computer kept saying someone was trying to access my computer.I think what they are doing is sly and underhanded.

[dyfed]

At the risk of being shot at close range, yes I've seen the email and it is mandatory to register an account on UJM with an uploaded CV from 01/03/13.

You are still not required to give the DWP permission to view the account and also you can upload up to 5 CV's on the account and have the option of keeping the CV set to rivate.

 

If you do not create the UJM account then yes you can be directed to attend an interview with an adviser who will then sit with you whilst you create the account using the IAD in the JCP office and failure to comply with the direction will be referred to DMA to consider sanction of benefit.

 

I am not in work until next week and therefore have no access to the guidance to show this sorry.

 

Ok well I havent a computer, landline or mobile. I cant use a computer, am dislexic, and my memory is bad because of meds.

So interesting how they could do anything with people like me.

 

However to my question

Ok so they can force us to sign up to UJM. They can force us into uploading a cv.

But,

Can they force us into using it? I mean as long as I show that I am looking for work I dont need to touch UJM at all do I?

[sillygirl1]

I've had several people who work in IT departments try to access my computer, they generally find it takes about 1/2 hour - and then come and tell me which of the many sock or doily patterns they like! According to them most hackers give up after about 10 minutes as there are plenty of other less secure connections to harvest.

 

I am not that bothered about doing stuff online, I know the risks, and what to avoid, and have rarely been caught. I do regular back ups of my computer, I now have an old laptop I can use to 'copy' my entire setup on and then re-transfer it if necessary. Only once when I was going through some old software and got a bug did I need this.

 

The more paranoid about the system you become the harder the jobcentre people will treat you - and your already difficult life will become even more impossible.

 

Yes, the system stinks, is technologically backwards, and has a heavy reliance on online surveillance, but it will soon be superceeded by the next government.

[oblivious]

seems UJM is that good it can see into the future lol[ATTACH=CONFIG]42048[/ATTACH]

[sillygirl1]

I've had another email from them for jobs I am most certainly NOT qualified for - and when I clicked on the .links to five out of eight of the jobs I could not apply as the positions had been withdrawn! Shows how efficient their system is

[oblivious]

I just went on and all the jobs came up with those dates in 2015.

[dyfed]

Thanks Oblivious.

 

I have decided that my MO will be , i have no home phone, Broadband , i cant afford a mobile & have no access to a computer. It will not go down well from the get go, but IMO if they had a system that was fair, inclusive & transparent with a real intention of finding suitable employment for JSA claimants then i would openly engage & involve with them. From what i have read on here & other forums, this system has been "designed" to trip claimants up & sanction at every opportunity. It has serious data protection issues & is a complete shambles, if the government is happy to treat people in this dismissive manner then don`t be surprised when decent people who happen to find themselves out of work start using their own system against them.

 

Hi Snowy101, I will be taking the exact same approach as you my friend. I am in the support group for now but my lifelong a life threatning heart condition will, I am sure, be cured overnight by the DWP magic wand. So please keep us updated and I wish you all the best my brother

 

I also have never used a computer and oh dear seem to be a completely useless technophobe

And when they set up my so called UJM account with my email I will insist on every visit that its not my account but their account.

 

Just one more thing. This ticking a box thingy on UJM will make no difference because when you sign up to UJM you accept the terms and conditions. Meaning the DWP will be able to access your account if they so wish but even if they dontbwhen you next visit JCP they will sit you down and make you sign into your account to check it has a cv etc so you cant win lol

[dyfed]

The only thing about telling them you have no access to internet, mobile phone etc. is they will make your life difficult eventually.I don't trust fillintg out job applications online as I did that once and next thing I knew a message kept popping up saying someone wants to connect to my computer.I denied them access,left the room for a few minutes only to come back and find my computer had gone to log in and I could no longer log in as administrator.Allowing people to mess with your computer could put your security at risk.

Also when I signed up for UJM a week later my computer kept saying someone was trying to access my computer.I think what they are doing is sly and underhanded.

 

Yes they could make your life difficult this much is true but just imagine if hundreds of thousands of us had no computer at home. Queues of twenty thirty people everyday at your local joke shop (JCP) waiting for a computer. Huge demand for every public access computer in every town and city. The governments UJM wouldnt be working. They would have to spend money putting infrastructure in place to cope.

I for one intend on making their lives more difficult even if it makes mine difficult

[dyfed]

Couple of questions please.

 

As UJM looks like it will be mandatory will JCP staff have to mandate you to sign up to it in writting or can they do this verbally?

 

Also can you be mandated to use UJM or can you just sign upto it and look for work using other meathods just as long as you have evidence to support this?

[RebeccaPidgeon]

Yes they could make your life difficult this much is true but just imagine if hundreds of thousands of us had no computer at home. Queues of twenty thirty people everyday at your local joke shop (JCP) waiting for a computer. Huge demand for every public access computer in every town and city. The governments UJM wouldnt be working. They would have to spend money putting infrastructure in place to cope.

I for one intend on making their lives more difficult even if it makes mine difficult

Even if you have a computer at home, you can still make life difficult for JCP Staff. If they insist that you use UJ, then you can insist on using JCP facilities.

[snowy101]

I will ask to see copies of the legislation if they tell me its mandatory , if you are enforcing a mandatory requirement, then surely you must have the relevant paperwork to support your position. I will also take any forms they want me to sign home, i can peruse & digest the content , & as WC Fields said

"just, looking for loopholes" when asked why he, a confirmed non believer in religion was reading the bible in his last hours.

 

Hopefully none of this will be necessary as i have an interview next week , but preparation is key to success.

[dyfed]

Jobseeker’s Directions 95. 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.

 

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/146137/response/365038/attach/html/4/Universal%20Jobmatch%20Toolkit.pdf.html

 

So unless they change this from the toolkit we wint have to create a profile nor cv thus rendering UJM useless.

[joeski]

so say for intstance i applied for 40 job's and had evidence i had applied for all of them i'd get sanctioned just because i didn't use UJM to apply for any of them?

[dyfed]

so say for intstance i applied for 40 job's and had evidence i had applied for all of them i'd get sanctioned just because i didn't use UJM to apply for any of them?

 

 

As far as I know not as yet no.

 

Actively Seeking Employment

97. We cannot specify to a JSA claimant how they provide us with records of their jobsearch activity and Universal Jobmatch will not change this.

 

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/146137/response/365038/attach/html/4/Universal%20Jobmatch%20Toolkit.pdf.html

[LaughingGirl]

so say for intstance i applied for 40 job's and had evidence i had applied for all of them i'd get sanctioned just because i didn't use UJM to apply for any of them?

 

I'm not speaking from a position of knowledge at all, but I can't see it being workable to sanction people for not applying through UJM if there are other alternatives, and they've provided a record of their applications through other sites. What if there are no jobs advertised in your area of experience on UJM for a week?

 

Someone may well be along shortly to tell me otherwise, though.

[Charlotte_Henderson]

so say for intstance i applied for 40 job's and had evidence i had applied for all of them i'd get sanctioned just because i didn't use UJM to apply for any of them?

 

I apply for jobs almost every day, and not one of them is via UJM.

 

Last time i was asked if i was using UJM when i signed on, i said i only log in if their is a job i want to apply for on it, and her answer was well you apply for loads of jobs off other websites so that's fine.

[yesitsme]

Just went to sign on today all ok, gave in my worksheet she gave me a new one in return no mention of UJM just asked how things are going. looked on UJM for me saw that there was no jobs and said see you in two weeks.

[joeski]

thanks for the advice, UJM sounds to me like it'll fail and be a big embarasment for the goverment.

[Charlotte_Henderson]

saw that there was no jobs

 

What annoys me is, they know that their is no jobs but still expect you to magic some up to put in your book each week

[RebeccaPidgeon]

The PCS Union has just released an update to Mandation for Universal Job Match:

 

http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/department_for_work_and_pensions_group/dwp-news.cfm/id/7CB27121-96CB-4363-944EBA40616465A4

DWP/BB/07/13 provided members with an update on all of those issues. PCS officials met with the project team earlier this week in order to seek further clarity for our members who deliver the Front Line Adviser (FLA) service within Work Service Directorate (WSD).

Announcement

 

The Secretary of State for DWP will make an announcement on 1st March 2013 that, with effect from 4th March 2013, FLAs can mandate claimants to register for UJ. This will be done via a Jobseeker Direction. Importantly, however, management have acknowledged that mandatory sign up to UJ will not be a blanket approach; instead, FLAs should encourage claimants to use UJ. Mandatory sign up will be on an individual basis, if the FLA feels that UJ would be beneficial to the claimant, and they have ‘unreasonably refused’. Management will be issuing guidance around this shortly.

Cookies Legislation

 

Currently, EU cookie legislation prevents mandatory sign up requiring customers to use their home computers to register for, or use UJ. This is because the choice to accept cookies on your computer has to be made ‘freely’, under the EU legislation. This means that if an FLA seeks to mandate a claimant to register on UJ, they will need to look at alternative methods of doing so – Internet Access Device (IAD) within a jobcentre, use of computer in local library, etc. Management refer to this as their ‘tactical solution’. PCS have raised doubts that there are sufficient resources within Jobcentres to enable this to be a realistic workaround.

However, the UJ project has indicated that they are seeking to make changes to the UJ site which will provide an option to remove the cookies from home computers. When these changes are made, FLAs will be able to mandate customers to sign up from home. This is what management are calling the ‘strategic’ solution, but they are unable to say when this ‘fix’ will be implemented.

Access to UJ Account

 

If, and when, a claimant signs up to UJ, they will be encouraged to give DWP access to their account. However, it is absolutely clear from a legal perspective that the claimant does not have to tick the box to give DWP access to their account, and can provide alternative proof of UJ sign up and use, e.g. screenprints

FLAs setting up UJ Accounts

 

It has been brought to the attention of PCS that some District Managers are encouraging FLAs to set up their own UJ account and then take claimants for a ‘walkthrough’ of the system. PCS has challenged the security aspect of this process and, as a result, management centrally, have issued clear instructions that this practice must stop. PCS has received assurances centrally that any advisor, following what they believed to be a ‘reasonable management request’, will face no disciplinary action as a result of their actions.

Robustness of UJ Site

 

PCS has raised serious concerns around the robustness of the UJ site. The UJ site has already attracted widespread media attention due to a number of rogue job adverts that have appeared and security concerns. Management have stated that they have increased the number of checks on the site to prevent ‘bogus’ adverts appearing, but are unable to offer any cast-iron guarantees that vacancies of this type will not appear in the future. PCS has also challenged management around employers offering jobs with salaries/wages below the national minimum wage level. Again, management state that they are constantly monitoring any misuse of the system. Although they admit that there a number of fixes to the site still to be made, for example around the geographical searches, management insist that the site popular and well used.

Summary

 

The view of PCS is that Universal Jobmatch is nothing more than a crude tool being used by DWP management to help deliver this government’s ‘scorched earth’ approach to the welfare reform agenda. Disgracefully, it is PCS members who are at the forefront of criticism from claimants and welfare groups alike when failings of the system are highlighted across the national media. FLAs should follow the guidance and use their own discretion when mandating claimants to sign up to UJ, and resist any local targets or blanket approaches at a local level.

The working processes outlined within this circular are absolute and not subject to any “interpretation” by district managers. Any attempt to amend these processes under the banner of ‘Freedoms and Flexibilities’ should be escalated to the Group Office as a matter of urgency.

 

[joeski]

i will not be signing into UJM on my home computer so i'll use ingeus's computers to access it if we are forced to sign up, i'll do my normal proper spam free job search at home of course

[snowy101]

The PCS Union has just released an update to Mandation for Universal Job Match:

 

http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/department_for_work_and_pensions_group/dwp-news.cfm/id/7CB27121-96CB-4363-944EBA40616465A4

 

 

Interesting, so in short , its mandatory but its not. You could`t make it up. I will be printing the PCS page off & showing it to the advisor at my first meeting with them, i will try to agree a working deal with him/ her about a sensible & adult system that does not involve this silly UJM & happily provide job search proof . I have been warned that at my local JCP there is a particularly nasty woman who makes weekly appointments for dissenters & doesn`t like to be questioned or challenged, i`m told she is pedantic & deliberately spiteful with anyone who doesn`t follow orders. It looks like i will be calling into the JC on a daily basis.

 

Just one further question, Is it mandatory for the JCP to have / see a copy of your CV?, do we have to give out our personal details?... phone number ,email address , mobile number. The reason i ask is, i don`t want to be at their beck & call , if they require me to attend an appointment , then they can write to me , it also gives me time to form a plan of resistance [ if one is needed] .

[san_d]

At the moment there's no official communication from the DWP:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/adviser/updates/universal-jobmatch/

 

I have had an account since November but I have so far refused to sign the new terms and conditions and I invite all not to accept them.