work programme after 2 years

[Dom86]

nearly done the 1st one :)/

[Dom86]

hi dom, what you must ask your self is is it meant to help you ?. a lot of dont agree with a lot they are instagating so we have 2 options. 1st option is stamp your feet and so no which ends up with sanctions. 2nd choice just go and make the most of it. you wont be on your own as others will most likely be there in the same boat as you. i think unless im totally wrong but is only for 4 weeks and in that time no job search activities are expected well thats what my advisot told me 8 days ago.

 

Hi hatsanam,

 

Thanks for reply,

 

Firstly, I want a paid job, so I must look for work.

Secondly, I'm currently doing a part-time degree course, I'm 4 years in, and invested a lot of time, effort and money, and will not give this up, or take a hiatus which I couldn't afford to do anyway due to the time limit imposed for completion of degree by the University.

Thirdly, I have an exam next month.

 

So I need to be able to contribute 15 hours towards study per week, and time for jobsearch,

 

all this is I must and want to do, and the 'MWA' comes at a unhelpful time, and would place a conflict on my reasonable interests and circumstances.

Edited September 20, 2013 by Dom86

[Dom86]

These people have got such horrible attitudes, my advisor is away, so I rang the Jobcentre and asked for someone else to see to my letter. The lady gave me the Managers email address, but it wasn't correct, she missed out the '@DWP' and the '.gov' bits, so wanting to get this right, I said politely this doesn't sound right, and she got in a mood with me.

 

SIGH.

[hatsanman]

These people have got such horrible attitudes, my advisor is away, so I rang the Jobcentre and asked for someone else to see to my letter. The lady gave me the Managers email address, but it wasn't correct, she missed out the '@DWP' and the '.gov' bits, so wanting to get this right, I said politely this doesn't sound right, and she got in a mood with me.

 

SIGH.

hi dom. i know its very frustrating and i was told about my swearing on here yesterday but at times i know its enough to make the cat swear. i dont know how far you are from your job centre but what i find always works is going there and asking to speak to the superviser the head guy or lady. phonecalls and emails just get the fobbed off treatment and its always nicer to see who you are speaking to. i know it may be a pain in the b-m but could work out for you as at least you will be able to explain face to face. when i ask to see the supervisor they always ask what its about so i say well are you the supervior which usually comes back no. then i just say no disrespect to you but ill explain to the supervisor save repeating myself. give it a try it may work out good for you and good luck mate.

[Dom86]

hi dom. i know its very frustrating and i was told about my swearing on here yesterday but at times i know its enough to make the cat swear. i dont know how far you are from your job centre but what i find always works is going there and asking to speak to the superviser the head guy or lady. phonecalls and emails just get the fobbed off treatment and its always nicer to see who you are speaking to. i know it may be a pain in the b-m but could work out for you as at least you will be able to explain face to face. when i ask to see the supervisor they always ask what its about so i say well are you the supervior which usually comes back no. then i just say no disrespect to you but ill explain to the supervisor save repeating myself. give it a try it may work out good for you and good luck mate.

 

Thanks again ,

 

My Jobcentre is difficult to get too, as I live in the countryside, and have a very poor bus service. The emails have now been sent with the attachted letters, and I'm trying to arrange a lift to the Jobcentre so I can hand in a paper copy in person, if not I will have to make do with putting it in the letterbox.

 

Thing is about the phone call, I was calm and polite, no swearing, just asked if she could make sure of the email address, and she toke exception to it, ridiculous.

 

And thanks.

[Dom86]

I'm wondering if I should just sign off for the day, so as to miss the 'MWA' placement start date on Monday. Force their hand a bit.

[Mr.P]

all this is I must and want to do, and the 'MWA' comes at a unhelpful time, and would place a conflict on my reasonable interests and circumstances.

 

Presumably the DWP are aware of your study - If this MWA is affecting your ability to complete the course work and/or conflict with exams, it is time to escalate complaints. Write to your MP demanding that he/she intervenes as this is a government funded scheme that is supposedly intended to help people in to work. Instead, it is disrupting higher education and seriously impacting on your ability to gain well paid work in the future.

Once they start handing out sanctions, you can then add to your defence that "this benefit doubt is a vindictive response to an unresolved complaint against Ingeus".

 

It would also be prudent to address a complaint to:

Derek French/Clare Elliot

Head of Work Programmes

Department for Work and Pensions

Level 4

Steel City House

56 West Street

Sheffield

S1 2GQ

 

Don't expect speedy resolution, but once you have exhausted these routes, you can then go to the Independent Case Examiner - This will cost Ingeus £5,000 for the privilege.

 

[...] when i ask to see the supervisor they always ask what its about so i say well are you the supervisor which usually comes back no.

 

My usual modus operadi is to ask "Do you know the name of the manager ?"

"Thank you. I would like to speak with in person please."

[Dom86]

Presumably the DWP are aware of your study - If this MWA is affecting your ability to complete the course work and/or conflict with exams, it is time to escalate complaints. Write to your MP demanding that he/she intervenes as this is a government funded scheme that is supposedly intended to help people in to work. Instead, it is disrupting higher education and seriously impacting on your ability to gain well paid work in the future.

 

Yep, they know, as I went to them, because the University provided some subsidy on the fee for my course, and that needed a signature, from an MP, or a Doctor, or a Civil Servant, to prove I was below the tax threshold or something (I got the docs stored), so I went to the Jobcentre, put the docs in front of them, and after explaining the whole thing, 2 hours later they signed 'another drawn out process that was'.

 

And my advisor knows because I've mentioned it a few times, and she keeps asking when it finishes.

 

I've escalated the letter, and made various things very clear, including what you just said.

 

My local MP is 'Eric Pickles' .

 

Once they start handing out sanctions, you can then add to your defence that "this benefit doubt is a vindictive response to an unresolved complaint against Ingeus".

 

, Thanks for that , another avenue of argument if I need it.

 

It would also be prudent to address a complaint to:

Derek French/Clare Elliot

Head of Work Programmes

Department for Work and Pensions

Level 4

Steel City House

56 West Street

Sheffield

S1 2GQ

 

Don't expect speedy resolution, but once you have exhausted these routes, you can then go to the Independent Case Examiner - This will cost Ingeus £5,000 for the privilege.

 

, right I think may do that actually.

 

And maybe send a complainant to my MP, and IDS, not that I think any of them will take serious notice. But never know.

 

My usual modus operadi is to ask "Do you know the name of the manager ?"

"Thank you. I would like to speak with in person please."

 

.

[Dom86]

I did also say in the letter; the people I spoke to on the phone at 'Seetec', had a disgraceful attitude (which they did), and refused to acknowledge my circumstances, and answer reasonable questions (all true).

 

And I mentioned also, how they sent me a letter notifying me of an appointment on the day they wanted me to attend (also true).

[Mr.P]

the people I spoke to on the phone at 'Seetec', had a disgraceful attitude (which they did)

 

You probably don't want to take a call from me when I'm in a real bad mood then - Had reason to phone an unnamed bunch of muppets last week and started with: "Hello, my name is Mr P. But you address me as Sir."... They got a written apology in the post in double quick time

[Dom86]

WOW, just got a phone call from Jobcentre manager, she's reading the guidelines wrong, in fact she just seemed to be well out of her depth, and lost.

[Dom86]

After a drawn out argument, she delayed referral until mid October. But I still got to argue it after that.

 

She was well stone-walling me.

[Dom86]

Completely ignoring section 18 of MWA guidance, Which states no referrals if undertaking employment related study / training, her response; "well thats what your reading" wtf are you reading.

[Dom86]

And had no concern to address my complainants about Seetec and her Jobcentre staff, some manager.

[Dom86]

argh, jeez, they changed the guidelines just recently, instead of no referral;

 

its now:

 

19. MWA may not be appropriate for the following claimants, therefore Advisory Teams must

carefully consider the merits of a referral on a case by case basis:

 currently working (paid or voluntary)

 undertaking employment related study / training

 taking part in, dropped out of or recently completed a Jobcentre Plus employment-

related measure (contracted or non-contracted) aimed at helping them move closer to

the labour market.

 

sigh.

[sillygirl1]

Never verbally complain, ALWAYS put it in writing.

 

When I first went to sign on I found out I knew the JC Manager at the time and she was aware I was quite capable of stirring up a hornets nest for her so I had no problems.

 

When the newer one came in there were again no problems as they realised I could play the paper and signing game back at them...

 

Remember there have been a lot of changes since April, and further changes are coming in October so the staff do not necessarily know exactly what is happening or the 'interpretation' of rules and regulations (which should be written in a way that there is no subtle interpretation of any kind).

[vpd1254]

argh, jeez, they changed the guidelines just recently, instead of no referral;

 

its now:

 

 

 

sigh.

 

Could you provide a link to that new mwa guidance please?

[Dom86]

Could you provide a link to that new mwa guidance please?

 

Hi,

 

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/170699/response/427727/attach/html/3/IR%20685%20response.pdf.html

Edited September 20, 2013 by Dom86

[Dom86]

As far as I'm concerned, if they refereed you before the issue of the new guidelines, then they have to use the guidelines which were applicable on the date of your referral.

 

?

[Dom86]

This is just a sinister scheme. The DWP, the Jobcentre's and their staff have no concern for claimants, their main concern is making money for their Private Contractors and meeting targets. And these Private Contractors have got such poor contractual requirements they can do pretty much what they like with claimants it seems.

 

Its all a con!

[Dom86]

Whilst jobseekers whom are seeking working, and in some cases like mine, also studying for more skills; they are hampering generiune efforts to redress the circumstances they are in, something the DWP, Jobcentre, and its staff never try to help with.

[Dom86]

Yet another 'opportunity' for young people to spend five months unpaid passing a spanner to an apprentice that is getting paid. When they aren't doing that they will be under supervision whilst they make the tea, sweep up, and dispose of used sump oil and old tires. All the jobs that the company think is unprofitable and unproductive for the paid staff to do.

 

I bet the firms are queuing up to get a £1600 bonus for every minion supplied to them.

 

yep bang on, Corporate Welfare, but unlike poor people, these companies don't need it.

[Dom86]

 

This is the book I have, I posted my own pictures (pages back), just found this link;

 

http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/cidr/2013/02/04/collaborative-working-to-help-people-get-back-into-work/

 

Has anyone else got this, or am I still the only person?

[Dom86]

This is what I got yesterday, anyone else got one of these?

 

click on image for larger size.

 

Here.

[hatsanman]

never seen one of those before and all i get each fortnight is an a4 size piece of paper with 4 spaces per wk for job steps taken and 5 spaces per wk for jobs aplied for and thats it. my advisor told me if im using the ujm site and logging stuff down i dont have to fill the a4 form in and just write on it check my uj account. maybe if you dont give them access to your uj account thats the reason you are getting the book you got i dont really know. things at jcp change by the day and as soon as you get on top on one thing along comes another.