Me and My Various Benefit Claims and issues

[kcspurs]

since i left ingeous my advisor put me on this weeks course called results. he said its a really good course.

it was just the same as all the others. just sat in a room with about 20 people and made another new cv.

 

then my advisor tried to send me on another course but i got out of that.

then he forward me for an interview in a town hall for a new store thats opening near me. but theres 3 stages.

first one is the telephone interview. i passed that then i had to go to this group interview that lasted 2 hours. there was over 20 of us.

they had been holding these interviews all day so im guessing they had 4 groups in at differnt time so thats at least 80 people lol

 

all we done was team bonding stuff.

im told that the people that got through this stage would then have to go to there store for 3 weeks non paid training and if they pass that stage then all you get is a real interview with the company lol.. i did not pass that stage

 

and on wednsday i had an interview in the jobcenter and my advisor rings me up and tells me the person likes me and now wants me to go on a 9 day unpaid course on monday and after that if they like me i will get a proper interview lol

 

are the goverment paying these stores to be seen to give us a chance.

[jasta11]

are the goverment paying these stores to be seen to give us a chance.

 

An excellent - and old - trick; dangle the carrot of a possible job and take people on for a few weeks 'training', fail them all at the end, then take on another group for the next few weeks. Free labour for as long as the company can keep it going. The DWP should stamp out companies who are obviously doing it repeatedly and have no intention of offering any real jobs.

 

That's exactly what's wrong with everything today - including the world in general; everything is about 'image'; doesn't matter if nothing actually happens at the end of the day as long as they're seen to be doing something. Work Trials are fine, where you're definitely given the job first but have the option to leave without penalty, but as for wanting people to do x weeks work before they even get an interview?? Not on.

 

'Interview' should always come before 'Work' (even in the dictionary it works this way )

[Mr.P]

I have never had a job that required unpaid "training" to secure an interview. It has always been a case of interview->job->training. Employment legislation as it currently stands gives the employer the ability to dismiss any employee within the first two years without needing to give a reason.

 

If an "employer" is offering unpaid "training" without a genuine and firm offer of a job at the end of it, you are being taken advantage of.

 

Name and shame this "employer" please.

[kcspurs]

the first company was the new marks and spencers in braintree.

 

i had to go for group interview. i think they had 4 slots 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon and the one i was on had about 6 tables with people from the company and people from the agency who set this all up. there was at least 4 people sometimes 6 round a table and we had to work as a team to do these group exercises.

 

for example the one where your on an island and have to pick 5 items out of about 30.

 

the point is to show you can work in a team.

 

this one on monday is with toby cavery.

[essexmat]

"If an "employer" is offering unpaid "training" without a genuine and firm offer of a job at the end of it, you are being taken advantage of."

 

Absolutely

[Mr.P]

now wants me to go on a 9 day unpaid course on monday and after that if they like me i will get a proper interview [with] Toby Carvery

 

Call me a cynical old curmudgeon, but a nine days to teach someone how to pour a drink and slice a carrot is taking the proverbial. Judging by some of the reviews, it is a low end food outlet that doesn't attract good staff or customers. On that basis, I would have thought it very easy for them to recruit bar/catering staff without having to provide "training" - I see McDonalds down the road has (is ?) closing, so a few cooks now looking for work....

[essexmat]

9 day unpaid course = 9 days free labour whilst someone is off sick/on leave.

 

As Mr P says, 9 days to learn how to cut a carrot and use a soft drink machine? Quite frankly they are taking the urine out of you. Many moons ago I worked in McDonalds as needed cash to put me through college - I was also trained .... on the job, whilst being paid. Personally more fool anyone that takes these 'places' it is exploitation

[jasta11]

the first company was the new marks and spencers in braintree.

 

i had to go for group interview. i think they had 4 slots 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon and the one i was on had about 6 tables with people from the company and people from the agency who set this all up. there was at least 4 people sometimes 6 round a table and we had to work as a team to do these group exercises.

 

for example the one where your on an island and have to pick 5 items out of about 30.

 

the point is to show you can work in a team.

 

this one on monday is with toby cavery.

 

Disgraceful. You should have started a small fire in the litter bin and when they asked what you were doing said 'I'm trying to attract a passing ship and get off this damn island'

 

This type of 'interview' is insulting even to a school leaver looking for their first job - they would have ample team-working experience from being in the classroom. To inflict it on older people who already have work experience is even more embarrassing. These 'tests' prove absolutely nothing.

[Charlotte_Henderson]

it will cost them a hell of a lot more for all our travel expenses, it would be nearly £4 a day for my fares.

 

Its a ridiculous idea, it would cost me £5.00 a day to go in town and back to sign on daily.

 

How is getting us to sign on daily, going to save the goverment money?

unless of course, they are hoping we get so fed up we sign off lol

[Charlotte_Henderson]

These 'tests' prove absolutely nothing.

 

I believe Argos do these stupid tests, as you say they prove absolutely nothing.

[Shendor]

Disgraceful. You should have started a small fire in the litter bin and when they asked what you were doing said 'I'm trying to attract a passing ship and get off this damn island'

 

Haha, perfect. Couldn't have put it better myself. I spent two years being troubled by the Ingeus work programme trying to make me take McJobs. Even the children they had working as 'advisers' felt embarrassed to be there. What a damn shame people who really need help can't get it, and those who don't really need help as are quite capable of understanding that before an interview you need to shower, wear appropriate clothes, not be drunk, etc. ( I kid you not - Ingeus sent me on a course to teach me how to present at interview - including these gems. Other nuggets of enlightenment included, 'work out where the interview is being held before the day you have to travel, make sure you have clean clothes on, don't sit too far back in the chair...' My god, maybe people really DO need this advice? Maybe dogs need to be taught how to beg for food too? Lord help us!

[jasta11]

Ingeus and the rest of the providers speak of 'individually tailored support'. I've yet to see it. Same tired old script for everyone.

[Mr.P]

Looks like things are going to get a lot tougher for the unfortunates:http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/department_for_work_and_pensions_group/dwp-news.cfm/help-to-work-and-sr13-conditionality

 

The Government is introducing increased conditionality measures from 28 April 2014 for JSA and lone parent claimants, and for or UC claimants from summer 2014. Although some measures will be phased in up to December 2014.

New measures were announced as part of the Spending Review 2013 (SR13), known as the SR13 Conditionality Package. In addition the Government announced a further stricter conditionality scheme for those claimants who have ‘returned’ to the jobcentre from the Work Programme known as the Help to Work (HtW) package.

 

Advisers have now been re-branded as “Work Coaches” and Job search review/Assistant Advisers are now to be called “Assistant Work Coaches”.

[jasta11]

Interesting reading - and for the most part, totally unworkable I think. They want people to attend the jobcentre daily for 13 weeks while at the same time reducing the staff by 10%?? This is the same staff who can't cope with the workload now.

 

Lots more new guidance for us to download and catch them out with. Bring it on.

 

Good to see the PCS is still on our side. I note their comment about increased security in the JC..I have a feeling they're going to need it.

[dyfed]

I was drunk at an interview once lol

The people who sent me wasnt very happy. Nevermind. Oh and I buggered there computer after changimg the BIOS lol

[Jmulv]

Edit: Please delete thread someone has made one already called.

 

"More fun for us JSA Job Seekers"

[Jmulv]

They sound a wonderful lot at your JC, Chester!

 

I'm well past the 6 month PWP mark now and they admit they haven't a clue what to do next so are just keeping it going - they call me in for a brief 1-to-1 every 6 weeks or so but they always seem happy with what I'm doing. I think I've been very lucky in getting decent advisers rather than 'stick 'em all on a course' types.

 

Pity that casually-dressed customer hadn't recorded the adviser being abusive - would have made one hell of a good complaint.

 

6 months? yeah sounds like it's basically more of the work programme. At the end of the day how can they do any more than you can to find yourself work. It's just ridiculous.

 

However I have heard about this working full time malarkey coming in now for 4-6 weeks for your benefit or being forced to volunteer. I made a separate thread to try attract some more input to get to know what I may be dealing with.

[Jmulv]

I have never had a job that required unpaid "training" to secure an interview. It has always been a case of interview->job->training. Employment legislation as it currently stands gives the employer the ability to dismiss any employee within the first two years without needing to give a reason.

 

If an "employer" is offering unpaid "training" without a genuine and firm offer of a job at the end of it, you are being taken advantage of.

 

Name and shame this "employer" please.

 

Good point here too.

 

I had to attend a "job induction day" which was organised through the JCP. The job itself sounded like it could be worth a punt until they started saying if you are successful you will have 6 weeks training, then you will potentially be offered an interview. I was sat there thinking what the hell?! 6 weeks training with the chance I may or may not get a job? this is insulting....

 

Looks like things are going to get a lot tougher for the unfortunates:http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/department_for_work_and_pensions_group/dwp-news.cfm/help-to-work-and-sr13-conditionality

 

Ahhh yes this is what I was making a new thread about. It all seems a little all over the place at the moment, hopefully it becomes clearer soon what will be expected of us, and measures I can take to avoid this useless tripe.... going in and signing in every day? ok what is that going to achieve for me? PLEASE MAGIC UP SOME JOBS THAT WILL ACTUALLY HELP!

 

Also for me nothing much has changed on PWP, i'm still pretty much just plodding along attending weekly. They keep telling me to fill out this job journal thing explaining the steps I will do every week. Which I do but I just keep it vague. They keep telling me to be more specific about what I do. I just wonder why printouts of my applications is not enough. Do I now have to write down when i'm taking toilet breaks during my applying for jobs? "took a 5 minute break here to take out the trash"

[antone]

Fair enough - the thread Jmulv refers to can be read here.

 

I'll close this.

[neword]

I'm a PWPS and so far the amount of help I have had from my advisor (to be couch soon) has been virtually zero. I basically go in, get called, am handed the signing paper and they say thats it till next time. Even now I always have to wait beyond my actual signing time so what it's going to be like if the sign each day" thing comes in I do not want to know.

Mine thing she seems to push every time is I should apply for PIP (Care component as wife is disabled). We did that last December and it took the department that deals with it 18 days to send use the forms. This left us with just 13 days to fill them and send back and during that time we had to get a full medical history from the doctors and letters from the specialists that had seen her.

Because of delays receiving the forms back they instantly took it that we were not making a claim and then cancelled the lifetime award for DLA high rate mobility that my wife had. But they did not let us know the decision until 7 days before the DLA was going to be removed.

Had to spend some serious phone time to get them to reinstate the DLA.

So to say I was not happy with my advisor was an understatement (but I have been civil with her).

 

BTW any one know if it's possible to get your advisor changed if you do not like them or have a problem with them?

[antone]

BTW any one know if it's possible to get your advisor changed if you do not like them or have a problem with them?

 

If you're really unhappy with your adviser you can write to the manager of the Jobcentre and request to see someone else. They don't particularly like doing this, but they will do it in some cases.

 

Bear in mind that it is likely your existing adviser will be asked to comment on anything you write.

[Charlotte_Henderson]

I was on the two year work programme through Inge(ni)us b***ards. I finished last October and since then the JCP doesn't seem to know what to do with me (for which I am actually very grateful) I sign on once every two weeks and this consists of a different advisor each time, who looks at my donald duck job applications - literally sometimes I'll write [email protected] - position applied for Chicken sexer) and they sign me. Done and dusted in under two minutes. I don't mean to sound glib, but I'm SO grateful after going through the mincer at Ingeus that the JCP seem to have given up on me as a lost project so far. I'm left free to apply for REAL jobs rather than jump through all the training hoops.

 

Cant see it staying like this forever, id be careful what you right on your form. as one day you will get an advisor who does read them, and then your sanctioned.

[boomboomboom]

Looks like things are going to get a lot tougher for the unfortunates:http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/department_for_work_and_pensions_group/dwp-news.cfm/help-to-work-and-sr13-conditionality

 

always is gonna get tougher especially with a Tory government in charge! is it our own fault that we need to sign on to get money to keep us from been homeless and to survive!

 

good to see the PCS is on our side.

 

dont know why the dwp etc need to lie that the WP is a joke and is a waste of money as u would not need a help to work scheme after the work programme if they say "the wp is working and getting people jobs"

 

to me if i wanted to do there forced labour that the help to work scheme is a would do community service!

 

and for the advisers been changed to "work Coaches" and job search review/assistant advisers been changed to "assistant work coaches" i could not care less what they are called what is the difference going to be? they are gonna give u the same info etc like u get any other time u go to sign or see your adviser

[Chester6]

Any difference is only ever likely to be cosmetic as I doubt their attitude and manner would change

[neword]

Job centre advisor's/coach's.whatever you want to call them now have got to be very careful...why

 

The government keep proudly boosting how their policies are working and that there are now fewer people claiming benefit

 

Now if we say a JS advisor sees 1 person every 10 mins for 8 hours a day they see 48 people a day (hypothetically) multiply that by 5 and they see 240 per week.

 

So on that basis on a two week cycle a JS Advisor sees 480 people, Ok I will say 500 for easy figures. So technically every time the Number of unemployed falls by 500 the job of a JS advisor is at risk.

 

So we have the potential in the future that you could find yourself sitting next to your own advisor who is waiting to sign on themselves

 

So if there are any Advisor's visiting these boards and see this post remember that every-time you get someone a job you are also putting your own at risk.