Me and My Various Benefit Claims and issues

[antone]

training floor walkers to sign people on? i have heard it all now lol!

 

The floor walkers at the Jobcentre are usually managers, so the idea isn't absurd on its face. After all, it's not like they'll be allowed to employ any new staff to cope with this upsurge in signing.

[essexmat]

antone - sorry for the change of subject so please delete after, curious to know what the small green badge things under our names are - I seem to have been promoted!

[jasta11]

also at the jobcenter they are training floor walkers to sign people on now lol

 

Just like Wetherspoons - when they're really busy they send a girl around with an hand-held ordering device and a bumbag full of money and change. She'll take your order and you can just pay her.

 

If my JC starts this I'll sign on and order cod and chips..

[antone]

antone - sorry for the change of subject so please delete after, curious to know what the small green badge things under our names are - I seem to have been promoted!

 

The little "green badges" reflect your forum reputation. It means that other posters have liked what you have said. You can see who repped you and any comments they made by looking at your User CP, top right on any CAG page.

 

To give "rep points" to another poster, click on the black star icon under their post. Unless you really want me to, I won't delete this (even though it's off topic) as it could be useful to other posters.

[jasta11]

I thought those green bars were for prizes??.. 2 bars gets you a toaster, 5 bars for a DAB radio, etc. Mr P almost has enough for the combined microwave/oven.

 

Myself, I was aiming for the hi-fi system (10 bars). Another dream dashed.

[essexmat]

Hold on, I have earnt something (a green badge) Better contact the DWP and declare it. P.S just helped out my elderly neighbour with a bit of gardening, said he would be offended if I never took some money so £10 for an hours work which pays for a takeaway later - am I allowed though as jobseekers are not allowed to live - maybe I should decalre the £10 as well!

[kcspurs]

this is bloody crazy. i got a call from reid employment agency at 15 40 and im told im due to start a 2 day course on monday.

i told her this is news to me. nobody told me at the jobcenter yesterday when i sign on.

she said a letter was sent out on monday. i said but monday was bank holiday. anyway i not received the letter.

 

she said she hopes i attend so i dont get into trouble with my advisor.

she said she will text the postcode of the place i have to be but i not even got that text.

 

so unless the lettter comes tomorrow then i have no idea where to be on monday morning at 9 30am.

the course is 9 30 untill 2 30 so ill go seeing as its just 2 days but how the hell can i find out where i got to be.

she did tell me the name of the place on the phone but i already forgotten where it is.

 

im also told ill get my car park tickets paid back in tesco vouchers and the goverment have paid for m e to go on this course

[Mr.P]

this is bloody crazy. i got a call from reid employment agency at 15 40 and im told im due to start a 2 day course on monday.[...]she said a letter was sent out on monday. i said but monday was bank holiday. anyway i not received the letter.

 

im also told ill get my car park tickets paid back in tesco vouchers and the goverment have paid for m e to go on this course

 

The letter might have been posted on the 5th, but there wouldn't have been any postal collections on that day. If it had been posted, second class mail would take three to seven working days to arrive, first class, one to three. So depending on what stamp they stuck on the envelope, it might have arrived on the 7th, or it could be delivered on the 14th.

 

As for refunding parking fees in Tesco vouchers - NO !

 

You paid out cash to park, it is reasonable to be refunded in cash - You are also entitled to a mileage allowance (I believe the DWP recommend 25p per mile).

[Charlotte_Henderson]

this is bloody crazy. i got a call from reid employment agency at 15 40 and im told im due to start a 2 day course on monday.

i told her this is news to me. nobody told me at the jobcenter yesterday when i sign on.

she said a letter was sent out on monday. i said but monday was bank holiday. anyway i not received the letter.

 

she said she hopes i attend so i dont get into trouble with my advisor.

she said she will text the postcode of the place i have to be but i not even got that text.

 

so unless the lettter comes tomorrow then i have no idea where to be on monday morning at 9 30am.

the course is 9 30 untill 2 30 so ill go seeing as its just 2 days but how the hell can i find out where i got to be.

she did tell me the name of the place on the phone but i already forgotten where it is.

 

im also told ill get my car park tickets paid back in tesco vouchers and the goverment have paid for m e to go on this course

 

All sounds abit fishy to me, are you sure someone isn't having a laugh at you, at your expense?

[kcspurs]

its not dodgy. my adivsor put me with some company called reed in partnership.

 

anyway i did not get any text and the letter has not turned up.

the jobcenter is open at 9am so ill go there and find out where im meant to be.

 

all i know is they are trainning me up for something.

 

it better not be to work 30hours for no pay because i wont do it.

 

i dont mind 20 hours a week and a place i want to work in but not being put anywhere just to suit them..

[Mr.P]

The most likely title for this "course" is Employability Training - How to write a CV and covering letter. Interviews and how to dress for them, etc. The usual sort of drill.

 

If that is what it is, just be thankful it is only two days - Some of these "courses" have been known to run for four weeks or more.... I did have some numpty hand me a list of "courses" run by A4e - Got as far as noting they did an eight week reading & writing "course", at which point I suggested some of their staff would benefit from doing that one.

[kcspurs]

http://www.reedinpartnership.co.uk/about-us

 

anyone else had dealings with them

[kcspurs]

yes cv spec letters interview skills ect

 

i done that with every course i been on.

 

everyone telling me there cv desings are better then the last one.

 

but like you say its only for 2 days.

 

i been on some that have been every day for 3 months.

[boomboomboom]

just wanted to ask u if this is breaking data protection but got a phone call from a company and they said there is a job going and where asking me a few questions if i was employed or not i told them no i dont work and he said so u sign on then yeh? i said yeh and he was saying there a job for 12 hours going i am looking for 16 tho and he was like thats fine and then it sounded like the words he said was i will let the job centre know not sure if it was in them words but he did say job centre and i was like what? i said u cant tell the job centre as they never gave me the job and i am not letting u give them information when i only sent my cv to your store so even if u have offered a job it should not matter they have no right to contact the job centre am a correct?

[antone]

just wanted to ask u if this is breaking data protection but got a phone call from a company and they said there is a job going and where asking me a few questions if i was employed or not i told them no i dont work and he said so u sign on then yeh? i said yeh and he was saying there a job for 12 hours going i am looking for 16 tho and he was like thats fine and then it sounded like the words he said was i will let the job centre know not sure if it was in them words but he did say job centre and i was like what? i said u cant tell the job centre as they never gave me the job and i am not letting u give them information when i only sent my cv to your store so even if u have offered a job it should not matter they have no right to contact the job centre am a correct?

 

Not quite sure I follow this, mate. Did the guy just call you out of the blue? Or did he say he got your details from the Jobcentre? And when you declined the job, he said he would let the Jobcentre know?

 

It does sound like someone might have been in breach of the DPA, but we'd need more information to be sure. If you weren't matched to the vacancy by JCP, then the company should not be passing on details of your interactions with them to JCP.

[boomboomboom]

Not quite sure I follow this, mate. Did the guy just call you out of the blue? Or did he say he got your details from the Jobcentre? And when you declined the job, he said he would let the Jobcentre know?

 

It does sound like someone might have been in breach of the DPA, but we'd need more information to be sure. If you weren't matched to the vacancy by JCP, then the company should not be passing on details of your interactions with them to JCP.

 

i sent my cv to companys as i had to when at ingeus and i sent these ones few weeks back and got a call today to say come in on friday for interview instead of asking would u like to be put foward for interview on friday and then i asked him a few times many hours and it took a good few mins before he mention 12 hours and i said i was looking for 16 and he said that is fine and then but before it he was asking about if i was in work or that but i wasnt and he said u sign on? i said yeh and it was not the clearest of chat but it did honestly sound like let the job centre know could be wrong but i am gonna keep an eye on this one because i only sent a cv so there was not any jobs going in till today and i have not mention anything at all to the job centre so am not sure how if he did try to let the job centre know how they could do anything as it would break DPA.

[Tj rodgers]

http://www.reedinpartnership.co.uk/about-us

 

anyone else had dealings with them

Yes i went on a 2 day course with reed 10am to 3pm was pointless just told u what is expected when u go for interview etc and draft u a new cv which is the one i use now as its a really good cv to be fair

[antone]

i sent my cv to companys as i had to when at ingeus and i sent these ones few weeks back and got a call today to say come in on friday for interview instead of asking would u like to be put foward for interview on friday and then i asked him a few times many hours and it took a good few mins before he mention 12 hours and i said i was looking for 16 and he said that is fine and then but before it he was asking about if i was in work or that but i wasnt and he said u sign on? i said yeh and it was not the clearest of chat but it did honestly sound like let the job centre know could be wrong but i am gonna keep an eye on this one because i only sent a cv so there was not any jobs going in till today and i have not mention anything at all to the job centre so am not sure how if he did try to let the job centre know how they could do anything as it would break DPA.

 

Right, so you sent your CV on spec while you were at Ingeus, but it wasn't something that Ingeus or the JCP required you to do specifically. You just happened to be at Ingeus when you sent the CV. In response, the employer contacted you to invite you to interview for a 12 hour per week position, but that's of no use to you since you need 16 or more hours per week. The employer may then have suggested he'd let the Jobcentre know that you declined the offer. Is my understanding correct?

 

If that's all correct, then I'd say the employer would be in breach of DPA if he informed the JC of what you said. In any case, as things stand you can't be required to apply for work that's less than 16 hours per week, nor sanctioned for turning it down.

[Mr.P]

Right, so you sent your CV on spec [...]. In response, the employer contacted you to invite you to interview for a 12 hour per week position, but that's of no use to you since you need 16 or more hours per week.

 

Depending on how these 12 hours are spread out - e.g. two shifts of six hours, or a single 12 hour shift - it could be worth doing on the basis that it leads to more hours and/or better pay. If the OP took the job, he'd still get HB/CTR from the council so if the pay is around the £72 mark, perhaps worth taking just to get away from Ingeus.

[boomboomboom]

Right, so you sent your CV on spec while you were at Ingeus, but it wasn't something that Ingeus or the JCP required you to do specifically. You just happened to be at Ingeus when you sent the CV. In response, the employer contacted you to invite you to interview for a 12 hour per week position, but that's of no use to you since you need 16 or more hours per week. The employer may then have suggested he'd let the Jobcentre know that you declined the offer. Is my understanding correct?

 

If that's all correct, then I'd say the employer would be in breach of DPA if he informed the JC of what you said. In any case, as things stand you can't be required to apply for work that's less than 16 hours per week, nor sanctioned for turning it down.

 

Ye this is correct and yeh am going to keep an eye on this one a have my adviser tomorrow for first time since finished the WP so see if she says anything if she does al be sure to tell them it' breaks DPA.

[boomboomboom]

Depending on how these 12 hours are spread out - e.g. two shifts of six hours, or a single 12 hour shift - it could be worth doing on the basis that it leads to more hours and/or better pay. If the OP took the job, he'd still get HB/CTR from the council so if the pay is around the £72 mark, perhaps worth taking just to get away from Ingeus.

 

Yeh but he could not say for sure I would get more than 12hours as he only needed a person for 12hours for 6days out of 7 and I have finished Ingeus.

[boomboomboom]

Has anyone put been forward for this help to work scheme yet? I have my adviser appointment for the first time since I finished the WP and was wondering if anyone had more info on the help to work scheme yet.

[Tj rodgers]

Has anyone put been forward for this help to work scheme yet? I have my adviser appointment for the first time since I finished the WP and was wondering if anyone had more info on the help to work scheme yet.

yes

[Tj rodgers]

Has anyone put been forward for this help to work scheme yet? I have my adviser appointment for the first time since I finished the WP and was wondering if anyone had more info on the help to work scheme yet.

after the work program i had my jobsearch increased from 10 jobs per week to at least 20 per week and had to go to jobcentre once a week for 6 weeks then after that i got told i had 4 weeks to find my own voluntary work placement or they would put me on a mandatory work scheme which could be anythin frm working in a Garbage Recycling Plant, bag packing in tesco or Litter Picking and General up keep at a public place or building including things like cleaning benches/shelters and removal of Graffiti

[boomboomboom]

after the work program i had my jobsearch increased from 10 jobs per week to at least 20 per week and had to go to jobcentre once a week for 6 weeks then after that i got told i had 4 weeks to find my own voluntary work placement or they would put me on a mandatory work scheme which could be anythin frm working in a Garbage Recycling Plant, bag packing in tesco or Litter Picking and General up keep at a public place or building including things like cleaning benches/shelters and removal of Graffiti

 

u had to put down 10 jobs a week now 20?! i only have to do 3 at the moment and that has not changed for the past few years it might tomorrow but i have had a few jcp adviser and have never changed my many jobs i apply for a week.

 

i wonder what they will say to me i always seem to get the moody advisers lol.

 

i have not heard anything from round about here and near my local job centre about this help to work scheme.

 

many weeks u got left now before they move u on to a mandatory work scheme? or u found your own voluntary job?