Me and My Various Benefit Claims and issues

[Chester6]

Was in the jobcentre for the PWP review and saw at least 3 work plan books in people's hands

Also over heard stuff like a non-English speaking person told to do warehouse work and learn English plussmc a girl getting told she's doing too much volunteering and she has to spend more time job searching plus she has to note how long it takes to do stuff plus what she does

[Mr.P]

been giving a big booklet called "my work plan"

 

they have actions in plan.

I will [...] (daily)

 

When they say "daily", this will include Saturday and Sunday along with any/all public holidays - Watch your step and make sure you stick to this or risk another sanction.

[boomboomboom]

When they say "daily", this will include Saturday and Sunday along with any/all public holidays - Watch your step and make sure you stick to this or risk another sanction.

 

does it mean i have to put a job down on my UJM morning and night ?

 

and can u put updated cv etc on your UJM?

[boomboomboom]

see on UJM if u apply for a job through there UJM would it come up in application history that i had applied for as i click a job and i signed in to my account and i never put any info in and submitted it. as i never use the ujm to apply for jobs

[Citizen_x]

i had my jcp adviser appointment today and i have been put on to "my claimant commitment! instead of jsa .

 

been giving a big booklet called "my work plan"

 

got to go through a booklet ticking things off that they ask if i have did this or have this etc.

am not sure if anyone has this new booklet?

 

I HAVE to job search after breakfast and after tea everyday!

 

they have actions in plan.

i will use jobsites and employer websites to find and apply for jobs i can do (daily)

i will log in to my UJM account to find and apply for i can do (daily)

i will contact employers directly ask about any apply for jobs i can do (weekly)

i will check newspaper job vacancy sections and apply to those i can do (weekly)

i will respond promptly to contacts and notifications from employers and jobsites (daily)

i will consider what i need to do to make effective applications to the jobs i find (ongoing)

i will ensure i have an up to date CV that i can tailor tfor jobs i apply for (ongoing)

 

and another things i have to write down what i am going to do including how when and where.

for my next appointment like this week i have to send cvs away on tuesday and fridays and got other things to do.

 

but all this just for a stupid £114 every 2 weeks!

 

i have a few weeks before they pick what is best for me on the HTW scheme

 

Someone made a Freedom of Information Request about "My Work Plan" last year, and the DWP responded that it's not mandatory and you can't be sanctioned for not filling it in. This information is available on the Refuted website. I tried posting a direct link to it but apparently I'm not allowed to post links because I'm a new member on this forum with less than 10 posts. But here's a quote from the article. If you copy and paste this sentence into Google and search, it should lead you to the article. QUOTE :-

 

Completion of the My Work Plan booklet is not a condition of Jobseekers Allowance or Universal Credit. Completion can be refused without sanctions. This is confirmed in the attached [Jobcentre] guidance.

 

Print that out and show it to your Advisor.

[antone]

Here's the link Citizen_x is referring to above:

 

http://refuted.org.uk/2014/01/27/myworkplan/

[Chester6]

Is there a point to them booklets as they only seem to serve to over-complicate it? Maybe the only point is yet another easy tool for sanctioner's to keep being happy?

[jasta11]

see on UJM if u apply for a job through there UJM would it come up in application history that i had applied for as i click a job and i signed in to my account and i never put any info in and submitted it. as i never use the ujm to apply for jobs

 

It's supposed to log everything, especially job applications but I've read stories that it often doesn't do this and leaves you with no hard evidence to show the JC. I never use it this way. I'd do all your applications from other sites where it's definitely logged and you can just screen print it . Reed and CV-Library are great for this, they show all the details which the JC are looking for.

 

Nothing to stop you applying for stuff via UJ, just don't let it be your main source of proof. As Mr P says, always apply for something on weekends too, don't give them any excuse to find fault.

[Mr.P]

This "check web site daily and apply for X jobs online" is all well and good if you have 24/7 access to the internet - I have had system failures that have prevented access to the internet and it took the ISP two weeks to partially fix it. Sure, I could trek the two miles over to my local library, but it is only open five days a week - Sundays, public holidays, and Thursday, it is closed.

 

A bit late for the OP, but my advice is never to admit to having broadband or a computer - If presented with a requirement to access the internet seven days a week, point out library time is restricted during opening hours.

 

For anyone with 24/7 internet and running Chrome, there is always: http://automation.strikenow.org.uk/

[boomboomboom]

It's supposed to log everything, especially job applications but I've read stories that it often doesn't do this and leaves you with no hard evidence to show the JC. I never use it this way. I'd do all your applications from other sites where it's definitely logged and you can just screen print it . Reed and CV-Library are great for this, they show all the details which the JC are looking for.

 

Nothing to stop you applying for stuff via UJ, just don't let it be your main source of proof. As Mr P says, always apply for something on weekends too, don't give them any excuse to find fault.

 

yeh never used it to apply for jobs i always use indeed etc.

 

yeh i apply for stuff at the weekend to. but am not sure with this "I HAVE to job search after breakfast and after tea everyday!" do i need to put down a job in the morning and then later on after tea?

 

i will use jobsites and employer websites to find and apply for jobs i can do (daily) a know this one as it is what u already do go on job sites and apply for this n that.

i will log in to my UJM account to find and apply for i can do (daily) do i need to go in everyday and must apply for a job everytime and write it down?

i will respond promptly to contacts and notifications from employers and jobsites (daily) so if i get say alerts for jobs through my email address i must apply? or what am not really sure about this.

 

she gave far to much info at one time and was telling me one thing then another and another so before i even was thinking about what she said the first time she just went on and on and then gave me the "work Booklet"

[Chester6]

I think the idea may be jobsearch Monday to Friday and 9-5 as a minimum and to account for every minute

[boomboomboom]

This "check web site daily and apply for X jobs online" is all well and good if you have 24/7 access to the internet - I have had system failures that have prevented access to the internet and it took the ISP two weeks to partially fix it. Sure, I could trek the two miles over to my local library, but it is only open five days a week - Sundays, public holidays, and Thursday, it is closed.

 

A bit late for the OP, but my advice is never to admit to having broadband or a computer - If presented with a requirement to access the internet seven days a week, point out library time is restricted during opening hours.

 

For anyone with 24/7 internet and running Chrome, there is always: http://automation.strikenow.org.uk/

 

ye i have internet at home so am not bothered about stuff but it was basically if i did not have any internet i would no doubt be brought in to there offices to go on there computers to apply and in no doubt after a few days am sure she would be trying to get me out on a voluntary job.

 

but i must say all this work booklet etc is so confusing i dont know why the DWP etc can not make stuff simple. anyone who is almost leaving the WP i must say good luck when u get all this cause u probz wish u were at the WP longer and that is something i wish a did not have to say but it is.

[Chester6]

WP is only better as the lesser of two evils as the people skills of the jobcentre staff are far worse then the WP used car salesmen attitudes

[jasta11]

Just returned from signing on this morning - there was still no sign of any 'Help To Work' scheme starting so as I had my usual decent adviser I asked her what was happening.

 

She said it was indeed starting, whereupon I asked her if she had any official, written guidance yet. She said they had been given guidance but that it was 'their own' at present (whatever that means) and there was nothing made public yet. I reminded her that, according to a FOI statement, guidance would be publicly available from the 28th of April but she didn't know anything about that. I had the feeling that even if there was written guidance, it wouldn't be much anyway.

 

Before I could press the matter further she said 'Anyway, you're not affected by the 'Help To Work' scheme as you finished the 2 years WP last August, so you're not eligible, it's for people who've left the WP more recently'. I wasn't expecting that one - huge sigh of relief from me. Apparently I'm a 'stock' customer (her words) so it's business as usual as far as the JC is concerned ie just normal signing. I asked if I was still classed as being on the PWP programme and she said yes - even though it's well over the 6 month stated period. Obviously they still don't know what to do with people in my category.

 

I can still be mandated to MWA as normal, as anyone can, but she's always happy with my efforts so no need for this. Her actual words today were 'I never have any worries over your efforts or jobsearch evidence' - O Lord, let me keep this decent, fair adviser! I show the same jobsearch to other advisers and while they never find fault, I can see them twisting their faces and thinking 'Damn, can't raise a doubt on this one'.

[pauls33]

i will use jobsites and employer websites to find and apply for jobs i can do (daily) a know this one as it is what u already do go on job sites and apply for this n that.

i will log in to my UJM account to find and apply for i can do (daily) do i need to go in everyday and must apply for a job everytime and write it down?

i will respond promptly to contacts and notifications from employers and jobsites (daily) so if i get say alerts for jobs through my email address i must apply? or what am not really sure about this.

 

she gave far to much info at one time and was telling me one thing then another and another so before i even was thinking about what she said the first time she just went on and on and then gave me the "work Booklet"

 

 

Hi All

First post here, just to say I have to do the same things as you and this is how I do it

 

 

Write all your 6 items down in the top half of the page in the work booklet

In the bottom half write down when you do them

eg

Checked UJM (Daily)

Checked Indeed (Daily)

Applied for X

Checked with Friends

 

 

For me, I also use the UJM site as a more detailed diary (unlike most I have given access and when they look and see plenty of entries they are happy)

 

 

So for today so far I have put in there

 

 

Checked and responded to jobs sent via email - this covers the respond promptly option

Checked indeed website

checked cv library

applied for x

 

 

I am just about to check a few more sites now, so for each one I will put an entry on UJM to say I checked it

 

 

Doing this on UJM I usually have about 8 entries per day for looking + entries for each job applied for

 

 

This also show that I am logging into UJM daily (I have never applied for anything from here, just a diary of activity for me)

[Chester6]

You are lucky but PWP lasts indefibately according to my one

I had to do a forced labour period as it supposedly would help me

 

I forgot to mention that the other day the dude I saw effectively wrote charity shop work as kinda useless - old-fashioned was how charity shops were described

[Chester6]

You would probably be wise to deny access

[jasta11]

The problem with storing everything on UJ is - what happens if it loses everything? This definitely has happened to people. They've gone to sign on, adviser opens their UJ and...nothing. We all know what happened next; they don't accept that UJ might have glitched (even though they know fine well it does).

 

Put a bit on UJ if you must, but have the majority of your evidence from other more reliable sites. UJ is an absolute minefield.

[pauls33]

The problem with storing everything on UJ is - what happens if it loses everything? This definitely has happened to people. They've gone to sign on, adviser opens their UJ and...nothing. We all know what happened next; they don't accept that UJ might have glitched (even though they know fine well it does).

 

Put a bit on UJ if you must, but have the majority of your evidence from other more reliable sites. UJ is an absolute minefield.

 

 

I still have my work book, confirmation emails and can print lists from the sites I apply through

 

 

So far for me using UJM as a diary is making things easier, if this changes then I might deny them access

[essexmat]

I wouldn't trust UJM as far as I could throw it (in the bin)

Do your diary on WORD and store on your laptop/PC and email to adviser - that is what I do before an appointment and also take hard copy for WHEN they say they never received it!

[boomboomboom]

Hi All

First post here, just to say I have to do the same things as you and this is how I do it

 

 

Write all your 6 items down in the top half of the page in the work booklet

In the bottom half write down when you do them

eg

Checked UJM (Daily)

Checked Indeed (Daily)

Applied for X

Checked with Friends

 

 

For me, I also use the UJM site as a more detailed diary (unlike most I have given access and when they look and see plenty of entries they are happy)

 

 

So for today so far I have put in there

 

 

Checked and responded to jobs sent via email - this covers the respond promptly option

Checked indeed website

checked cv library

applied for x

 

 

I am just about to check a few more sites now, so for each one I will put an entry on UJM to say I checked it

 

 

Doing this on UJM I usually have about 8 entries per day for looking + entries for each job applied for

 

 

This also show that I am logging into UJM daily (I have never applied for anything from here, just a diary of activity for me)

 

want to ask u a few things through private message but wont let me?

[boomboomboom]

does anyone use "monster" website for jobs?

 

for me i would not trust them i have heard people getting silly emails from companies than sometimes have nothing at all to do with there jobs that are put up.

[essexmat]

I use Monster, CVL, Reed, Total Jobs, Career Builder, Indeed - all utter SHI*E, ALL HAVE THE SAME JOBS, ALL USELESS

[antone]

want to ask u a few things through private message but wont let me?

 

Pauls33 has not yet made enough post to have PM capability.

[pauls33]

I wouldn't trust UJM as far as I could throw it (in the bin)

Do your diary on WORD and store on your laptop/PC and email to adviser - that is what I do before an appointment and also take hard copy for WHEN they say they never received it!

 

 

Thanks, I have another interview on Monday, so will see what happens, if she mentions anything negative about my UJM access I will go for your suggestion