Me and My Various Benefit Claims and issues

[jasta11]

I'd assume it involves everything; sweeping the floors, wiping the tables, doing anything in the kitchen - including cooking - washing up, taking out the rubbish, cash handling, customer service, thinking up ideas to improve things (for which you'll get no credit)..and anything else they can think of for you to do.

 

The days of 'one job, one job title' ended in the early 80's. Expect to do loads of things now as 'part of the job'.

 

I mainly apply for jobs with the simple title of 'Administrator' - which to me suggests general office work, nothing specialised but the job requirements usually want credit control, accounts, purchasing, legal experience, etc - a whole different ball game, for which they'd need to pay me much higher wages than an 'administrator' would get. The way of the world these days though.

[jasta11]

Just back from my appointment she was very pleased with my work lol she was like this is plenty of jobs u have put down give me a few moments to take them all down aha, this is the sign on person who a have had before and she is the best person in there that I enjoy talking to gives u a lot of info and actually cares about what u do and how I do it and what I can try and have me more info on the work booklet in her words "we are still trying to get used to them says it's all a bit confusing that's coming from the job centre who have to help there sign on clients

 

Good to hear it all went well. Make sure you put the same amount of jobsearch - or more - on each week. If any other adviser moans you can get the decent adviser to confirm that she found your evidence quite satisfactory. Keep her on your side!

[jasta11]

I've been on the PWP since September last year, so that makes it about 36 weeks for me. So far I've been lucky in mainly only seeing decent, sensible advisers who can see that there's no point at all in sending me on worthless schemes which won't improve my employability in the slightest.

 

If the decision to mandate to Help To Work is purely a discretionary one by the adviser hopefully I won't ever have to go on it, but I'm not holding my breath. I'll certainly argue like hell if I'm ever put on the scheme but of course if it becomes compulsory after a set period then there's nothing I can do about it.

 

Anyone who is still on PWP, my advice would be to really show them you're doing all you can to find work and it might stop them putting you on HTW..if only for a while longer.

[jasta11]

Finished pwps in December 2013 and was put back on jsa 25+ with normal 2 week signing

 

does anyone know if i will be put on htw or put back on wp in december 2014

 

have to see advisor next week for first time in about three months

 

I don't think even the DWP or JC know what's happening - or when it's happening - or if it's happening! Keep your head down and you might get left alone, at least for the foreseeable future. I'm hoping for the same.

[jasta11]

Same here. Employers now only want people when they want them; the days of the 'normal' permanent job are fading rapidly. When they started calling us 'Human Resources' instead of 'Staff' or 'Personnel' that was the beginning of the rot.

 

For myself, I'm sick of seeing vacancies which involve 15-20 seperate 'jobs' and for which they're only paying minimum wage. Most jobs usually involve doing more than was in the agreement and we all accept that, but what they expect from you now is just ridiculous.

 

Saw an admin job a while ago in which you were basically the only one left in the office during the day and had to run the place, sort out any problems, deal with customers, etc. I've done this kind of thing before and the correct title of the job should be 'Office Manager' - you're the only one there so you're effectively managing the office, right? - yet they had it advertised as only 'Admin Assistant' and for minimum wage.

 

I had an urge to email them and ask 'Pardon me, but if I'm the only one there all day, exactly who am I 'assisting'..myself?'.

[jasta11]

I am sure I read this somewhere, but the only time they can get feedback is if you use the 'Apply Now' button on ujm, they can then check that you attended and the outcome etc

 

If it's a vacancy you found yourself on UJ, then the JC can't obtain feedback - even if you did apply via the 'Apply Now' button. It's still your vacancy.

 

Only if the adviser formally told you to apply for that job (matched vacancy) could they obtain feedback, no matter how you applied for it.

 

Once again it comes down to the JC advisers not knowing their own guidance - they assume that because you've listed it on UJ, they can check up on anything, whether matched vacancy or one you found all by yourself. By the time you find out they've done it and complain..they've already done it! Be very careful what you put on UJ.

 

At one time, applying for jobs where you didn't quite have the experience was looked upon as showing initiative, now the JC classes it as 'not trying'. Unbelievable!!!

[jasta11]

This is the problem; nobody knows exactly what the DWP can and can't see or do with your UJ account. Ask 10 advisers and you'll get 10 differing replies - incuding a few they've made up out of thin air as they haven't a clue themselves. Doesn't matter what the guidance or law says on the use of UJ, Data Protection, etc, we all know the DWP and JC staff are prone to 'bend' any rules they have, when it suits them.

 

Being a natural cynic, I've always assumed everything I do on UJ is recorded and fully accessible to them, even without my permission. Being paranoid saves a lot of time and trouble I only apply for vacancies which have an external email contact, or handled by an agency I can contact directly. The JC adviser gets the UJ number and info on the vacancy I've applied for, so they can check the vacancy does exist and they get a screen print of my direct application. Nothing is recorded on UJ whatsoever, so I'm fulfilling the requirement to use UJ but not laying myself open to the perils of recording stuff on there.

 

95% of my evidence comes from other sources and I just throw in 3 or 4 UJ vacancies to show that I've looked at the site. Remember, the JC can't specify where you get your vacancies from; as long as you meet or exceed your JS Agreement requirements that's all they need.

 

I also remember the days when you got a nice letter back after applying for a vacancy, thanking you. We were classed as 'Personnel' then though, now we're just 'Human Resources' who don't even warrant an email reply.

[jasta11]

While it may get you off signing-on, you'll most likely still have to show jobsearch evidence to someone, as you're technically still 'unemployed and looking' even while on a course.

 

When I did the 14 weeks with Learning Links (just to get away from Ingeus for a while), I still had to do jobsearch and show it to them, and technically they could report to Ingeus and the JC if I wasn't doing enough. Luckily they were decent people and I had no problems though. Possibly the Jobclub people will expect to still see jobsearching going on and report any failings to the JC. Make sure you know exactly what's involved before you commit yourself to the course.

 

Can't imagine the wonderful JC letting people off signing AND their jobsearch.

[jasta11]

are u sure?

 

as i spoke to the woman she told me no more job search or going in to the jobcentre or carrying them silly work booklet for 20 weeks and i said u sure u dont have to do job search she went no and thats what the advisor told her and she will be at that course for 20 weeks and dont worry about anything as u will get your job seeker money and she told me to do the same thing as it will give u more experience after it and saves u 20 weeks of jobsearching and lets u keep your mind on a course u wanna do.

 

Just might be wise to check with the JC and get them to confirm - in writing - that jobsearch evidence will not be required for the time you're on the course.

 

People running courses can say one thing and the JC say another, as we've all found out before. Wouldn't want anyone to be caught out. Be nice if you really don't have to do jobsearch or sign on for 20 weeks though

[jasta11]

I don't think even the JC know what schemes are coming next - any questions I ask are usually met with 'well we know there's something coming up but we haven't been told about it yet'. Very helpful - not.

 

I'm pretty sick of the DWP and JC and I'm in my 50's; I can only imagine how much worse it is for the young 'uns who are targetted more for pointless exercises and slave labour.

[jasta11]

Under the current "scheme", once you are attached to a WP provider, you are in their clutches for 104 weeks. If, after say nine months, you find a job that ends up lasting six months, you have to return to the WP provider for the remaining three months. This is despite the fact that your new claim for JSA is not linked to the previous one - This also opens up another question: As the two claims are not linked, do you then "qualify" for CWP after finishing your WP sentence ?

 

Depends how urgently the DWP need to fiddle the unemployment/training statistics.. *he said cynically*

[jasta11]

Hope someone can help me or at least point me in the right direction, I’m still learning about this and want to be fully prepared.

 

There are no exact targets as in “Apply for 6 jobs a week” just says “reasonable” so I’ve got a print of the CJSA/1814/2007 should a doubt arise.

 

Yet according to their classroom training literature (links posted by me in my 'Claimant Commitment' thread on here), the CC is required to have clear and exact requirements of what is expected and not be vague or ambiguous.

 

Ask for it to be clarified - if they want 10 applications a week then it should say that so you know where you stand. We're supposed to do 'reasonable' jobsearch but what appears reasonable to one adviser might not be to another. I'm sure they've deliberately left out specifics so they can accuse us of not doing enough. Always make sure you show way, way too much evidence and play it safe.

[jasta11]

My exit report simply said 'Client is work ready'. As I'd already had 30+ years working life before I ever went to Ingeus I nominate this for the 'Stating The Obvious' prize.

 

Mind you, I'd already warned them before I left that if they claimed to have done anything they hadn't actually done there would be a massive complaint. I think they kept it very neutral

[jasta11]

I record everything too - caught a few of them making up guidance out of thin air so it was worth doing. I don't try and hide it either, I plonk my media player down on the desk between us when I sign on and always make a point of saying the adviser's name so it's on record. Got the Section 36 of the DP act paragraph learned by heart in case they ever say I can't record them.

 

Well worth doing by everyone. It's just sad that we have to do it at all but we need to protect ourselves from the people who are supposed to be 'helping'.