To take a job with the DWP even though I will lose friends

If my friend got a job that paid her 50% more I’d be dead pleased for her, even if she was like “well I’ll be working on the death star”. Your friend is suffering from a bad case of luxury belief. She can afford to be an arse about stuff like this, the rest of us actually have to worry about where the money is coming from to keel the roof over our own heads.

I'm sure they have to pay minimum wage even if you're salary you shouldn't be working for less than minimum

Congratulations on your new job!

Your 'friends' sound utterly bonkers, frankly.

Do it and see where it takes you.

Wow

They are only as good as their Govt at the time, so after 13 yrs Tory leadership they're at their lowest ebb. But that will change and it's a good time to join them.

The individual staff that work there are not immoral. Just the Govt they work for.

Take the job! if the so-called friend says anything, say that you're sorry you missed the conversation where they offered to make up the difference in income for you!
I was in the exact same position 35 years ago, DHs 'best' mate told him to dump me, we are still together, and his mate got over it.

Take it. Think of no one else but your family.
You will not be making the big decissions, those fall with the legislation makers. So, not the fault of employees, at all. Your friend is out of line.
You take it, do your job with dilligence (which you sound like you will do indeed) and when you progress up to management and further, then you can change things that you see need changing.
Your friend is well out of order and I would dump them, just for what they said, whether I take or not the role. She has to aim her issues up, not to the workers!

The DWP has to follow policies set by the government. So your rich friend if they vote Tory or did not vote are as much a cause of this as anyone else.

Take the job.

I voted the wrong way. I think you’re silly not to take the job and it’s ridiculous that your friends have this attitude to an entire government department that employs thousands of staff? I doubt the entire department is all bad. I have my own opinions of civil servants but being immoral isn’t it, it’s more that the culture is a bit slow and it can be hard to progress.

It sounds like there are a lot of advantages in taking the job, for you and your family. Morally, if it's a job you feel comfortable doing, that's great, and if it isn't, think through how long you would need to stay there to progress to something better, and whether you would be happy in and with yourself.

Personally, it would depend what the job was. Anything which involved sanctioning the vulnerable for breaking bureaucratic rules designed to make their lives miserable and catch them out - no, the financial advantages would not be worth the mental anguish. I say this from a fairly privileged position in which I am not at risk of cold or hunger.

You cannot be serious.
Of course you should take the job.

I know people who work at the DWP it is a fab place to work. Lots of support and many opportunities for progression should you want them! And the pension is brill, along with the flexi and the civil service approach to work life balance,

Your friend sounds like a righteous arsehole.

As a civil servant your job is to carry out what the government advises. It's not the organisation it's the direction it's given

Take the job, your friends sound utterly ridiculous. Unless they themselves are scamming the benefit system in some way I fail to see why you taking the job would effect them in any way. It’s not like you’ve announced you’ve decided to become a drug dealer or something! You will make new friends and have a more comfortable life in every way. If they drop you because of that then the reality will be it’s because they are jealous you are showing ambition and will have some nice perks to the job.

If you have been offered it, take it !

Well the independently wealthy can afford to have principles like that can’t they? 🙄

I have friends with jobs that I personally wouldn’t do, but I’m not going to stop being friends with them because of it (I might change my mind if they become contract killers)

I am a civil servant and I hear people complaining about my organisation too. I take it on the chin we are not perfect but I know that there are a lot of people there that do care about people and are trying to make a difference with an expectation to do more for less. I think your eyes will be opened once you take the job. Best of luck, you'd be silly not to take it x

Take the job, it's the DWP not an arms company!
Do the job well, treat people with respect and know that you're doing your best to help even if the system is horrendous right now.

Any decent "friend" would be happy for you. Take the job and bin her off. Congratulations!

I used to work on behalf of the DWP for many years. I am now on the other side if the coin.
Anyone saying that won't speak to you if you work there? Well, do they want you to take money from them for working, or less money for not working?
Totally take the job. It's a massive organisation and your team could be lovely. But join a union.

Take the job and be the kind, decent person the service needs. Use it as a stepping stone to another, less controversial job as soon as you can.

I've thought about getting a job with the DWP and attempting to subvert the system by refusing to sanction anyone and marking every claim through until I got fired, but I doubt they'd employ me. You can't do that because you need this job but you CAN make a difference by being the nice, helpful person you appear to be and making life better for the people that use the DWP and your family.

Congratulations, OP, take the job. The salary, pension and working hours are going to transform your life immeasurably for the better. Your "friend" is a dick.

Of course you should take the job, and you'll do amazing and improve life for you and your kids and your so called "friend" will lose out on your friendship.

Just because you work for the DWP doesn't mean you're not a good person. I work for a housing association and there is a lady on MN who thinks every staff member of HAs exist purely to make tenants lives hard, but I'm actually a very nice person who is excellent at my job and genuinely care!

People can be weird.

Individual staff at DWP aren't responsible for the system they have to work under.

I have a lot of dealings with DWP staff (I work in welfare rights) and the vast majority of those I have contact are decent, reasonable, helpful and often act with as much kindness and empathy as is possible in their job.

As long as you're not taking the job because you think everyone on benefits is a scrounger and you want to give them a hard time, which I'm sure you're not, go for it.