JSA: what a joke

[wannabeamillionaire]

ok, so long story cut short, will not drip feed.

Two years ago I was on £30k a year, then my dad was diagnosed with alz so it was decided that I was going to look after him. I was quite happy to do this because I had not seen the family properly for a long time (that is another story).

ok, so dad now is totally of the wall and in a MHU now so I am now on job seekers.

Went for a JSA interview today and the consultant has decided to send me on a course. Normally you have to be on JSA for 13 weeks, I have been on it for 6, thats ok no problem I am getting bored at home anyway.

The course is for me to train in
Sending emails
Sending faxes
excel
Word
Talking on the telephone
How to work the internet for job searches
How to act in a interview
blah blah blah

Without sounding like a big head... I up until two years ago was a Accounts Manager who headed teams ranging from 3 to 30. I am computer illiterate and know my way around a spreadsheet... :)

So my AIBU is why the fxxck would the government waste money sending me on a stupid fucking course that I could train the fucking government on.......sorry really pissed of

some companies will fund this once you are working for them - worth exploring.

My JSA 'experience' is coming to an end, THANK GOD, because I have accepted an offer for an Accounts role. My advisor was a 'jobsworth', who made all sorts of silly suggestions, Like yours has to you OP, re courses I could go on, minimum wage jobs he had found for me. After having a job, since I was 14, jobs all the way through Uni BA and MA, this whole JSA claim has been truely painful.
Hope yours comes to an end soon too.

YANBU

yanbu

Yanbu-you have saved the goverment thousands by looking after your dad!
Why shouldn't you get jsa without having to do a course you already know about.
The goverment has gone mad, they seem to pick on the short-term unemployed rather than the long-term unemployed.
But yabu not to take the job as any job is better than no job even on minimum wage-where i come from thats what most jobs pay anyway.
Or failing that you could become self-employed as you sound very experienced

pumpkin: I totally agree with taking any job even on min wage. However, I am a single parent I have no back up partner on a good wage. I am experienced in my own field (25 years plus). If I am now going down the "take any job route" then it has to be a job that I can survive on surely. I am not talking holidays, going out every weekend etc but just to pay rent bills etc.
If I took a job at say £6ph I would have to work 65 hours a week to just pay the rent and bills forget a proper food shop etc. Anyway, my point originally was what a waste of government resources to send me on a course that I could possibly teach them a thing or two. I have worked hard all my life, like many millions of others in my situation at the moment.

I actually rang the job center today and said to them that I think the course they are going to send me on is a bit of a waste of time. She (my advisor) said that she thinks it will be beneficial as they can "draw things from me" :(

I have no choice at the end of the day but cannot wait till I get of this stupid benefit... On a good note I did take another posters advice and registered for the mums website..... sorry been a long frustrating day

oblomov: truly wish you all the best now you have come of the madness of JSA

When I applied for JSA they couldn't find my job type on their system and said that they wouldn't be able to find me a job!

Bisjo: One thing being on JSA has taught me is that it does not matter what field you have been in they make you apply for any job regardless of your experience etc.

So, I was told that I had to apply for a job at Boots. No problem I applied. It had to be online and answering a multi question thing........

Got the result today........ I am not suitable as have no shop floor experience.......

Where is the brick wall cos I need to bang my head against it :(

any doubters out there I am trying every avenue to get a job believe me

I think I was lucky. The advisor realised that I wouldn't get a job working in Boots so didn't make me apply for that. All I had to do was turn up every fortnight to check what I'd been doing. We used to spend the time with me explaining what my job was. It is so specialised that I contacted one recruitment agent and waited for him to find me a job. It meant that my fortnightly job hunt diary would have qualifed for the Booker prize for fiction as I didn't think I'd get away with two phone calls a week!

I was amazed that being on JSA didn't entitle me to any other assistance other than not having to pay council tax. I really don't know how people can live on that long term. I wasn't entitled to any tax credits as my previous year's earnings were above the limit.