To think that they were more unresonable than me (job centre)

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Had an appointment to apply for jobseekers allowance today. I've been made redundant, have been working 3 days a week for the last 2 years and full time for the rest of my working life apart from maternity leave.

They wanted me to turn up to sign on tomorrow. I said I can't due to childcare. Apparently there isn't a choice. And if I'm actively jobseeking it shouldn't be a problem for me! Well I am actively jobseeking but I need notice for childcare. I said interviews generally give more than a days notice - consultant didn't agree.

I was also annoyed that they couldn't tell me if I am actually elligable for jobseekers (may not be as i was on maternity leave for some of the quallifying period). So I potentially have to attend 2 interviews with associated 1 hr travel and bus fare before being told I don't qualify.

Lastly I was asked to sign a form to say I would be availble for 40hours a week with 90mins travel each way. I said I wasn't. She said sign it anyway and they can sort it out when you sign on.

So, I rather talked myself into a hole of not being able to attend tomorrow and as they couldn't reschedule for the next week (as it has to be a tuesday) I walked out. Thus totally cutting off my nose to spite my face as now I will have to rearrange and still attend twice.

So I was definately unreasonalbe for walking out instead of sorting the childcare somehow for tomorrow - and I regret it - but I think they are worse?

Just bring your children along. They will soon " get it".

Well depends if you really need the money. Sooner you get signed in the sooner it comes though. I bring my kids with me sometimes. Is there no nearer office?

Why can't you bring your kids with you to sign on?

Just take Your child with you

/you were BU. Take your kids with you. You'll also be guaranteed a much easier time of it.

You were unreasonable if you walked out as at the end of the day you need help with money.

The job centre is the pits. It's a horrible place and I truly sympathise though. It's a place that is so depressing I wanted to cry every time I went in there.

I don't quite understand why you couldn't just say you'd bring the children with you though. I know it's not easy to concentrate with your children there but 'needs must'.

I hope you get it sorted and get a job soon. Good luck.

I could take my child but don't want to - long bus journey + walk each way. Interviews upstairs and nowhere safe to leave pushchair. But if I'd even been given 2 days notice I could have got DH or DM to look after her. I do need the money but another week wouldn't hurt.

YANBU. Job Centre staff expect you to fit around them and some of them seem to enjoy being awkward (in my experience).

Just take your pushchair up with you and ask someone to help.

You'd have to manage if you were really desperate like a lot of people are.

And no guarantee I'll get any money. Think I'll try and work out my entitlement properly before I rearrange my appointment.

YABU.

Everyone else takes their children. Nobody else gets preferential treatment wo why should you?

I am not asking for preferential treatment - just think things could be different. Would save them money as well as me. How is it preferential treatment to ask for an interview a week later if I accept my money will start a week later.

Take the kids and stuff them full of sweets before you go in then ignore them while you concentrate on the advisor and paperwork...

I think they expect that as you are jobseeking, and you get offered a job, then you will be available and childcare is not a'good enough' reason for not taking a job. SO if you got offered it, you would need to have it and start straight away. so their expectation is that you would have childcare sorted, iyswim?

In reality, it is too expensive to pay fro childcare whilst job seeking, especially if nothing comes up, and you would not be able to drop into a job the next day. You would need notice to sort appropriate childcare.

But I completly agree I should have accepted the interview tomorrow. Becasue I was trying to rearrange I said I couldn't do it and rather talked myself into a hole. I regretted it the moment I left.

I have attended one interview already and have another lined up. Don't even need a weeks notice, just some.

YANBU

Some of them like to be difficult and rigid. They dont work for you they work for the government. They want to show the best results to get paid a bonus and so limit the number of ppl that sign on.

Take the kids tomorrow, and like purple said stuff them with sweets and make sure they make a racket

ask 1st if what you are being asked to sign is LEGALLY binding? if yes they have to advise you that you may wish to seek legal advice before signing,otherwise your signature is only so much ink , unless you are a solicitor,they CANNOT dominate you , unless you let them

I took my DD with me to my interview on Friday. Tough shit, I don't have the childcare. I have another interview on Wednesday, but she'll be in nursery, however, I'd take her if needed, again.

The paper work is immense, and it is rather dehumanizing, but ho hum! Take the child along, you've no choice.

I think YABU. You stormed out in a hissy because u didnt want to take ur kids. You obviously dont need the money.

The jobcentre see it as u hav asked for money which means u need the money which means u hav to get it sorted straight away. The computer tells them wen u hav 2 sign on. It goes by ur NI i think. You dont get to pick days/times to sign on.

YABU. If you want JSA then they are right, you do have to be available to go to interviews the next day if needs be. If you aren't prepared to do that, then you shouldn't be getting the money.

YABU. You have to sign on when you're called in and you have to be available for immediate work.

I'm pretty much as left wing as they come, and have received JSA (whilst attending weekly interviews with DD and pregnant).

YABU.

You want the free money but you can't be arsed to take your child so you throw a hissy fit and stomp out? I don't know how you could possibly justify that. Take the bloody child.

If you want the money you have to accept the conditions that come with it. Simple. Yabu.

Not being able to take your child (eg s/he has chicken pox) is reasonable. Not wanting to is, well, tough. If you want the benefit you have to comply with the requirements. If that means you need to take your child to an interview then that's what you have to do.

But (and I know this because I helped a friend recently), once you've been accepted for interview, if you live too far away and fot the qualifiers you can sign on by post. The qualifying circumstances are (from Hansard):

The customer lives more than one hour (door to door) by public transport from the nearest office; or

Attendance means being away from home in excess of four hours; or

The customer has a mental or physical disability that restricts mobility; and
in other exceptional circumstances for example, where the customer would have to use a form of transport they would not ordinarily be expected to use on a regular basis, ie an inter-city train, ferry or plane