Mandatory Work Activity WTF?

[DeadWomanWalking]

I'm currently on JSA and my advisor has put me forward for Mandatory Work Activity (gee great thanks ). I've just had a letter telling me I start on Thursday it's with Age Concern, which I'm pleased about as I was hoping it would be with a charity and not some multi-national millionaire company.

With it there is a time sheet that details my hours for the next 4 weeks. On my first day I do 10am-4.30pm, which is fine. But then it has me down as having working 8am-6pm 7 days a week for the next 4 weeks! Surely that can't be right? 70 hours a week, 7 days a week and no days off for over a month? I can't ring anyone until Monday to find out if it's correct or not. I was wondering if anyone on here has had to do it, and if so what were your hours?

It says a minimum of 30 hours a week. Surely it's illegal to work 70 hours a week without a day off? I'm also supposed to find the time during this 70 hour week no day off in 4 weeks period to also sign on (if I don't I loose benefits) how I'm supposed to do that when the jobcentre is only open 9-5? Are they going to stay open late especially for me, I don't think so. I also have to attend any appointments my advisor sets at the jobcentre and do 30 hours of job searching a week. How is that going to be possible?

Of course I suppose I should be thanking them for my food and water should be oh so humble. "Gee whiz fanks ever so much Mr Cameron Sir you're ever so kind to a feckless lazy scrounger like me."

As you can tell I'm very worked up over this.

Sounds like you work 30 hours out of the 70. Hours available. I it sounds a great opportunity, good luck

having worked for a charity , soz to inform u but they really are all "big multi"s ! they really are, ,all pounds ,shillings and pence ! in fact , if u google a charity"s yearly financial reports , and see who gets big bucks , you may find it fortuitious to be standing near a sink ,to catch your projective vomit.

andu, it depends on the charity. They aren't all as you describe.

I just thought I'd update this. I rang and spoke to someone this morning, and you were all right, I'll be doing 30 hours over 5 days within those hours. The guy I spoke to said they'd had many a phone call about the way letters and time sheets are set out and worded. He said they're trying to change the wording so it can state those are only potential hours and that you won't actually be working 70 hours a week, 7 days a week. But apparently legally they're not allowed too. So is this another way the government can scare jobseekers into submission?

Because although it does seem pretty obvious (although not to me apparently in my anger ). People who may suffer from anxiety, or have some learning difficulties etc could get themselves into a right tizz over the wording of a bloody letter. I've had similar stuff to this, for example on my Universal Jobmatch account, it alerts me when I haven't applied for jobs it's sent me by email, and warns that I could be sanctioned for not doing so. When the only reason I haven't applied for them is because the jobs they're sending me are at the other end of the bloody country! It's one hell of a commute from Liverpool to bloody London FFS! But apply anyway because I don't want to be sanctioned even though there's no way I'll be able to take the job. Oh the joys of being unemployed in Cameron's Britain.

Dead, i cant even get into my Jobmatch account, its a farce, even the Jobcentre staff hate it.

Glad you got it sorted out OP. I have my suspicions about the style and tone of these letters too.

I'm also glad you don't mind working for Age Concern but that's off my list for donations now. Like other posters have said, charities should not be taking part in this scam.

Next time I get a letter from them I'll be using their prepaid envelope to tell them to stop bothering me until they change their policy.