To think that the Jobcentre are absolutely taking the piss?

[BumFunHun]

A bit of background history first of all:-

My dad, aged 60+ (keeping it vague for the purposes PC/data protection/fear this post may backfire to his detriment) moved in with my DH and I approx 3 years ago, after finding himself a little bit homeless, and a lot unemployed and skint.

Anyway, moves in with us, and starts the painful process of 'being a doley' (his words, not mine) for the first time ever in his adult life. He's worked previously since he was 18 in a manual trade.

This is where it gets all kinds of long...so apologies in advance - and congratulations if you read this without falling into coma:-

So, resigned to the fact that at 60+ he's not going to really have too much joy in finding manual work he has experience in, he signs on. Eventually his £76.whateveritis, starts filtering through on a fortnightly basis. Since January he has had to take part in compulsory work placement to continue receiving his pennies. Fine, no biggie, he gets on with it - has attended Every. Single. Fucking. Day since January. 10-4 pm, Monday to Saturday in the charity shop he's been assigned to. Mundane work, where, when asked how his day has been, he considers it a promotion to have been assigned to 'pressing' rather than 'hanger sorting'

Whatever, I digress, he today receives a letter telling him that his benefits are at threat of stopping as the Jobcentre in their infinite wisdom believe he did not attend his placement on 26 April (he did) and hasn't been completing his mandatory hours of 9-5pm (impossible, as the shop he has been assigned to opens at 10 and shuts at 4 - hence him taking it upon himself to do the Saturdays instead to make up the time)

I'm furious for him! I get that they have to enforce these mandatory placements to make working seem a better option for the few that choose benefits as a lifestyle choice - but the man is over 60 (although not quite entitled to any form of pension); has knackered knees; no relevant experience for less exhausting work; and his age against him when it comes to applying.

I'm also mad because (albeit slightly unrelated to the above):-

1. They (JS) made him attend a test to assess his English and Maths levels, despite him being grammar school educated, with exam passes clearly on the CV they made him rewrite to their standard precedent format (which ironically, is pretty crap)
2. The letter inviting him on the course was littered with the most basic grammar and spelling mistakes, he actually red-bic'd the whole thing and handed it in when he attended, joking that he'd completed the English test.
3. He's previously had letters demanding he attend course/appointments with them that are post stamped AFTER the date of said appointment, then been threatened with sanctions for not turning up
4. The most recent letter re the supposed 'failed attendance' was signed off 'Regards [initials, rather than name], so he can't even address a response to a person
5. They didn't check their sodding facts in any way before sending the letter.

Am I being unreasonable to think they are a bunch of penpushing wankers over there, and perhaps they should just give him a nice paid job in the HQ somewhere, proof-reading letters before they're sent, rather than making him work 30 hours a week for 76 quid a fortnight?!

Hit me - I can take it if I am BU.

I can also accept that my post could probably be a fuckload more concise - but I'm in rant mode, and my fingers of fire just won't stop typing....

Ironically, he couldn't give a shit. He's penning a letter addressed "Dear [initials]
[insert required written explanation required no later than 17 May]

Lots of love [his initials] x"

Perhaps I'll just not give a shit too, although his £40 a fortnight contribution to his food and the bills is actually quite needed. Feel better for offloading anyway.

Yanbu

The one and only time I had to sign on after I had completed my masters for 7 weeks, I had to attend a cv review with the job centre, they basically said to remove my masters from my cv because people would think I was too educated and not employ me. They actually said this to me.

Thankfully I got a job a week later off my own back- the job centre is utter dross.

Yanbu and this has actually made me quite angry. Bloody jobsworth wankers!

YANBU ..... it's disgusting, soul destroying and inhumane to treat people like this and the effect of being treated like sub-human shit must take a dreadful toll on the mental well being of most who encounter it. I feel so ashamed to be part of a society where this goes on .... not that I voted for the fuckers and their Victorian policies ... but undoubtedly have friends, relatives, colleagues and acquaintances who, by the law of averages, must have done, and who presumably don't care because they're alright, Jack. Thing is, almost anyone of us, unless we're lucky enough to have substantial savings to fall back on or a super wealthy family willing to help, could easily find ourselves in need of a bit of help while we try to find work - it really is a 'there for the Grace of God' thing for me - so we should care.

This is what makes me so sad, I offered to volunteer to help people write cv's with 20 years recruitment and HR experience I could have actually helped people, my old manager bought me my first suit and drove me to an interview to get me a job and that's what should be happening, support not lambasting people

Newyearnewtoads they thought he wouldn't understand or appeal the decision as he is on the autistic spectrum, easy target

So presumably they are getting away with it when they target people who don't understand and don't have a mother who does.

We are now a society where our vulnerable citizens need protection from the state.

The absolute bastards.

Following orders is no excuse for doing evil things.

It's not just vulnerable people though, it's everyone they wear down with this bullshit.

I'm an employer and recently advertised a job on universal job match. Approx half the applicants are clearly being forced to apply, they either live hours away or don't have qualifications/skills needed. Think a driving job when you don't have a driving licence. It's a waste of my time and theirs.

Newyearnewtoads they thought he wouldn't understand or appeal the decision as he is on the autistic spectrum, easy target

I still don't get how they can sanction someone for doing what they've been told to do. How does that make sense?

rightguard was your advertisement vetted? Were there any checks to make sure you were who you said you were and you were really an employer?

I actually don't think its wrong for people of any age to have to work for their dole, and I wish this was more widespread. Working helps build skills and keeps the work habit. However, the sanction bit is ridiculous - how can he work from 9-5 when the shop is only open from 10-4?? He's getting out of bed and doing voluntary work, so they should treat him with politeness and consideration. The people (of any age) who just can't be arsed to work are the ones the job centre should be putting pressure on.

He's managed to sort it with them on the phone I understand. Suggested he still send a letter in response though-make sure he's covered his arse. I don't trust the fuckwits at JC HQ not to still put through the threatened sanction if he doesn't send the requisite response letter by 17 May, as per their instructions.
Shocked at some of the experiences some of you/your loved ones have been through too. It's absolute bollocks isn't it

The government has sanctions and wants those sanctions dished out so will be as stupid as possible to implement the rules, that's rules with a fuck of P at the start for petty....

Yanbu

But this is the government that was voted for

How on earth can anyone be so stupid as to think that people should work for their dole? If you work you should be paid actual wages, not the tiny sum that is JSA. Enforced unpaid work is a ridiculous idea on so many levels that I can't believe anyone would need it pointing out to them. Not only is it foully exploitative, but it means that a job which could otherwise be taken by a paid (taxpaying, NI paying, non JSA claiming) employee is not available as it is being done by someone who has no choice but to do it and isn't getting a fair wage for it. It means employers get work done for free. It's utterly stupid.

Also they aren't doing you a bloody favour giving you dole money it's what you pay taxes and NI for, the safety next, allegedly, it's your own money they are graciously giving back to you ! Or not as the case may be.

I actually don't think its wrong for people of any age to have to work for their dole, and I wish this was more widespread.

Why?

It distorts the economy (Asda and Tesco love the free labour) and cuts down the time available for job hunting, especially enquiries etc that need to be made in office hours.

Lose/lose

I actually don't think its wrong for people of any age to have to work for their dole, and I wish this was more widespread.

I think if there is work to be done then someone should be employed and paid a wage for it.

It's not just vulnerable people though, it's everyone they wear down with this bullshit.

I think they are more likely to go after people who are vulnerable as they are less likely to be in a position to complain about it or appeal any decisions made.

My cousin had to sign on for a few months last year. She was told at her first appointment she had to register for universal jobmatch and apply for jobs on there which she did. However nobody told her that she had to either tick the box to allow access or bring in her log in details so she could log on whilst she was there. She has learning difficulties so she wouldn't have figured this out on her own. She would need to be told iyswim.

The first two times she signed on were uneventful however when she went to sign for the third time it was with a very hostile advisor who decided that as she hadn't allowed access she would have to sign on to her account in front of her on one of the computers. Of course she couldn't as she didn't have her log in details as she hadn't been told she would have to do that and her previous two advisors hadn't told her or tried to get her to log on.

It was at this point that the advisor became nasty and refused to let my cousin sign on. My cousin had print offs of her job search but when she tried to show the advisor them she refused to look at them. She told her she would have to go home, tick the box and until she did that she wouldn't be allowed to sign on!

The advisor was downright nasty to her and even had my cousin in tears. She was told to come back to sign on another day but not until she was questioned to the nth degree by the advisor about her working hours, her hours at work, etc (she was working part time at the time).

Of course my cousin was then sanctioned because she missed her sign on date and signed on late. My aunt did appeal this and also put a stern complaint in to the manager of the centre who agreed that the advisor was way out of line.

I still don't understand why the melodrama from the advisor was necessary. Couldn't she have just let my cousin sign on, accept the evidence she had and just told her to either have her login details next time or allow access? Was there really any need to be a bitch to someone who was clearly vulnerable but trying her best?

The fucking job centre

Exists to provide the unemployable with a wage and the opportunity to look down their badly educated noses at the rest of the population.

Ironic really.

They are fuckwits. YADNBU

That's how they treat a man who has worked since he was 18. I'd say. It was not pretty disgusting.
Fucking sanctions. How dare they. He's worked for 42 years and paid his taxes. It's his money. I mean is it going to come to that. People downing tools and saying. What the fuck am I paying my taxes for. If it's not getting paid out to those in need.
I bet they scream SANCTION when they orgasm.

I bet they scream SANCTION when they orgasm.

I needed that laugh after reading NewYear's story about her cousin.

:(

It makes me so upset to think of all the other vulnerable adults they are doing that kind of thing to and who don't have a mother to ring up and sort it out.

How can people with learning disabilities live independent lives if their lives are made deliberately difficult by people who should be helping them?

I would like to know what sanctions that awful woman faced for such an utterly failure to do her public facing, supposedly public service job properly.

Treating a member of the public like that should be gross misconduct. If one of the people being forced to work for free in a charity shop spoke to a customer like that they would certainly lose their dole.

With vulnerable people it is possible to obtain a dwp appointee declaration, this pretty much means that someone else is legally responsible for doing all their paperwork and can speak instead of them.

IME people with clued up appointees face far fewer sanctions than everybody else because they know they won't get away with it.

IME people with clued up appointees face far fewer sanctions than everybody else because they know they won't get away with it.