Universal Credit :-(

[LovelyBath77]

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/01/universal-credit-hits-families-with-children-hardest-study-finds?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-2

They are not destroying people's lives, sleeping with an "ex" without protection and only working twenty four hours a week isn't the governments faults but the fault of the adults involved. If you can't afford the children you already have then you make sure your contraception is iron clad, not moan that you won't get as much as you want from the state.

People taking advantage like that caused the changes.

Rainbows looking at the HB policy for 18 to 21s they likely cant afford not to have children.

Rainbows you don't know he was an ex at the time OR that contraception wasn't used correctly. Do you seriously expect poor adults not to have sex???

As for 'only working 24 hrs' again THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH JOBS TO GO AROUND

I don't think it's fair to say there are not enough jobs to go around. It surely depends on the area? Where I live there are constant job adverts for care assistants/ home carers , warehouse staff and agency workers. The place I work at cannot recruit and retain staff although this is specific skilled work so not available to anyone.

How many jobs and how many unemployed people?

Are those jobs available/suitable for everyone? (Doubtful - as you say yourself skilled work at your place, cuts to training affects this too).

My county -

Adult Population 80,000
Unemployed - 12,000
Jobs - 3,000

Even latest stats from ons

2.52 million economically active adults (so not carers, students, sick)

500,000 jobs

So 5 X more unemployed people than jobs available - and that's all jobs not just full time or even full week part time that's inc 'Saturday jobs'

Graphista Its not for the government to fund peoples lifestyles. Stop moaning 'There are no jobs'. Yes there ARE jobs for those that look and try.. People have choices. Its about finding opportunities and making the best for ones self.

Did you even read my last post? How are people supposed to find jobs if there are 5 times fewer jobs than people looking for jobs?

Tories are not investing in or supporting industry (despite supposedly being the business owners party), look at the way they've abandoned the steel industry, car manufacture, clothes manufacture. Even if you consider we're now primarily a service based economy - no training available for that. Haven't insisted on banks repaying the bailout money. Again low wages meaning people AREN'T spending (too scared to).

Oh yea food industry too - eg letting Kraft screw over cadburys workers, not protecting British farmers.

Well Gloria Employers should obviously take a leaf out of your employers book and be less fussy about who they employ.

Its bloody obvious that these polices will have a direct affect on public health. And thats supposed to be the field you work in.

OK, CallingGloria is the sort of poster I had in mind when I wrote above:

If we're designing an economy like this, we need realistic plans for the bulk of the population who are at the bottom - that don't consist simply of jeering, "Well you shouldn't be at the bottom then, should you!"

Exactly - just like the guy in that link I posted - thinks they did it all themselves, completely ignorant of the advantages they've had.

Plenty of jobs out there! I'm always recruiting and people barely bother to turn up for interviews!

Agree with you Gloria

I run a jobs page for free To help and it's just full of moaning folk! Complaining about the online applications, you many tests they don't have a cv, can't go to the premise is there an email and asking the employer to contact them. I'm ready to throw in the towel, it's so disheartening!

Are you offering an actual LIVING wage? Decent hours? Training if needed?

A few recent threads posted by people recruiting claiming yes to the above - when actually pressed by other posters what the terms and conditions were the following were discovered -

Location and transport issues

Lack of training

Only offering nmw (or much less for apprenticeships)

Expecting applicants to effectively do the job of more than one person for minimal pay.

Poorly worded/vague job ads/descriptions

Examples :

thread posted by a jobseeker re pay not stated on ads, eg '£competitive' '£above average' '£to be discussed', which I and other posters all agreed is off putting as it usually means 'shit pay for hard graft'

stupid fancy names for basic jobs eg 'domestic service technician' cleaner, 'sales consultant' - shop assistant.

Stupidly worded requirements - 'statistically analyse and assess regular financial reports' - know how to balance a till, I've actually seen this in an ad!

Unnecessary requirements - 'must have post graduate business qualification' for office supervisors, 'must have minimum 5 yrs successful experience in a competitive sales environment' for call handling.

Oh yes - the delightful zero hours contracts aka always being on call and never daring to turn down hours offered for fear of never being asked again! Or at least not asking for a while.

we don't post any crap jobs, these are decent opportunities with the living wage if you are of age. It's embarrassing as there are loads of genuine employers looking for staff on the page also.

Pure laziness on some parts. Not everyone but if you cant go to a premise to drop-in a c.v how can you work there 5 days a week?

Tory 'living wage' or actual living wage? Is the premise somewhere they can get to ?

Not saying it's true of everyone I know there are people who are too fussy or lazy when job seeking but as there's so many unemployed and looking there should be some suitable applicants.

When I was job seeking I found it incredibly frustrating being turned down for jobs I knew I could easily do due to 'lack of experience' in the exact role, lack of an obscure qualification that wasn't strictly necessary, plus of course sexism and ageism (which I've experienced at both ends of the scale, seemingly the perfect employee age is 25-35 though of course as a woman that's when I'll be wasting an employers time as I'll be pregnant/on mat leave more often than I'll be working ) and now the delights (when I'm hopefully well enough) of disability discrimination.

Graphista

My goodness you are so pessimistic. Your excuses not to get a job:

There are no jobs (there are if you look)
you don't agree with how the job is described,
You don't agree with the pay (because you are an industry expert)
where the job is located,
you can't get there
too many qualifications required.
too vague
too easy
too difficult
the employer maybe ageist, sexist, diablist
The Bankers
The Tories
Brexit

You are encouraging a lazy, benefits dependent society and should be ashamed.

Put your laptop down, stop Googling and get in the real world.

I DO live in the real world. (Not sure which one you're living in, but as it seems to be full of perfect well paid jobs, working for equal ops employers, in easy to reach locations, in a world where the vulnerable ARE housed, fed, nursed, medically treated well without long waiting lists, where the sick/disabled aren't in fear of becoming homeless/unable to afford food or fuel - then let us know where it is and we'll all move there!)

I'm not job seeking myself as I'm disabled plus have a disabled child.

But I've been a job seeker plenty of times in the past as I've moved around a lot due to dad and ex being army then post divorce moving away from ex's posting to nearer my family.

Until I became disabled I had worked from the age of 14.

14-16 weekend and holiday jobs
16-18 part-time to fit around college so college + work = full time hours.

From 18-36 I was working full time (excepting uni when I again worked part time and mat leave) jobs have included waitressing, nursing, admin, retail, web management, business management, accountancy.

Until I became ill I'd never been out of work from the age of 14 for more than a few weeks.

Because I'm THAT amazing ?

NO

because I was LUCKY to have mainly been looking for work during periods of economic boom!

Because I'm LUCKY to be academically able

Was LUCKY at that point not to be sick or disabled.

"There are no jobs (there are if you look) - FIVE TIMES FEWER jobs than jobseekers - govts own stats

you don't agree with how the job is described - stupid ads put people who've been battered down by years of rejection and ill-informed prejudice off from applying for yet another job they won't be offered

You don't agree with the pay (because you are an industry expert) - not an 'industry expert' no but I know how much living in uk costs and the current nmw even the Tory 'living wage' is not ACTUALLY a living wage! If it were people on it wouldn't need tax credits or housing benefit or any other benefits just to cover basic living costs

where the job is located depends on location of course

you can't get there again depends on location but lots of employers don't consider transport costs/practicality for employees

too many qualifications required. if employers are asking for quals NOT necessary for the job yes that's unreasonable

too vague geez already explained

too easy never said that

too difficult never said that either DID say that employers shouldn't take piss by paying nmw and expecting one person to do job of 2 or more

the employer maybe ageist, sexist, diablist happens to be true

The Bankers fucked the economy and are still taking piss

The Tories yep

Brexit I never even mentioned brexit

Gloria just because you've seen a few jobs advertised in your area doesn't mean there a lots of jobs available. Even the sodding government admits there are not enough jobs to provide everybody with one.
Shelly Good for you for providing a jobs page. Are you also providing help with applications etc?
Some folk are lazy, some folk will take advantage of the system, but they are not as many as you two seem to think.

May I suggest a little empathy?

I have total empathy or I couldn't run the page, it's so disheartening when you put your free time into helping people, give them the details, help them apply, help with a c.v and they still find something to complain about. There's been loads of successful people and that's the only reason I keep going. I work full time myself and also volunteer at the cab so I've seen both sides. Unfortunately there are people in the world that you just can't help, I am glad to say it's the minority though. There is so much competition for every job but you have to at least apply to get your foot in the door.

I am glad to say it's the minority though. There is so much competition for every job but you have to at least apply to get your foot in the door.

Shelly from the above it's obvious I misinterpreted. I apologise.
You're right, there's a lot of competition, and it must be really gruelling when you put your heart and soul into helping someone and they don't help themselves, as you say, it really is the minority.

Shelly Thank you for all you have done. I'm sure you have helped many people, especially those who, despite having many problems, still make an effort to find work.

There are people out there to help the young and disadvantaged, but some just love moaning about it.