TO not want to go on CSCS course at 6-7 months pg?

[Spaghettibol]

I’m 27 weeks pregnant, single and claiming jsa because I lost my job (in retail)
My work coach has been really rude about my own pregnancy and I’m starting to take it personally. I do my 35 hours a week job search and don’t complain but she always tries to find an issue with it.

She’s signed me up to a course to get my CSCS card starting beginning of January. For those who don’t know, everyone who works on a construction site must have a CSCS card, the course is mainly about safety on the site. What she expects me to be doing on a building site whilst heavily pregnant is beyond me. I don’t even want to work in construction!
Now she’s said if I refuse to participate in activities that may help my chances of getting a job then I will be sanctioned up to 100% of all my benefits.
WTF? Is she being unreasonable or am I?

Why can't you do the course? You do know that you won't actually have to go on site to do it?
Unless your doctor signs you off sick YWBU not to take part in these activities

But by then you'll be 29w pregnant so not be under the same rules in your Claimant Commitment? And can claim MA instead/as well (depending on your circumstances).

I have a CSCS card, it's a multiple choice test a bit like the driving theory test done on a screen. You won't be going anywhere near a building site. I would just smile and do it and roll your eyes.

Are there even that many jobs that you can spend 36 hours a week applying for them? Seems an unfair expatriation, anyhow being at a similar point of pregnancy I wouldn’t fancy doing it either. Not to be precious, but realistically, are you likely to use this qualification before birth? By the time you return to work, is it going to be outdated anyway? I guess if you have to do it then it must be done, but seems a bit silly.

It’s just a health and safety test isn’t it? It’s muktiple choice on a screen and you won’t be actually on a building site

Puggles23

You have to be applying for work up to a 90 minute journey (one way) away from home and I live fairly close to a big city. But I just say each are application takes a few hours to research the company, re write cv, make cover letter. They also count travelling to towns where you can hand out your cv, interviews etc. But yeah it is ridiculous

If you have no interest in working in this area it does seem just a reason to get you sanctioned. Plus you will soon be moving onto income support for a few years by which point wouldn’t it be out of date anyway? Sadly with JC staff and sanctions best just to smile until you can sign of JSA.

Don't see a problem in doing it. Being pregnant doesn't mean you can't do the test.

I really dislike people who use the 'pregnancy card'

Surely you just see it as another qualification under your belt to help in the future?

Seems a little on the unreasonable side and based purely on her filling courses and achieving her targets. You are unlikely to be offered a retail job at 27 weeks pregnant- or indeed any job. I'm intrigued as to what employment she thinks it would lead to other than maybe cleaning if you're not a tradesman??? At the same time, I don't see the harm in doing a classroom based course. There might be biscuits and it's a certificate which may possibly be useful (very outside chance!!!) in the future. She'd obviously filled the forklift truck course before you went in

to be fair i would crack on with it, do the test. its a piece of piss, and youll be able to work on site, you could even set up a business doing builders cleans at the end of the build process before handover- the companies we pay are paid really quite well.

though i love the construction industry, you could make yourself a decent life if you wanted to branch into it.