Job centre suggesting a blind person applies for a car park attendant job, with driving licence as a criteria

[BlindCarparkWarden]

Have namechanged because I’ve plastered this all over social media and don’t want it linked to my usual username.

I was born blind. In my life I have worked in positions such as secretarial, customer service etc but I gave up work to be a SAHM when my DC were born. Once they were older I looked to go back to work but then I fell ill so work was out of the question for a while.

I am now much better and in a position to work so I have been looking hard, but also registered for universal credit so that I would fall under the job centre.

It is slightly harder to get work when you can’t see because positions such as checkout assistants for instance use tills which aren’t accessible, otherwise I’d be working in a supermarket by now, so I’ve been applying for admin/customer service roles but am also aware that in the current climate there is very little around.

So today I received an email to check my UC journal, and there was a message from my job coach, stating that I need to apply for a specific job. And the job is for:

A car park warden, with the criteria as “have to hold a driving licence or moped licence.

On one level I actually think it’s hilarious. After all it’s so stupid you couldn’t make it up.

But on the other hand, people are sanctioned for not applying for certain numbers of jobs, which means that many apply for roles they will never get. Added to which, employers have to then sift through hundreds of pointless CV’s so the whole thing wastes everyone’s time.

I have been talking to some others about this and some have told me of their own experience, being sent jobs as:

Forklift driver
Amazon delivery driver
Security guard.

How can people possibly be expected to get into work when this is the way the JC are behaving?

I would suggest that maybe she’d like to apply for the parking warden job and that would leave a job coach vacancy free for me to pursue.

A relative of mine has Tourette's Syndrome with verbal tics, mainly compulsive swearing - positions the job centre have asked him to apply for include lunchtime supervisor at a primary school, and bingo caller.

When I was on UC I was expected to apply for jobs 200 miles away. I didn't have a car, and also had a DC who I'm the RP for but at the time they were seeing their DF who lives in my town regularly. I was expected to either switch my DCs residence or move and cut my ExHs contact or "commute it" when it would have meant DC having no childcare, we have a CAO but they wouldn't listen. I had to get signed off sick in the end because of the ridiculousness of it.

I did find a job in the end, 20 miles, on public transport so I could save for my own car. My DCs contact with their dad is now much less but I'd still not move 200 miles away when all my family and therefore my support network are within walking distance of either my work or my DCs school.

My friend was born blind too and was pushed by a job seeking agency to get her driver's licence and then HGV licence 'as there are always driving jobs available'. This was in a face-to-face appointment in which the member of staff had complimented her guide dog's reflective neon harness saying 'You could see him a mile off'...

I'm not surprised.

A friend with uncontrolled epilepsy was told to set himself up as a taxi driver! They seemed to really struggle to comprehend the reasons that meant this was not a good idea.

They did later apologise but only after he filed a formal complaint.

Not quite as absurd but on the same lines. Late DP was a painter and decorator and very briefly on benefits. The DWP wanted to send him on a word processing course!! When I suggested that a plastering course or something relevant to his employment might be more useful the look I got was one of total incomprehension! They also suggested a traffic warden. I think traffic wardens and parking attendants must be the most unpopular jobs so they send them out to everyone in the hope that one person might apply.

There seem to be two types of employees in the DWP, those who really despise benefit claimants and like to make them feel small and want to sanction as many as possible, and those who are just trying to do a job and want to help but are hamstrung by ridiculous targets and a prohibition on using common sense.

I'm gonna guess a lot of the companies sending adverts dot include a lot of the filter information or just realy basic requirements.

So you end up with a fairy specific job being sent to inappropriate people

Sadly this does not surprise me in the slighest.

I wonder how many employers actually recruit from the job centre or whether they are more likely to get a successful candidate from other means e.g. the job sites.

I can only assume malice. The true job of "work coaches" is not to get you into work, but to get you off benefits by any means necessary. Fabricating an excuse to sanction you accomplishes that.

This is the system that our government has built, doing exactly what they intended it to do.

The job centre used to get me to apply for jobs like cleaner etc. I barely even got an interview. Employer feedback was that they wanted someone who would stay in the job long term and my PhD made them think I wouldn’t. The job centre coached me about how to hide my education; they suggested I should leave qualifications off my CV, dress in a different style and fake a strong local accent. They also wanted me to change my title from Dr to Ms. It was totally ridiculous and essentially lying to employers. At the end of the day all they care about is box ticking, not actually getting you into a long term job.

The true job of "work coaches" is not to get you into work, but to get you off benefits by any means necessary.
THIS.

I was talking to someone earlier whose DS wanted a job in animal welfare and they sent him jobs working in McDonald’s

What's the problem with that though?

I wonder how many employers actually recruit from the job centre or whether they are more likely to get a successful candidate from other means e.g. the job sites.
Many employers won’t consider a candidate who isn’t already in a job. Most don’t bother to advertise their jobs at the job centre at all.

The job centre used to get me to apply for jobs like cleaner etc. I barely even got an interview. Employer feedback was that they wanted someone who would stay in the job long term and my PhD made them think I wouldn’t. The job centre coached me about how to hide my education; they suggested I should leave qualifications off my CV, dress in a different style and fake a strong local accent. They also wanted me to change my title from Dr to Ms. It was totally ridiculous and essentially lying to employers. At the end of the day all they care about is box ticking, not actually getting you into a long term job.

I got made redundant after 25 years in the travel industry and genius work coach said " I know what you can do google ' who sells flights ' oh look theres Ryanair , you can apply there "
Twat

My DBro has a PhD so can be called Dr. Rabbitholes. When he was applying for benefits after graduating he was sanctioned because he'd refused to apply for however many jobs they had found that you had to apply for at the time. I'm fairly sure an academic doctor applying for medical doctor roles would be committing a crime.

It's all box ticking and it's ridiculous. I have to have appointments with an employment coach for under 25s who has no experience with disability, just because I am under 25 and they have to tick that box too.

They used to stop you doing voluntary work too. I was sitting on my arse at home, I was offered unpaid work experience which could lead to a job or at the very least give me a reference for my CV. Job centre said no, you’re not allowed to do it or we’ll stop your money. But it’ll help me get a job and get off benefits? Nope. This was several years ago and the rules have thankfully been changed; you are allowed to do unpaid work now and be reimbursed for any expenses you incur.

IF you do get the job and something goes disastrously wrong, whose head will be for the chopping board. It certainly won’t be the powers that be. Nothing is ever their fault.

The irony of it is if it wasn’t for the dick and unemployed. They wouldn’t have a job.

FFS Sick not dick. got dick on the brain
😂😂😂😂

Disgraceful utter disgraceful of them. I know what you mean though,

Exactly @marchez.
Exactly

My experience with UC and work coaches has been very positive