To absolutely despise job centre staff?

[backacge]

I receive universal credit to top me up. I am a masters student in a vocational subject that will 100 percent result in a job, I work ten - twelve hours a week, sometimes more and am a single mum. I am trying my best. Over summer I work as often as I can also and make enough that the job centre aren't on my back as I'm earning enough.

Just received a notification that I must attend a work review on Thursday. Number 1 - I have uni that day. Number 2 - what more do they actually want me to do? I am in uni 3 days out the week then the other 2 I am studying. Saturday I work.

I am beyond frustrated. I always find the staff there to be rude and obnoxious and look down their nose at me, even though im probably more qualified than them.

even though im probably more qualified than them.
This will come back and bite you.

yikes

even though im probably more qualified than them.

If the looking down their nose is the issue,!8 think it’s honours even there - you sound equally engaged in the practice

but listen, away from the backbiting stuff, this isn’t JCP’s fault as such.

can I ask how you voted in the last two elections?

It's not a case of earning enough(unless it's enough to stop receiving Universal Credit altogether) - it's the number of hours you work. Anything less than 16 per week and they will call you to attend these types of meetings.

Good heavens, while you're studying society is helping support you and your child, and you think you're beyond someone questioning your position?

If you went to job centre with that attitude I wouldn’t be surprised if they reacted badly. Having worked in a benefit setting, the staff are following the rules, have you tried contacting them to see if appointment can be changed?

They are just doing their job, meanwhile t

Are you sure they’re aware of your studies? When I was an Undergrad and then did my Masters, I didn’t have to look for work or go to appointments.

stop claiming uc then and fund your master yourself. if you takes the money thems the breaks (rules).
btw job centre staff don’t look down their nose at you. they really don’t think that much about you, they are too busy worrying about their own lives.

YANBU

There is a weird atmosphere and the vibe is punitive rather than helpful.

This is actually borne out by first hand accounts from staff who have reported there being targets for getting people sanctioned (and benefits removed). So there is incentive for them to be goady.

I signed on briefly after Uni and likewise they would want you to use their crappy job portal and do stuff that was irrelevant (or detrimental) to your job hunt, like walking onto business premises and handing over CVS randomly like it was the 90s.

Can’t be a nice environment for them to work in either tbf.

Sorry, sent too soon.

Jobcentre staff are just doing their job & meanwhile taxpayers are subsidising you, so I think you are very fortunate and need to recognise that.

Years ago I sat down with one of them and said look I am only gonna be on your books for six months we can both put ourselves through the trouble of completing all this paperwork or I can just sign on this dotted line you can press the button and we can both move on with our days and concentrate our efforts where they will be more rewarded. And she did.
I would imagine that level of autonomy has completely disappeared and these poor souls now are micromanaged to within an inch of their lives the best way to look at them really is with pure pity

I've been a taxpayer for 25 years.

Sorry but this person may well be a taxpayer and after this brief period will spend the rest of their working life contributing to the system – and the better paid the job the higher the contribution will be. We may all be contributors and beneficiaries at some point.

Then stop claiming UC and you won’t have to lower yourself to dealing with them.

Given your attitude, I’m not surprised you find them difficult. Bloody hell!

Sorry but this person may well be a taxpayer and after this brief period will spend the rest of their working life contributing to the system – and the better paid the job the higher the contribution will be. We may all be contributors and beneficiaries at some point.

Stop claiming if you don’t like it.

Unfortunately it really isn't their fault. They are told how to do their jobs and they HAVE to follow the rules.
The rules are shit and they realise this but they themselves would get the sack if they follow the rules.
They must get abuse every day of the week. I had a friend who did this job and she said at first she cried every night when she got home and the only way she could cope was to harden herself and not get involved.
I couldn't do it.

The world doesn't owe you a favour. What a shitty attitude you have.

So what? It's a tax system, not your personal piggy bank.

I agree with this. I had a similarly terrible experiences with them the few times I have signed I was grateful it was only for short periods of 1-4 months but they were really patronising, gave poor advice and some were even hostile. It’s like they had judged you as a scrounger already and made it more difficult than it had.

OP YANBU!

So stopping full time work for Uni was a choice? (Not having a go just curious). When you sign up for benefits in the UK you sign documents agreeing to these meetings. It's waste of time for some people but if they didn't make it part of the agreement so many more people would take the piss.

As for the JC staff I cannot even begin to fathom the amount of abuse they have to put up with from some people. On top of the judgement that comes with working there. Not unlike traffic wardens I suppose.

Despise? For doing their job?

I remember reading recently an account from a JC employee talking about how they started the job really wanting to help people but quickly found the role and environment soul destroying.