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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To absolutely despise job centre staff?

286 replies

backacge · 03/10/2022 15:23

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.

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 03/10/2022 17:25

backacge · 03/10/2022 15:34

I've been a taxpayer for 25 years.

Show quote history

Are you one now?

FuzzyPuffling · 03/10/2022 17:25

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

This is probably the most disgusting post on this thread.
Scroungers who claim PIP or DLA?
Words fail me at the unpleasant, incorrect and hateful assumption here.

Rocketclub · 03/10/2022 17:26

I can see where you are coming from but they are following a procedure - you are being supported by the tax payer - aka me and I’d rather they did do these reviews. As for all the studying - really an hour in the job centre interview is going to seriously effect your day?

onmywayamarillo · 03/10/2022 17:27

Aim one of those still on working tax credits.. dreading the day I have to talk to one of those advisors! But if I'm eligible for a top up I know I'll have to justify myself and it's probably worth doing whilst self employed and with young ish kids at home

Andypandy799 · 03/10/2022 17:27

Hoppinggreen · 03/10/2022 17:25

Are you one now?

Show quote history

What does it matter are you saying I shouldn’t get help either then? I can study FT at uni and not have to look for work and I get universal credit because I am not fit for work, so what do you make of that? @Hoppinggreen

ColeensBoot · 03/10/2022 17:27

AuntSalli it's really not like that anymore. The staff have no leeway and horrendous targets to meet.

It is completely different nowadays.

Meadowbreeze · 03/10/2022 17:27

@Andypandy799 lol you think it was the job centre who decide the daily rate for UC pay? If anything, this experience should've shown you how little you get on benefits. You sound like a gem.

HardLanding · 03/10/2022 17:28

FuzzyPuffling · 03/10/2022 17:25

This is probably the most disgusting post on this thread.
Scroungers who claim PIP or DLA?
Words fail me at the unpleasant, incorrect and hateful assumption here.

Show quote history

Agreed.

This’ll blow his mind - I get PIP for me and DLA for my child and guess what? I fucking work full time.

But even I didn’t, so fucking what? All these fully healthy people with fully healthy children need to check their fucking privilege.

Andypandy799 · 03/10/2022 17:28

I am not saying everyone who gets pip or dla is a scrounger’s I get pip @FuzzyPuffling

OldFan · 03/10/2022 17:28

I found that most I've had anything to do with have been ok. Some are Socialist Workers. Grin

@backacge A machine probably sent out that letter, not a human. It's just 'If someone is earning X and doing Y hours then Z' and it generates a letter/appointment.

You could ask the staff what you need to do.

Original poster
backacge · 03/10/2022 17:29

Meadowbreeze · 03/10/2022 17:14

Hey OP, sorry you're having a hard time. You didn't come across great but I can see you're just frustrated. As someone who worked there in the last year I just wanted to clear up some misconceptions.

  1. It's not about the hours but pay. The 'hours' is based on NMW so if you manage to earn £1227, as it was when I was there, in 5 hrs, were not going to ask you to work more hours as the system will out you in the working enough category.
  2. There is no quota on sanctions, those are actually very hard to give and a massive pain paperwork wise. But it is a target based business model. They get the most funding out of any civil service and they are expected to show results. Most often this is targets on appointments. We would regularly be asked to drag claimants in that weren't in the group requiring appointments, just to fill diaries. Same when there is a visit and they need the job centre to look nice and full. It's the same as any business- whatever it takes to justify cost.
  3. Students were a massive pain because the system doesn't really recognise you. We had to do a manual adjustment every 3 months on students and if we forgot, the system would throw you into a group requiring appointments and would automatically give you an appointment. I used to get random pissed off students I'd never seen before turn up for appointments. It was annoying for us both. You rarely have enough time to check who's in your diary for that day and get through their whole history. Even if you do manage, you don't want to cancel the appointment on the day as they've likely moved stuff around to come. It just ends up an awkward waste of time as you can't really help and they can't change their situation.
  4. If you ever get an appointment you can't attend, send a journal message explaining. It's very hard/impossible to sanction someone who has done this, unless they've done this on 3 appointments running and the work coach has booked and noted the appointment according to sanction guidelines, every time. Make sure you include an alternative date and time. All job centres have Saturday appointments available.
  5. There are a lot of people there with much more qualifications than you. It is a soul destroying job. It is so so hard to make a meaningful difference. The rules you're working around are difficult and you're often working within policies you don't agree with. I actually believe you when you say they aren't nice. I had the mispleasure of working with people who treated claimants horribly. The ego trips are real. However, for every horrible work coach I saw 10 horrible claimants. That wears you down, even if you start the job determined to help. Me and my friends used to laugh that after a year you become allergic to empathy as the job just wears down any of that.

Don't allow people to guilt trip you for claiming, you are a tax payer and this is your right. Try to not get annoyed and send a journal message for any cancellations or queries. The phone line people are useless. I've left now so some things might be different, but I hope this is helpful.

Very useful, thank you 😊

OP posts:
TealTeacup · 03/10/2022 17:29

This thread should be taken down. A lot of the posts on here are in very poor taste.

ArcaneWireless · 03/10/2022 17:29

Despise the system - not the staff.

For what it is worth, I think it is great that this country allows people to study and progress. No one should expect you to be tugging their forelock in gratitude but you should be counting your lucky stars that this is possible instead of sneering at others who are just doing their job.

I thought the ‘people like you’ was down to this attitude and not what you are aiming for.

We are not all in the fortunate position to ‘better’ ourselves.

Good luck with your studies but think on about the folk who probably get more hassle than you realise. And sadly bad attitudes is probably the best of it.

Andypandy799 · 03/10/2022 17:30

@HardLanding sorry I think I missed something out. I get pip so not everyone is a scrounger’s no

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps · 03/10/2022 17:30

FuzzyPuffling · 03/10/2022 17:25

This is probably the most disgusting post on this thread.
Scroungers who claim PIP or DLA?
Words fail me at the unpleasant, incorrect and hateful assumption here.

Show quote history

Agree @FuzzyPuffling

That is a SHAMEFUL comment @Andypandy799 Reported.

HardLanding · 03/10/2022 17:30

Cam22 · 03/10/2022 15:45

You’re being supported by the state. In addition, you have absolutely no idea about their academic qualifications.If you’re so brilliant who did you not go to university when you left school? Did you leave it until
later so that you could get via an “access” route?

They’re doing their job. You’re claiming. Suck it up.

Access route here, because I had shitty parents and lived in a deprived area where Science A Levels weren’t offered. I spent my 30s at college and Uni - UG and PG - as a single parent to 3, first class honours in STEM from an RG Uni and a Distinction in my Masters.

Piss off with that comment.

FurryDandelionSeekingMissile · 03/10/2022 17:30

Meadowbreeze · 03/10/2022 17:21

@FurryDandelionSeekingMissile There's no other courses we could send people on. The government assumes everyone who is on UC is an uneducated clamant. They also refuse to conduct any courses in house. Everything is outsourced. This means that if we send Jonny for a CV workshop, we have no idea what he's learning, who is teaching him and whether it's relevant. But the government requires us to put him on a course, won't give money for a course that'll help of course.
Some JC are better than others and have taken it upon themselves to set up Job clubs and other things.
This is a govt problem not a JC one. When labour was in power there was tons of things available.

Yep I always assumed the JC staff often don't have much choice about that part of things, and that the selection of courses made available was based on what would make the most difference to the greatest number of claimants — it's not that I'm blaming the staff for the specific level of the courses, more that I think it's understandable that, say, a computer-literate, degree-educated person who's already been unlucky enough to be allocated to a staff member who's unpleasant and condescending may just feel really patronised by a very basic course aimed at people with a much lower level of formal education, and feel like the JC assumes they're stupid and unqualified, and might then understandably come back with something like what the OP said.

Andypandy799 · 03/10/2022 17:31

@WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps i was misunderstood see above

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps · 03/10/2022 17:31

Andypandy799 · 03/10/2022 17:30

@HardLanding sorry I think I missed something out. I get pip so not everyone is a scrounger’s no

Poor attempt at backpedalling there.

OldFan · 03/10/2022 17:31

I told her I had paid more tax in 10 years than she would earn in a lifetime in wages and they were going to give me £10 a day! WOW

@Andypandy799 That's how much universal credit is, well £77 a week or whatever (at least until someone claims the LCWRA if they're eligible, which more than doubles what they get.)

Did you expect a special rate just for you? Confused

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps · 03/10/2022 17:32

This reply has been deleted

Post references deleted post.

Andypandy799 · 03/10/2022 17:32

Sorry what I meant to say is many people choose not to work when they are fit and able sorry for not expressing this more clearly

Therefore the people who need help can’t get what they need.

Candymay · 03/10/2022 17:32

I cannot understand how you can claim benefits whilst you study. Isn’t that a luxury? If I decided to do a masters and give up supporting my family by working could I ask taxpayers to pay our rent and feed us? Genuinely surprised you have this opportunity op. And I think you’re fortunate so be grateful.

Andypandy799 · 03/10/2022 17:33

And I have paid millions in tax and get £10 a day UC and £10 a day pip

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps · 03/10/2022 17:33

TealTeacup · 03/10/2022 17:29

This thread should be taken down. A lot of the posts on here are in very poor taste.

I agree. I have reported it but MN haven't responded yet.