Job centre advisor told me...

[greedygecko]

...DO NOT WORK!!!

OK, I already knew I'd be better off on benefits, than I would be working, but for the advisor to tell me not to work really shocked me!

I have to say I'm not going to follow his 'advice', I'd go out of my mind not working, although not sure how easy it will be to find another job. Haven't written a cv since I was 16!

I'm not sure why they would advise you that. I realise it depends on your circumstances, but the sooner you get on the first rung of the job ladder the better really. Unless you are going to be much worse off the benefits can balance that out.

It is a tricky balance. I dropped an average of 2 hours a week recently, and added half an hour to the other four days. It now gives me a day at home, by the time i take into account my petrol and parking costs, less tax to pay and the increase in WTC which is not taxed, i'm actually not much worse off. It is a crazy system and there are no straight forward ways to work out what you're going to be taking home.

Also the job centre will help you with filling in applications form and preparing a CV if you need it.

Look at what's out there in terms of jobs. Think about what you'd earn but also what you'd loose in council tax and housing benefit, what you'd gain in CSA payments from your ex that you could keep all of, what help you'll get with childcare costs, and how insane you'd go staying home all day. Did the job centre give you some details of how they arrived at that conclusion? Do you have several children? It's hard to comment without knowing the details

Best of luck
Gilly

I asked advisor about getting help with writing cv/covering letter. Was told, not really any point in writing cv as no employer actually wants them/uses them anymore .

I have 2 boys (6&2). Until now I have always done waitressing/bar work as it fitted in easily with xps hours.

I have HND in travel & tourism, explained that I'd also like to get a language under my belt to help me get a job in this field. Asked about re-training/courses that they could help me out with. Was just told to go to one of the local colleges & put my name down.

Now that I'm out of catering (not through choice) I'm definately going to try to find somehting to fit in better with boys, ds2 can go to nursery, ds1 obv. at school. I would definately like to get into travel industry, and thought something simple to get me started like travel agency. Said this to him, said I'd like advice as to how to approach/apply for job in travel agents, and he just really wasn't interested, just told me categorically not to work for at least 6mths, when my review would be up.

TBH, I'm not going to take his advice, I'd go out of my mind staying at home.

He gave me no encouragement to go out and work whatsoever. Kept on about how badly single parents are discriminted against, told me I'd find it virtually impossible to find a job anyway because of my circumstances.

Actually having written this down now, and having had a chance to 'talk' about the meeting, I've realised how bloody unhelpful he was and maybe I should complain/comment on the meeting?

You should definitely complain and ask to see another advisor. This is so opposite to the help I got. Granted I already had a job offer, but the lady i saw talked me through my options, worked out if i'd be better off and by how much, helped me fill in the forms, reminded me to contact the council re council tax, pointed me at a special grant to help me buy work clothes, shoes and get my hair cut and other things so i could take the job, asked me about child care options (which i didn't need then as i didn't have to work school hols). She was a single mum herself and had gone back to work after a long absense too she told me. And then they even gave me petrol money to cover my journey to the job centre and back! And that was just for a job in a local play group.

I did that job for about a year and then decided to go back to what i had done before having a child, as my son was now settled in school. I wrote to quite a few companies and got no responses. Then I found a job on the internet via a local newspaper website, phoned, was asked to come for an interview the next day, took my CV along even though I wasn't asked to, gave it to the interviewer who looked through it, asked me some questions, he asked why i was looking for this job etc and i told him my situation (single parent, one child, why i was looking for a job and what i wanted from it). I was honest about my situation. I was the first person he saw, he basically said he thought i was right for the job based on my CV and having spoken to me, but he had another more specialised job he thought would suit me better which they would train me up for and would give me better long term prospects. He did say he had to see the rest of the people on his list before he could make me a firm offer, and he rang me back later that day. I've been working there over 2 years now. Part time, flexible hours to suit me, as long as i get my work done they don't mind when i come in.

There are plenty of jobs out there. I was very lucky to find this I know but there are more out there like this i'm sure. My boss was very understanding, partly due to the fact that he brought up his two daughters on his own while working, and because i was honest with him and told him my situation up front it worked in my favour. Lots of other people in my office work part time flexible hours, some with children, some without.

The right job for you is out there somewhere. You just have to find it. Take a chance and don't listen to that advisor. Maybe you could have his job, you'd be better at it i should think!

Try cold calling your local travel agents, go in and introduce yourself to the manager. It's reckoned that 1 in 10 cold calls for a job will find you a place which has a job opening. Take your CV and leave it with them in case they get an opening even if they don't have one now. My sister got a job in a clothes shop by cold calling when she was a student.
If they have an application form fill it in and attach your CV to it as well.

Definitely don't listen to that advisor. Phone and speak to someone else and say this is what you were told and you're not happy with it, and is there someone there who can actually help you.

I am a qualified and experianced social worker.

i had to give up work when i left my ex as my son is SN and i didn't have the support network arund me to allow me to work.

Ds is now a little more settled at school and i am desperate to return.

i went to the jobcentre to find out how it all worked. she did some calculations and i would be CONSIDERABLY WORSE OFF if i went back to owrk.

it is ridiculous.

I think the biggest issue is when you get housing benefit. I didn't get this as i don't have rent or a mortgage to pay, so it means i don't have to earn enough to cover that which i would loose out on by working if i had been getting it while on benefits.

My neighbour had to cover her rent etc when she went back to work, she said the WTC just about covered the rent, the wages were about the same as the benefits so she was about the same overall. She thought it crazy that she had to work 40 hours a week to be no better off. However her ex has the children, so she didn't get CTC on top, Child Benefit or maintenance money which she could of kept if not on benefits. She was on job seekers allowance rather than income support too, so she had to look for work.

I earn above minimum wage, but my WTC gets reduced because I earn more. So i'm sort of in a plateau now that'd i'd have to up my hours to over 30 to be any better off. I also have to pay the full amount of council tax which is a big killer in my budget, but the amount you pay is based on your income so you might still get some reduction, and also some housing benefit. I still get free prescriptions and eyetests and money towards glasses with my NHS card, so you don't loose all the benefits just because you work, it all really depends on how many hours you do and at what level you get paid.

It is very complicated and I know it can be a nightmare in a lot of ways. I had to decline a small payrise because i would of been worse off finanically accepting it as i would have to pay tax on it and my WTC would have gone down. In the mean time all my bills are going up! I personally am still better off working 18 hours a week than I was on benefits though. If i didn't have such high travel and parking costs i'd be doing ok really!

Maybe get a second opinion on the figures from the CAB. It is hard to be able to advise without the details of your circumstances and not knowing what benefits you get now, and i don't expect you to post them all here. But if you really want to work, even if you're not going to be better off financially, at least find out what level you need to be working at in terms of hours and money to not be worse off.

Having done a bit of research I really don't understand how he thinks not working would be better for me. Working the same hours as I have been at NMW, I'll take home approx £100p/w, get £137 p/w TCs + CB & maintenance. Not working I will only get £20 IS (as they knock £40 of the maintenance off), plus £44 CTC & CB. I don't get HB as I have a mortgage. Maybe if I rented it would work out better, but ultimately if I want to work why should he be telling me not to and refusing me the help that I have asked for.

I have written a letter of complaint, it's ready to be sent in the morning, and think I'll look for cv examples online (must be some somewhere).

I don't understand. Whenever I have worked stuff out on entitled to for example, I have always worked out that I would be better off, even if only by £30 or something.

The only time it has ever worked out that i'd be worse off, is if I worked less than 16 hours a week.

Well, entitledto has gone a bit ballsup as it says i would get £330.11 IS per week. Now if that were true, I'd be happy not to work

it often works out you're better off not working if you are getting HB for full-market rent and/or your skill-level/qualifications put you at min wage income.

sad, but often true.

Urgh

What a crap situation.

Mind you, no one seems to want to employ me anyway LOL.

That's teh other problem. All too often, even when a lone parent can be quite qualified, if they don't have good back up childcare their employment opportunities are many times reduced to very low-paying jobs.

At least, too, on benefits, you never have to worry about the tax credit office cocking up your WTC and then hitting you with a bill for thousands of pounds and cutting you off without a bean to live on what is below the poverty level after you pay taxes and NI on your crap wage.

I know a lot of people who say otherwise, but most never had to live like many of us on this board, because for the most part, work doesn't pay.

When I saw the LPA at my local Job Centre he said that it was his duty to talk me through the benefits of returning to work, and to make the calculations for me. However, he also said that as a mother with a four year old and an eight week old he could understand if I felt that the time wasn't quite right for thinking of a return to work. I liked the fact that he was down to earth about it all and not at all judgemental. When I said I was waiting on a uni course starting he was pleasantly surprised.

Agnes

i went last week and i was told id be better of by £48 a week if i worked 20 hours at minimum wage. The only work related qualification i have is a personal license. The job they wanted me to apply for would be all weekend and some weeknights that could finish at 12-1am. Which obviously makes it very difficult finding someone to have ds as they would really have to have him overnight as i wouldnt disturb him at that time as its unfair. I dont think that they really consider your whole situation.

I spoke to someone in the job centre about what benefits I would be entitled to as Im a uni student on my own with a child and another on the way. I was basicly told I was only entitled to housing benefit and would be better off if i gave up on getting my degree and lived off of benefits. I went absiloutly mad at the guy as yes this would probibally beinefit me in the short term i would lose out on my degree, and so in the long term where would i be. I think the citisens advice maybe able to help you and if you need help with a CV there are lots of internet site if you google it that will give you a template that you can follow. If you want a career then go for it. dont let those muppits at the job centre put u off. (sorry about the crap spelling)

Charlotte you would be entitled to IS aswell, definately dont give up your degree, I dont knwo why these advisors say these things as surely there are on a target to get as many lone parents back to work as they can.

Dont forget aswell that in most areas there is a £40 per week in credit bonus that is paid for 1 year and isnt means tested and its available if you work more than 16 hours.

I agree the system is strange.

I have aslo been told that I wouldn't be better off working. I do work though, only to stop me from going insane and one day I will have more options for work as the kids grow older.

Im not any better off as I have to pay rent, travel and childcare costs. I am pennies better off working than being on benefits.

I also don't get any mainteance

A muppet here.

If you have been unemployed and claiming IS for over a year and you get a job over 16 hrs AFTER 7th April 2008, as well as WTC, all lone parents will be entitled to an additional tax free payment of £40 per week for a year.

Sometimes lone parents are not better off in work, especially if they have a private let rental with a high rent, or high traveling expenses, or a lot of debt, or need a lot of medication,etc. All New Deal advisors are trying to do is advise you on what could happen if you take a job as we don't want you to be WORSE off. Please don't "go mad" at the messenger, we don't make the rules.

This guy wasn't just offering a suggestion though, he started off (10 minutes late), by saying he didn't have much time so I'd have to make it quick.

He actually refused me the help I asked for. I told him I hadn't done a cv since school, so wanted help with it. He told me that employers don't want cv's, so there's no point in making one up.

I told him there was no way I was not going to try to find work, as I'd go stir crazy being a full time 'sahm'. He just kept telling me not to.

I have been looking for work, but everybody (as I expected) wants a cv, so I'm going back down there tomorrow to speak to someone who's willing to help.

And he was actually very wrong saying I'd be better off not working, got my IS letter through today. I'm entitled to £19.15 per week. My TCs are only £44, so I can barely buy food, certainly can't pay the mortgage. He knew I had a mortgage too, so I don't understand why he 'advised' me not to work.