What will happen if I cannot supply this reference ??

[IllegallyBrunette]

I applied for a job within the NHS in August. I had an interview in the middle of September and was ofered the job the next day.

I have been mainly a sahm for the last 10 years and so really struggled for references. In the end I put down a friend as a character reference and then my most recent employer which was Nov 05-Feb 06.

Recruitment have now got everything back except for my reference from most recent employer. They chased it up and spoke to the person i'd named who said she wasn't happy to write the ref as she couldn't remember me .

I actually spoke to her myself and she still couldn't remember me although did say that this probably indicated that I was a good worker as it was only the troublemakers that she usually remembered.
Tbh I didn't see what difference it made wether she remembered me as surely me emplyment details were still on file with them somewhere, and would show that I wasn't ever disciplined or anything and the fact that they asked me to stay on after my temp period.
Anyway, this referee then decides to pass the ref request on to a guy who I actually worked my shifts with at the time I worked there, and who has now been promoted.

He agreed to write the ref and said he was posting it last Monday.

Recruitment still don't have it and will not let me start my job or even do the classroom based induction until they get it.

What happens if I end up not getting an eployment based reference at all ?? I have already offered another character ref which was refused.

Bump

The company you worked before in 05/06 should have your details on file - I'd contact their HR department. Or, if you did it through an agency, contact them.

They just need proof you worked there - not some reference about you being fabulous. So HR or the agency team should have it.

Thanks

Recruitment are chasing up my ref today so if they have no luck then I will suggest that they contact the HR dept, and will probably contact them myself too.

I am getting so fed up with it all now.

Oh also, if this goes on for much longer and we get into December and I still haven't started, would I be able to tell them that I can no longer start until after xmas ??

I am currently on benefits and trying to sort them out is hard enough without trying to do it ove xmas, and I am worried that I could be left without money if I start in December.

I'd contact the benefits agency to find out if you can carry on with you benefits when you start your job - isn't there an overlapping period allowed of say two weeks? You presumably won't get paid for up to a month after you begin work and you'd need funds for that time.

My housing benefit and council tax benefit will carry on for 4 weeks after I start but I have to get an appointment at the neighbour hood office to discuss this and apply, and getting an appointment with them is like pulling teeth. I can't book it now because I don't know when I start.

My income support will stop and I will have to make a new claim for WTC/CTC. Last time I made a new claim with them they left me without money for 6 weeks.

I also have to apply for several back to work things through the job centre and if this isn't done within a certain time period then I won't get them. I cannot afford to not get them.

Do you know where the regional office of Wilko's is ? Your details will be on file with hr there, or on a central computer system to which they would have access and I'm sure they could confirm your employment dates. Presumably you also have a p45 form there. I would avoid messing about with start dates unless absolutely necessary.

Have spoken to recruitment again. They said they spoke to my referee again today and he said he'd forgotten to post it

He said he will do it tommorow.

I won't hold my breath.

I don't want to mess around with start dates, but if it gets to the middle of Dec and I haven't started then I will be telling them that I can't start until after xmas, as there is no way I am risking having no money over xmas.

It isn't just employment dates that they want though, they want specific questions answering.

I wouldn't be doing it just to be arsey though. I literally cannot risk having no money over xmas.

I won't get paid for ages, and also more than likely won't have any tax credits coming in for a few weeks so what will I live on ??

I know that could happen whatever time I start but if it happens over xmas it will be so much harder to sort out.

It isn't their fault my reference didn't get there no but it their fault that it took 2 weeks for them to send of for my crb and occy health check and they have also been really unreaosnable wrt when I can do my induction.

If it comes to it, ask if they can give you an advance to tied you over. As long as they get this reference this week when would you start ? I don't think a former employer is obliged to answer specific questions.

I am not about to fuck anything up, but at the same time I am not about to fuck up my kids xmas when I have been ready to start this job since bloody Sept.

But nevermind it is fine, so long as I jump when they say jump who gives a stuff about anything else.

Why not just not tell the benefits people you have started work until after you start work and get paid? If it overlaps then you can pay the benefits people back....

....or would that not work?

cant they let you start if they have a CRB and one reference- and just wait for ref number two?

Its all a bit shit.

How long is a piece of string ?

I have had 4 dates for induction so far and I was booked in for 24th Nov but this will now be full as they gave me that date 2 weeks ago, so I shouldn't think induction will be until Dec now.

I asked if I could start on the actual wards before then and they weren't sure.

The ref form does ask specific questions, as my mate had to ring them as she couldn't answer them all as she was only supplying a character ref.

Yeah Mutt you are.

I have been in shit with benefits people before, and I am not prepared to fuck them up and end up in debt just because I had to rush to sort stuff out and something wasn't done properly.

They won't let me do anything, classroom based induction or work on the ward until everything is back.

I offered a 2nd character ref to them about 2 weeks ago. I could of got it to them within 48 hrs but they said no.

I didn't say that I disagreed with their policy on not letting me start before everything was back.

All I am saying is that if it gets to the middle of December and I still haven't started then I think it would be more sensible if I didn't start until after xmas. What is another 2 weeks to them when they have taken so long to sort it out anyway ?

I am not surprised that some single parents are put off going back to work. It is a fucking nightmare trying to sort everything out, and people who are supposed to know what they are doing don't.

I have xplained several times now that I will need a week between them giving me a start date and the actual start date, as I have to have appointments at the job centre and the housing office before i start, but several times now they have suggested that once my ref is back I can start right away.

Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble illegally, I know how much you've wanted this.

Apart from nag and nag about your reference im not sure what you can do. This annoys me so much as i've worked with people who will laugh and toss it to the bottom of the pile, where it will stay for weeks and weeks, yet it's something really important to us.

It is a nightmare getting back to work. But you should get your rent run on, council tax run on and a back to work grant. If it's still the same you wont be able to apply for your tax credits until the day you start work. The first time I had to do this they didn't pay me anything for three months which is a very long time when you live week to week and have no savings. The second time I was lucky, it was a couple of weeks.

If the worst does happen, is there anyone who could lend you a bit of money over Christmas if you explain to them that your tax credits will be backdated and you will be able to pay back the total sum in one go?

I had to use credit cards to pay my childcare for the first couple of months because IR didn't pull their finger out so I had interest on top of that...it sucked and I worked for minus figures...but there was no other option at the time

Thanks shybaby, I am just getting so stressed out about it all now.

It doesn't help that I spoke to another single parent today who has just found out that she has been overpayed housing benefit and now has to pay alot of money back.

My lone parent advisor said they can sometimes help with rushing new tax credit claims through so I need to ask him about that again.

I just don't want to end up in a mess. I was in so much debt when I split with xp and it took so long to get back to normal money wise and now everything is sorted I don't want it going wrong again.

Thankfully I won't be using childcare, so paying for that isn't a worry. However my mum is my childcare and so she does need to know whats going on as she needs to fit my shifts around hers.

Well tomorrow is another day. See how you go and post again if you need to vent. I'll check on this thread. Try not to worry, I know that's easier said than done. If I can help you in any way I will, got royally screwed over myself!

Just try to think it will be worth it

When I stopped claiming benefits and got a job, my 4 week run on of housing benefit/council tax benefit and job grant (£250) were all paid automatically. Do you have to book an appointment with the jobcentre/housing office?
Also, my tax credits were sorted within 4 days, as I got the tax reference information on my first day at work and rang the HMRC that evening.
I also had trouble with getting references. One previous employer was ok, but another one wasn't happy when I left, so refused to give me a reference. Luckily, I was able to provide a reference from another person.
The worst thing was applying to get partial HB/CTB after I had started work - it took ages because the HR dept kept forgetting to complete their part of my form, the council wanted 2 wageslips (I'm paid monthly) and I struggled for a while. Now everythings sorted and I don't want to return to benefit.
I wish you good luck and hope everything works out.