Jobseekers
 

I've admitted defeat and filled out a form for JSA this morning - I applied for it back before I had my last job and it was one of the lower points in my life (though the woman I dealt with was absolutely lovely, nothing to do with that) just because of the number of hoops you jump through to get not even £60 a week that in my opinion almost distracts from job hunting because you have to prove that you're actually looking for work instead of just getting it... anyway, they seem to have changed the application since I last applied, they now want me to provide wage slips of all the people I live with when I've only just moved in and do not know the Italian guy we live with... how ridiculous is that and what on earth does that have to do with my application? It's a joke...

Anyway, my problem is that I want a permanent job, and failing that, a temp job that isn't in bloody sales and marketing which is 90% of all jobs out there on websites... so I've had an interview with a company I want to work for and have another one with them tomorrow for a different job within the company, I've also had an interview with a sales company and decided it wasn't for me even though I was invited to a second interview... so it's not that I can't get work, it's just I want to find a good job before I submit to taking any old thing and get sucked into working 35-45 hours a week and don't have the time or energy to find a good job like before... but of course if you apply for JSA, you're no longer able to pick and choose what you do, which is why I've put it off for so long but I'm at a point now where my savings are going to run out before I can pay all the bills I owe so I need money to start coming in ASAP... just feeling a bit down about everything, wondering if anyone else on here's been through the JSA thing and had any tips for keeping their head up? I did it once before but I got my job almost as soon as I got my first payment through so I didn't really have to do any of the stuff they wanted me to do like keeping a diary etc...

They surely can't expect you to get your flat mates payslips, if I was sharing a flat with someone and they asked me for a pay slip I would tell them to piss off. That can't be right can it? What they earn should have nothing to do with your application

...so you could be offered a job before you have to apply then, Z../you have another interview with the same company tomorrow...?...

Right?! I think that's ridiculous but it's definitely what it says on the form... I should get a text in the next day or two telling me when my interview in person is - need to bring my passport, P45 (never had one because my last job was through an agency and the contract ended... so I'll bring all my wage slips instead...) and details of everyone I live with's earnings even though it has nothing to do with my own financial situation and a couple of other things I think... so ridiculous

Yeah I've applied today because it takes a couple of weeks before they start paying you anything and so on, the thing is the interview I already had they emailed me on Friday to apologise for not updating me and that they'd update me within two weeks, and I have no idea what that means... and the phone interview tomorrow is for another position with them so won't get an update on that for a few days either... every day feels like a week when you're unemployed :(

Not only that, if your flat mate is of the opposite sex they assume that you are actually partners ;)

They class a partner as someone who eats meals at the same time you do, and other rubbish like that. If you ever do shopping with your flatmate (I used to when I shared a house sometimes) this also means you are partners.

Good luck Greg. You will need it unfortunately. Do NOT give them access to your UJM account. You do not have to even though they say you do, and they use it to look for reasons to sanction you :(

I understand you want a job that interests you, but don't understand why you don't want any old job while you wait, it all counts as experience and won't you have to take any old job on job seekers anyway :shrug: I would rather take a job of my choosing even if it us not exactly what I want instead of having to dance to the job seekers tune..maybe that's not how it works though as I never signed on

Not got a clue about jobseekers, it sounds like a nightmare.
Good luck with the interview Z, hoping you get a job that you will be happy in.

I found that in my last job (an agency contract job) I would go to work every day and not really be arsed with job hunting at night because I had other things I wanted to do (gym, see friends, relax, whatever) and so sleepwalked through 14 months to where I am now, unemployed again. I know it's not really logical but I just know how I am, I settle into things and I'm always content with what I have, so if I get any old job I'll end up sticking with it even if it's not really doing anything for my future prospects (e.g. saving money, progressing in a career, starting a pension or going on holidays or making financial commitments like getting a car or a mortgage) and it's difficult to find permanent employment vs finding temporary employment where they want you in ASAP but can also get rid of you ASAP... so my problem is I've yet to find a job of my choosing that I've been offered, still waiting to hear back about the one I interviewed for two weeks ago and have another interview tomorrow... but these are for permanent positions in a large organisation and they take time to get back to you/don't at all, and I can't wait around for a maybe and need to keep looking...

Whereas with JSA you get a little bit of money every week even if you have to jump through hoops for it, £60 is better than £0 after all, I still have bills to pay and I'm burning through my savings... Life sucks :(

My parents wouldn't help if I asked so haven't bothered lol

I see where you are coming from you get stuck in a rut, fingers crossed you get one of the jobs you have applied for :fc:

I hope you do get something soon as being on JSA is awful, it's social suicide, as soon as you tell someone you're a job seeker they just seem to recoil!
The staff are nice if they know you're genuine and will help as much as they are able.
I think they're more aware than ever that jobs are unstable now and many are only one month from the breadline :/
I was having no luck so they suggested a TAQA course ( NVQ assessor) with all under 24s now shoved into cheap labour...er, I mean apprenticeships they're crying out for them apparently.
Good luck for tomorrow, really hope you don't have to sign on, it's soul destroying.

Are you sure that you put on the form that you're not related to flat mates? It's strange that they would ask for their payslips.

I understand about not wanting any old job. Way back when I hated the jobs they offered. But I used to just put that I applied for them and applied for the ones that I actually wanted. I think after a certain time if you still haven't found a job then they put you on a 9-5 course for a week where they help with cv, job hunt, interview techniques etc but I think that's 3-6 months down the line. Thankfully I never got to that stage. As long as you put something in the book they give you for now, they won't cut your money. Hang in there, don't be too hard on yourself. You want to work and are trying to find work. You'll find what you're looking for.


Also as Kizzy said, it can be soul destroying especially if the people at the job centre are disrespectful and work hard to make your brief visit miserable, BUT, while you have all that free time you can also make plans about what you want to do with your life because once you find work all you think about is work work work. As you said yourself you hardly have time for much when you work.

How Not Nice
for Z

Tbh, the diary keeping was quite simple for me. They gave me a log in, so when I was filling out forms, sending CVs and browsing the web for work, the account itself would update so they could see what I'd been doing to find work each time I went in.

Granted I only had to do this for 3 and a half months but still.

Edit - But then I was eligible for Universal Credit and still receive some payments because I'm on a low income so it might work differently for that.

Just shows what I know I was under the impression you were forced into low paid work as soon as you signed on :laugh:

You pretty much are. They try to force you onto commission only jobs too.

Greg won't last long, especially if he says hes not applying for stuff he doesn't want to do. You have to apply for anything you could physically do. In my partners case this included jobs that said you had to have your own car (he doesn't) and jobs that were an hour and 30 mins by bus away. At one point his adviser told him he had to apply for jobs that specifically said they required experience in the field (which he didn't have). It was a nightmare. He may have just got a bastard of an adviser mind. Luckily he was only on it for 2 months but they attempted to sanction him twice during that time, despite him doing everything possible to try and find work.

There's odd I spoke to someone last week who was sanctioned for not applying for a job which required a full driving licence and he doesn't drive :/

No, not quite at the stage where they get you in to tie and untie knots in rope... Not far off mind :laugh:

D: I've been offered the job I wanted!!! So obviously I'm over the moon but do you think I should still go tomorrow, will they still give me money do you think? I don't have a start date yet and obviously I'll have to work a few weeks before I get paid so do you think I'm still eligible or do you think they'll tell me no if I mention I've been offered the job? Haven't been sent a contract or anything yet so it's not like it's official...



p.s. yay me :D

Congrats :D:

Oh so happy for you Greg, congratulations :love:

Have you already got all your bits and pieces together for that appointment tomorrow? if you have I would go and tell them you got a job but you have no money until then

Yeah I've got a folder full of my wage slips and I've got my CV and forms of ID (NOT taking wage slips for my boyfriend or flatmate, what a joke) and I'll just go along and say that I think, 'cause it is true tbh, I don't know when I'm starting so I don't know when I'll first be paid and once I've paid rent on both the flats I'm responsible for I'll have less than a grand in my account which goes pretty quickly once you pay bills and I've paid off my credit card... it'll be tight but I should manage it fine enough, would be nice if I got a little support until then though!

Absolutely, that's what social welfare should be for, people who really put an effort in to getting back on their feet and into employment should be helped along and encouraged cos they're the ones who'll end up supporting that system

Yeah I was told I had to apply for jobs within 90 minutes travelling distance or less. :omgno:

Congrats. It might be worth still going to get a bit of income in the meantime until you start. Mind be prepared to apply for crappy jobs (or say you have) until you start your new job :p

You would think...sadly its not the case

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...-a6778486.html

Greg will still have to seek work, less paid, crappier work, or will get nothing. Its stupid really