This is it. If you don't know. You really don't know.
I need advice, Job Centre has just stuffed me...
- Thread starter Vidar
- Start date
This is it. If you don't know. You really don't know.
Soldato
- Joined
- 23 Dec 2013
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- 3,547
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- North Wales
It's a vicious cycle. I really can't stand the JC but in my current financial situation i really have no choice but to claim JSA.
I have no retail experience either, i was considering volunteering in a charity shop for a couple of months to get some experience. No idea if the JC would allow this though, would they move me to income support?
You should be ok. Discuss it with your advisor on your next appointment but I don't think voluntary work is a problem as long as you're continuing to look. The experience will be a definite boost as will the fact that it was voluntary.
Lots of potential (though more at seasonal times i.e. Christmas temping) to get into retail with no previous experience - a lot of high street retailers will take you on (assuming job openings) if you show an interest in learning the job + basic competency albeit that will mostly be shelf stacking and/or basic customer service.
EDIT: Its actually harder to get into retail with a lot of experience, qualifications, etc. no matter how much you try to dumb down your CV as (A) they usually want people who look like they will stick around awhile (B) They don't want to hire someone smarter than themselves especially who could end up being their replacement/boss (C) Its harder to push someone around when they've potentially got other opportunities.
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Regarding the volunteering:
When I was on jsa ~ 3.5 years ago, I started to do some work with my local PDSA shop. It got me out of the house and away from the cycle of despair that is the jobcentre. Shortly thereafter I was moved to the welfare to work/community action program where they wanted me to do 30 hours a week 'work experience'. Hah, after more than 10 years in design offices as a cad monkey, 'work experience' was not what I needed. I stayed at the PDSA working in the store room and generally helping out.
Honestly if it weren't for the fact that I needed to earn some decent money I'd quite like to have stayed there, the people were fairly relaxed and the job was enjoyable for what it was. Plus I was doing something to help out my local community and a half decent organisation into that too. Win for everyone as far as I was concerned.
Anyways, you should be ok doing some voluntary work whilst still signing on, providing you are meeting your jobsearch requirements and are available to start work, attend interviews etc. You being a volunteer, this ought not to be an issue getting the time off.
Take this from an employers point of view; regardless of your previous workplace roles, they will always look favourably on a potential employee who, though he might be out of work on the dole right now, is doing something else other than sitting at home and signing on once a fortnight - it shows you are motivated etc etc. Bosses tend to like that kind of stuff.
I did it to keep myself sane. The side effect of that was that I managed to get several interviews for cad work, one of which I'm still working at (though hopefully not for too much longer, for a number of reasons finding a better job is something that needs to happen sooner rather than later).
The main thing is to stay motivated, no matter what nonsense the JC push in your way.
Soldato
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- 3 Jun 2005
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- 5,365
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- West Sussex
My partner failed ATOS ESA assessment and scored 0 points. Due to medication which is close to chemo she couldn't work.
About 14 months later she got her medication under control, moved in with me and works from home.
She was recently awarded higher rate PIP (old disability living allowance) after an ATOS assessment.
Work that out, you are virtually bed bound and are deemed fit to work. You get better better find work and they say you are very unfit for day to day tasks.
Crazy world.
About 14 months later she got her medication under control, moved in with me and works from home.
She was recently awarded higher rate PIP (old disability living allowance) after an ATOS assessment.
Work that out, you are virtually bed bound and are deemed fit to work. You get better better find work and they say you are very unfit for day to day tasks.
Crazy world.
+1 to this, i'm currently on JSA as i am really struggling to get any work. My main issue is that i don't drive and i live in the middle of nowhere so have to rely on the bus. Nobody will hire me because of that.
The job centre staff treat you like cattle, in and out. I got threatened with a sanction the other week because i was 5 minutes late due to an accident along my bus route, even though they are NEVER running on time. They really don't care about you. Pretty much all the JCP staff are just pen pushers.
I am usually in the JC for no longer than 2 minutes when i sign on, they are supposed to help you but they really don't! I walk in, they check UJM, "Three job applications, very good", tick the box, sign the sheet and leave. It's a joke. I can't stand it, i really want to get into work but just feel like i'm getting nowhere! I was working part-time but they kept on screwing up my benefits and docking my pay permanently to what i was paid for one week at work, they seem to forget that Zero-hour contracts exist and that means my hours can vary from 0 hour to ~8 hours per week.
I feel fairly sure if I sat down with you for a couple of hours, I could point out what you are doing wrong and set you in the right direction, if you were 100% honest with me about your circumstances and finances. I suspect however the answers I gave you meant you had to do somethings different in your life.
+1 to this, i'm currently on JSA as i am really struggling to get any work. My main issue is that i don't drive and i live in the middle of nowhere so have to rely on the bus. Nobody will hire me because of that.
The job centre staff treat you like cattle, in and out. I got threatened with a sanction the other week because i was 5 minutes late due to an accident along my bus route, even though they are NEVER running on time
I am usually in the JC for no longer than 2 minutes when i sign on, they are supposed to help you but they really don't! I walk in, they check UJM, "Three job applications, very good", tick the box, sign the sheet and leave. It's a joke. I can't stand it, i really want to get into work but just feel like i'm getting nowhere! I was working part-time but they kept on screwing up my benefits and docking my pay permanently to what i was paid for one week at work, they seem to forget that Zero-hour contracts exist and that means my hours can vary from 0 hour to ~8 hours per week.
I'm in the same situation mate, when I signed up I had to sign up the Universal Credit and so far it hasn't been troublesome but my adviser summed up how my tenure with UC will be when I asked for advice or information on starting a career in a particular area I was told "What do you want me to do? All I can do is google it for you".
Fantastic eh? When I enquired about gaining more GCSE's I was told that UC will put you onto a program of employability which has courses on Maths and English working towards their own qualification making you more employable.
Now that's fine, but what isn't fine is when 99% of companies/jobs do not recognize that qualification therefore will not substitute it when it would be better if UC funded GCSE's or at least subsidise them.
I'm in Llanrwst buddy, it's dire here and the local Co-Op you'll be lucky to get a job because it's always a friend that gets it.
Although I am fortunate I don't have to pay my parents any rent (I'm incredibly helpful any point help is needed so I earn my way as it were) that I'm going to use my UC to fund driving lessons in the mean time.
The coast is your best bet, but when you apply for ASDA and come across as a person with brain cells prior to any ****ing formal face to face interview they will deny your application and you'll have to wait 6 months before reapplying for a position.
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OP have you ever thought to get to the root of the problem with your mental health? ever seen doctors/psychiatrists? ever been on medication? going out and getting full time work will definitely help in these areas, it did for me anyway, occupying your mind and not sitting around doing nothing wasting away doesn't help your mind.
Working hard all day and using muscle/exercising makes your brain release endorphin's (feel good chemical) which in returns helps depression.
Sounds you like are in a vicious circle and sucked in the system, but my friend... you are the only one can fix it, people can only do much, you need to reach out and try be positive! I know how depression is believe I've suffered with it.. but the route to getting better it starting to look towards positive things, the future, where do you want to be?
In regards to your question about benefits and ESA if they have told you you are fit for work and really do not feel that way, then ask for an appeal and go see your doctors/CAB and find out some more info...
Don't the job center offer training programs for free? like getting skills in something like construction, civil engineering etc?
Working hard all day and using muscle/exercising makes your brain release endorphin's (feel good chemical) which in returns helps depression.
Sounds you like are in a vicious circle and sucked in the system, but my friend... you are the only one can fix it, people can only do much, you need to reach out and try be positive! I know how depression is believe I've suffered with it.. but the route to getting better it starting to look towards positive things, the future, where do you want to be?
In regards to your question about benefits and ESA if they have told you you are fit for work and really do not feel that way, then ask for an appeal and go see your doctors/CAB and find out some more info...
Don't the job center offer training programs for free? like getting skills in something like construction, civil engineering etc?
It's all about playing along with the system at the end of the day, I made sure to carefully read the points system to ensure that at my assessment I would qualify for ESA, I might not have qualified despite being unfit for work, if I had not appraised myself of their system beforehand.
Soldato
- Joined
- 23 Dec 2013
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- 3,547
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- North Wales
I've made so many application now it's ridiculous, most of the jobs i apply for are in Llandudno. I did apply for Asda but my application got declined within 24 hours. They are the only one i've heard back from! I must have made 40 - 50 job applications by now but feel like i'm honestly getting nowhere.
I am in Trefriw btw.
Getting the right kind of job would definitely help - especially if there is a certain amount of job security and a generally good group of colleagues, getting any old job for the sake of it maybe not so much.
Working hard all day in a dead end job and/or one which doesn't engage you mentally doesn't really help with depression any kind of endorphins release from that will have little impact.
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But surely the fact of having barely any income is far worse than being in a dead end job? there is nothing to stop you from looking elsewhere for the right kind of job whilst being employed (in a not so great, dead end job) the fact of a constant income outweights it imo.
Wasting away all day while living off whatever job seekers is each week with no real daily routine in effect is far more debilitating, having a structure to your life helps so much, just being able to go out and buy something here and there.. little things like that.
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One thing that will make a fair difference when applying to places like Asda, Argos, etc. is the timing - apply Jan/Feb sort of time and they'll still be shedding temps from Christmas and your app will go straight in the bin - you'd be lucky even to get a reply turning you down. Somewhere around Sept when they've had people leave to go to uni, etc. and/or getting ahead of the drive for peak staff around the end of Sept/Oct is when you'd likely have the most luck.
This is the problem for me, I've done what people are suggesting numerous times over the past decade by going out and getting a job, any job to give me structure and routine and some disposable income but whether its happened after 1 month or 18 the result has always been the same; being suicidally depressed, back on medication, back in counselling, back under mental health team at the local hospital with the option of going into the unit if I get to the point where I actually go to start taking steps to putting an end to things.
I never want to feel like that ever again and I'm doing my best to not fall back but everything is very shaky at the moment, it didn't help last night being the last night I can do in my little job. My boss turning up and telling me that if there's anyway I can get my drivers license in the next 6 weeks he could pretty much guarantee I'd get the area managers job for Liverpool as I'm well liked in the company. There's just no way though and I ended up feeling worse.
I never want to feel like that ever again and I'm doing my best to not fall back but everything is very shaky at the moment, it didn't help last night being the last night I can do in my little job. My boss turning up and telling me that if there's anyway I can get my drivers license in the next 6 weeks he could pretty much guarantee I'd get the area managers job for Liverpool as I'm well liked in the company. There's just no way though and I ended up feeling worse.
The system is built for a one size fits all.
SADLY for many like yourself you don't fit in that box. Therefore you get royally pooped on for trying to better yourself or be honest
Prob not much you can do. Try and work as much as you can without setting yourself out.
SADLY for many like yourself you don't fit in that box. Therefore you get royally pooped on for trying to better yourself or be honest
Prob not much you can do. Try and work as much as you can without setting yourself out.
You seem completely resigned to that, is that why the result is always the same?
What do you consider your options to be?
I understand where you are coming from. To a lesser extent.
For me when I was in my relationship I had something to work for.
No I haven't my work and everything is slipping.
By not having 'responsibility' I don't seem to be able to function properly
Are you the same in any way? No long term goals?
Everyone is different in this boat I know!
Is there anything that can motivate you to want to do well?
For me I can't choose to be motivated, interested etc
If I am I function very well, try hard etc, but I need to naturally want to