Signed on

When I left uni (5 years ago, where the hell did that time go ) I claimed job seekers allowance. The jobcentre really was/is a soul destroying place. Sullen figures moaping about the building, looking useless - and that was just the staff. Anyway, I was entitled to ?45 a week. While trying to find a job that would get me started on my career path, I decided to get some temp work. I got one job for 2 days a week for a few weeks (which I found I might add, not the jobcentre - they were useless).

After my first two days work I went back to the jobcentre to get my job seekers allowance, for which you're still entitled if you do less than 16 or so hours a week (which I was). 'cept because I earnt ?48 for the two days, I was told I wasn't entitled to any of the allowance.

I tried to explain to the knuckle dragger accross the desk that there's not much incentive to do part time temp work if you can get damn near the same money for sitting at home, but I don't think it registered. "So I asked what happens if I do more than the allotted 16 hours a week work?" I asked. Your job seekers gets cancelled all together. If you work less than 16 hours a week again, you can come back and claim the allowance again, but it'll take two weeks to process it.

I remember being very angry. Not because of the money I was or wasn't entitled to, but because the system is setup to almost actively discourage people to work. Certainly temp work anyway.

It seems to me that the jobcentres are so useless that the only people they successfully employ are the people that actually work there - people who would otherwise be unemployed just like those they're supposed to be helping. In fact, since they're non-economically productive public workers drawing their money from the tax payer, they may as well be unemployed anyway.

If you feel that you don't want to "Sign on" you can still pay your unemployed contribution direct to the NI Office,this is the basic fig but it keeps your contributions up to date whereby your pension/allowance rights are not affected

[flymo]

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

I tried to explain to the knuckle dragger accross the desk that there's not much incentive to do part time temp work if you can get damn near the same money for sitting at home, but I don't think it registered.

To be fair to them, they dont make the rules and they've probably heard it all before thousands of times from those whingers that hang around there all day not wanting to work. I would rather put pins in my own eyes than do that job.

There's been a lot of bad things said about the JobCentre.

Personally, I've signed on a couple of times.

One of those times, I was pretty much made redundant (but without the pay off). I went to the JobCentre, dreading the thought of signing on. I got there, the proces was pretty painless, and I was told to come back every fortnight, but there was to be an initial interview in a couple of days (to gauge what work I could do, and wanted to do etc). This was knocking on for 4 years ago now.

In this initial interview, I talked about the stuff I'd done, and the stuff I wanted to do. The woman had a flick through the computer, hit print, and I applied for the job. It was a managerial position with Maplin Electronics. I didn't get it, but did get the tech sales job.

So the JobCentre did their job, and I never bothered persuing my claim (I claimed for a grand total of 3 days).

Following that job, I managed to build a decent client base, and went self employed for a while.

I moved house, and decided to fold the business before it took up too much money. So I went back to the JobCentre, not expecting to be entitled to anything. Turned out I was, so I put a claim in.

Again, a couple of days later, different JobCentre, different staff, I had another initial interview. Again, they printed job details, and I applied. Again, I got the job.

When I've been out of work & money has got tight, I love the JobCentre. Always seems they do the right thing by me. Never had a bad experience being in there.

Maybe it's just me...

The thing I have noticed that since moving from London to a more rural location is that the people here are generally more helpful and take time to try and help.

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

If you feel that you don't want to "Sign on" you can still pay your unemployed contribution direct to the NI Office,this is the basic fig but it keeps your contributions up to date whereby your pension/allowance rights are not affected

I'll also add to that. If you find your are behind in your contributions, it is possible to make payments to top them back up again. I still feel hard done by though. During the times of my non working, I did not claim a single penny in benefits (thus in my eyes saving the government money as in not having to pay me and also not paying my NI on my behalf) but still get penalised anyway.

[tigersaw]

is it true that you only have to make 30 years NI contribution now in oder to qualify for the state pension?

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

I had my own business,own house and my own heart attack which automatically meant no license,waited nearly 2 years for major heart surgery which I ended up paying for privately, and then a further 10 months recovery. In all this time all I got from this government was my NI contributions because I had worked hard and had a few bob in the bank. The system does penalize you for hard work and when I think of the years when I paid 25-30K tax for the no returns it makes me angry,so take every penny you can get and I hope you can find the employment you want.
As a consequence with a slight recurrence of the same problem I have taken early retirement but I would have to live to 112 to get my contributions back so I claim every thing I can and that is ?1 deducted for every ?500 of saving plus still paying income tax
----------You can never win if you are hard working and honest--------------

+10. Its an atrocious system. The harder you work, the more you get penalised and your money given to people that can't be arsed to work. 2 million benefit fraudsters or something it was at the last count!!

Originally Posted by Baph

In this initial interview, I talked about the stuff I'd done, and the stuff I wanted to do. The woman had a flick through the computer, hit print, and I applied for the job. ..

That is a thought, do they push you to any job you could do (however menial) or something that you would want to do/would utilise your skills to the max?

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

That is a thought, do they push you to any job you could do (however menial) or something that you would want to do/would utilise your skills to the max?

No, for instance if you are straight out of uni they won't force you to clean toilets for at least a year or two whilst you search for an appropriate high level job (unless of course you did an arts degree ).