Camel

Well Blue, I am quite interested in your experience....for several reasons.

1) If you were Polish / Khazakstani / whatever, you would get an interpreter, and your paperwork filled in your you, and told EXACTLY what you can get.
As a national, who has spent their whole life contributing, you get interrogated. This, in my opinion, is fundamentally wrong.

2) I think you are entitled to claim personally. You contributed, why not claim. Although, I persoanlly would have decided what career I want to do, then try to get into it, not spending too much time unemployed. But you do your thing, you are entitled to. You know what you have to live on, what savings you have etc etc.

3) (Slightly off topic here) My brother died recently. My sister in law had to go to one of these chav infested places to start processing paperwork regarding benefits also. She said it was a horrible experience - and she is along way from being posh / snobbish.

Anyway, good luck with the future career!