Proper signed on!

Went down the dole office - sorry 'Job Center' this AM for my signing on interview.

Sorry for anyone who has been through this for real/in desperation, if it comes across badly, but for me its all quite an adventure, so I thought I'd share!!

Ok, so I had already spent about 40 mins on the phone filling in a questionnaire last week. I had to go over this and then fill in another little booklet ... I then had my interview to elicit a bit more info from me and to explain the process and what was expected from me.

We went through bits like the sort of jobs I'd be seeking, I went on to say "well, I am at a bit of a cross roads at the mo, I could go for the same but different job to what I had, I thought about going into teaching, I even thought about starting my own business ... I am actually in the process of doing some work experience at a school and will be there tomorrow in fact .." .. she then kinda stopped me mid-flow and said "I am asking what jobs could you do right now? ... we are here to find you a job, not aid your career search/decisions" ... although a bit depressing they are not interested in seeing me in a happy working career, you can see that view really can't you!

We then went on about availability for work .. I said, "yep available, but as I alluded to a min ago, I am actually doing the classroom experience" She said, you have to be available for work, so you can't do more than 15hrs a week training like that. ... ... ... I said "So its fine for me to just sit at home on my behind watching daytime telly for >15hrs week, but I can't do work experience/training that might give lead to a career" .. "That's right, if you want to claim JSA, you have to be available for work" ... I mean what can you say!!

Anyway, there were a few other smack head on table comments/rules like that but I am sure I am boring you a bit now .. but I think you are getting the picture ...

Now for the hard work I gotta do to get my JSA ... I gotta apply for 2 jobs a week to get my JSA ... my contribution based (i.e as I have paid in all these years) JSA is ?60 ... so to my mind, that means if it takes 2hr to find and fill in the application that I am essentially getting paid ?15/hr to fill in application forms ... which lets face it, I'd have been doing anyway!!

So basically I am getting paid £240/month, for 8hrs work ... oh, plus going down the dole office once a fortnight for a check-up .. but that is ok, its a nice cycle ride down there and I can look for tat round town after!

So its a fairly easy ride at the start .. however after 8 weeks, things get a bit nasty ... basically I am allowed to apply for jobs I WANT at his point ... come 8 weeks, I go back in and if I haven't found work by then, they then find me any suitable job ... I asked her to define 'suitable' .. she said "Anything you are capable of doing" ... I said, "well I can clean bogs, and/or stack shelves" but that's not really utalising my skill base to the max .. she said "this is Job Seekers, not career seekers ... we are here to make you employed" ... to be fair she has a point!! But in reality, dumping me in any old job means that I won't have time to find a career .. but again, that is MY problem, not theirs I suppose ...

So to my mind, I'll ride it out for 8 weeks, and pocket the £480 ... then I'll probably withdraw or go for the jobs they offer me and completely fail the interview on purpose!! .. at the end of the day, how can they stop you being bad in an interview?!!? ... to be fair, I won't have to try and be bad in an interview, I'm a natural!!

So that was the dole office, so back out into the sunshine again ...

Next I went to the council offices seeing if I could get money off my council tax ... short answer, NO as I have money ... disappointing or what

[pmapp]

http://www.leagueofgentlemen.co.uk/p...wallpapers.jpg

Originally Posted by pmapp

http://www.leagueofgentlemen.co.uk/p...wallpapers.jpg

I spoke to 2 ladies whilst I was there, and the first one had an uncanny resemblance

im going through the same thing. only im getting 60.50 a week and have to at least apply for 6 jobs within the two weeks between going to the jobbie.

iv applied for a total of ten so far, no luck on any of them at the mo, couple of jobs iv been told are on hold.

ok,yes jobseekers are there to get you back into work but i want to do what i want to do. i dont want to end up cleaning bogs till something comes along. theres a possibility of a driving job in bristol,good money and good hours so im hoping that 'might' come off but if get offered something in the mean time...what do i do? aah its all to much...

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

"That's right, if you want to claim JSA, you have to be available for work" ... I mean what can you say!!

sounds pretty fair to me. i mean WTF should other people pay for your living costs if you're not even trying to find a job?

I know you're trying to get into the teaching thing, but i've done some pretty rubbish fill-in jobs in my life and i don't really see why you shouldnt do the same.

'Dole' isn't supposed to be an entitlement to some time off to decide where you're going with your life, it's a safety net to keep people going when they're unable to work to support themselves.

sorry for the rant but i'm really getting sick of the number of freeloaders in this country, and you're starting to sound that way in your post...

[tonyk]

i have to do this and before i go to work..............
even thought of i would like to do but i need the money for wife, kids, house....
one day i'll get a better job...soon i hope..
so i stay in this job till...

Originally Posted by Fizzy Fish

'Dole' isn't supposed to be an entitlement to some time off to decide where you're going with your life, it's a safety net to keep people going when they're unable to work to support themselves.

sorry for the rant but i'm really getting sick of the number of freeloaders in this country, and you're starting to sound that way in your post...

Originally Posted by Fizzy Fish

sounds pretty fair to me. i mean WTF should other people pay for your living costs if you're not even trying to find a job?

I know you're trying to get into the teaching thing, but i've done some pretty rubbish fill-in jobs in my life and i don't really see why you shouldnt do the same.

'Dole' isn't supposed to be an entitlement to some time off to decide where you're going with your life, it's a safety net to keep people going when they're unable to work to support themselves.

sorry for the rant but i'm really getting sick of the number of freeloaders in this country, and you're starting to sound that way in your post...

My point is that not only will I be applying for jobs (I would have anyway, but it is part of the JSA agreement I do so) but I am actively doing something about getting a job during some of the rest of the time whilst they are being processed!! ... the irony is that due to the rules, they would prefer me to sit on my behind than spend the rest of the week doing work experience. Can you not see how stupid that is?? ... Especially after pointing out as my work experience is voluntary, if a job interview or actual job came up, I am not locked in to doing the voluntary stuff so it doesn't impair the main goal ... its ludicrous isn't it?!?!

I can assure you after putting tens of thousands of pounds into the 'pot' for others over the years, with no say in how it is distributed, I for one am VERY bitter about having paid masses of money into the 'pot' ...

I am actually doing this for a few reasons. One is to ensure my NI is paid whilst I am out of work. Another is after paying so much in I 'want something back' for a change and lets face it, I'll take the ?‚£240/month, wouldn't you?!?!! You have to remember, the money they are giving me in one hand like that they are taking with the other, my council tax is about half that by itself and I still have to pay that!! Also do you really think the final half will feed me, pay my mortgage and all the bills ... I think not!! ... rember there are some people out there that can live off the benefits they are given they get so much ....

Oh and finally, I'm doing it under simple curiosity

You telling me you wouldn't be curious?!?

As I said, having spent so much time on the other side and being stung by every sort of tax going, the majority of which goes toward OTHERS, I am very bitter about the whole thing! ...

So tell me, I am only taking what I am entitled to (its contribution based remember) .. why is that so wrong?!!?

don't get me wrong, i'm all for people changing careers if they find them selves in the wrong job/field. But why not work to fund your way though the training, etc, or take a career development loan that's paid back when you're earning again?

once again - it is not an entitlement, it's a safety net.

Originally Posted by Fizzy Fish

don't get me wrong, i'm all for people changing careers if they find them selves in the wrong job/field. But why not work to fund your way though the training, etc, or take a career development loan that's paid back when you're earning again?

once again - it is not an entitlement, it's a safety net.

Ok, I didn't make it clear/have never said, I have been (and am going to be) applying for jobs in my 'field', but as you can appreciate, that is a slow process whilst they shuffle the paperwork and it is a bit of a niche field of expertise, so not like there are 5,000 jobs a day So that is on the burner, but whilst it is in the pot simmering, I have also been investigating other options. I am using this as a potential to take a new direction, but not abandoning where I 'am'.

Oh and as for entitlement, sorry, my JSA is contribution based, I am entitled to it