What should I expect at the dole tomorrow

My partner is in the same position, and was told to go to the DWP office for a Pathways to work interview-probably the same as your situation. She asked why as the already has a job but is on long term sick leave. She was told that she had to turn up or lose benefits, when she got there she was told that if she tried a return to work she would be given £40 per week plus £2K for training/retraining. The idea behind this is to get people off long term sickness benefit and back to work-there was a recent Panorama programme about this. It seems that the system has been set up so that everyone on certain benefits has to go through the system regardless of whether they have a job or not and is actually wasting a huge amount of money and DWP workers time. You probably wont have anything to worry about though

[Jayneflakes]

My Stepmother works for the DWP in a local Job Centre and she is always full of good advice and is very caring.

Her friends she works with are pretty much the same and together they work really hard trying to get idle dole scum off of the sofa and out of the house to do an honest days work...

In truth I think most of the people I have encountered in the brief periods of "job seeking" have usually been rather helpful and often surprised me with their good faith. Be prepared for loads of dull forms for which you will most be writing Not Applicable in!

Good luck and in case of nasty hassles get advice and back up from her union, they will be able to help out.

stale sweat, fake burberry & plenty of cleaning jobs

[Bluepete]

Originally Posted by robchester

stale sweat, fake burberry & plenty of cleaning jobs

So bitter and twisted from someone so young!

[dizzyblonde]

My friend, who has been a bike mechanic had a nasty accident last year, and had to attend one of those interviews, he went in on two crutches with one wrist supported, as he'd just had a plate put in it.
The person he saw noticed he definetly wasn't fit for work..and still isn't.....but they still had to officially offer him training of some description, to try and help him back to work. I believr they said he could always retrain and work in an office!!!!

Yeah right, M/C mechanic covered in tats, and piercings used to working in a mucky garage, with a suit and tie sat at a desk........erm nope!

I am not sure the system is put in place to make it easy for your missus to claim the dole/disability simply as it suits her better than getting a new job (that presumably she can do even with with her disability). Just coz she doesn't want to lose her pension/payoff, why should the Gov pay out for it when she presumably COULD be working?? I think not.

Sure it makes perfect sense from you/her point of view, and it seems a pity she might lose out long term, but as the person with the purse/the Gov it doesn't matter/make sense does it!

The dole office is not interested in your personal development or your long term financial security, its interested in getting people off the dole/working!!

I'm sad to say, presuming she COULD work (at something) I think your missus has NO 'case' to refuse getting another job!!

You have two choices at this stage. She starts actively looking for jobs (she can only half heartedly do that for 8 weeks before they intervene and find her one), or you stop claiming disability allowance.

It all sounds a bit harsh/heartless, but that is the way it is ...

As I found out, as an honest citizen that has ploughed thousands in over the years, and potentially gonna plough many more thousands in in the future, you don't get jack back!! I think the whole thing should be scrapped and income tax reduced accordingly! It is then up to the employed to use that part of their wage to insure against their own unemployment and the never-employed unemployed to either get a job or perish!!

[timwilky]

Blue, I refuse to rise to the bait.

At this point in time she is genuinely ill. I will not go into details on an open forum. But as and when she is fit, she does want to return to work.

Surely the assessment of her ability to work should be made by a medically qualified individual and not a civil servant. In the past 5 weeks she has seen 7 different doctors all of which have said she is still unfit to return to work.

BTW. She has paid into the system for 32 years. This is her/our first ever claim for help. The system is daunting. Trying to find what she was entitled to. At what rates etc. is a nightmare.

Originally Posted by timwilky

Blue, I refuse to rise to the bait.

At this point in time she is genuinely ill. I will not go into details on an open forum. But as and when she is fit, she does want to return to work.

Surely the assessment of her ability to work should be made by a medically qualified individual and not a civil servant. In the past 5 weeks she has seen 7 different doctors all of which have said she is still unfit to return to work.

BTW. She has paid into the system for 32 years. This is her/our first ever claim for help. The system is daunting. Trying to find what she was entitled to. At what rates etc. is a nightmare.

I don't think Blue was challenging her on it at all. Just pointing out that the system needs to protect itself, however badly their method may be.
Unfortunately the people who abuse the system make it a nightmare for the likes of yourselves who have worked hard in order to pay for this safety net. Good luck with it anyway

Originally Posted by gettin2dizzy

I don't think Blue was challenging her on it at all. Just pointing out that the system needs to protect itself, however badly their method may be.
Unfortunately the people who abuse the system make it a nightmare for the likes of yourselves who have worked hard in order to pay for this safety net. Good luck with it anyway

Indeed, it was in no way a 'bate'. But I do feel very strongly/passionately about the whole 'benefits' system!!!

I don't know what the disability is, and I don't want to know the details (especially if you would rather not say) but I am assuming the disability is simply such that she can no longer do her old job - for example it means she can't walk very far, therefore walking up and down a hospital ward all day is a non-starter. If however it means she is bed bound 24/7 that is something else!! .... The former means she COULD work, it'd just mean taking a job that doesn't involve being on your feet, like a desk job/telephone job. The latter is obviously more serious and she would never get a job anyway!! And there are obviously slots in between where although the old job is deffo a no-no, a job, all be it different to before, is still a possibility with the disability ...

not trying to sound clever, but like many others, I actually pay ~£30/month IIRC into an insurance scheme that financially protects me if I become critically ill, or disabled such I can't work ... if they would scrap the whole benefits system and released that money to me, I'd do the same and get a policy that covers normal/temporary unemployment. And still have plenty more in my pocket every month after that no doubt .. AND actually get a decent income off it if I ever needed it, unlike the benefit system as it stands now!!

Perhaps you are too close to this to see the 'big picture'?

I reiterate, this isn't baiting and its a real shame your wife is in this situation, but as things currently are, assuming she COULD work (at something) I think she should be made to do so, its not the states/MY problem she might loose out long term on her pension ... If she is literally incapable of doing anything, then I apologise and it is indeed madness ... but then if she is truly incapable of doing anything, then she will never get another job, so its just filling in forms every fortnight to get your cash ... its red tape and a bit of a waste of time ... but then if you feel the coupla hours spent a week on it isn't worth the money you are getting, then stop claiming .... its pretty simple and a win-win from the gov point of view!!

[timwilky]

Well that went pleasant enough. The lady explained the incentives that were available to help her either train for upto 13 hours/week or even £40/week for the first year when she returns to work etc. she then says. But you are not yet ready for any of that yet.

She even said that they had complained about the wording on the request for interview re finding work as it failed to take into account that claimants such as Lynne were actually in employment and in the opinion of a medical practitioner currently incapable of work due to ill health.

So whilst she has to go for another interview in a months time. I don't think there will be any "pressure".

Blue. She is recovering from Breast cancer. However the post operative treatments have left her with further complication. She was already only working part time as she has suffered from two auto immune diseases for the past 10 years. At present, she can only walk short distance. very limited strength (measured at 40%) in her hands. Cannot generate saliva. meaning she takes artificial saliva tablets and drinks lots of water. Her lips stick to her gums, cannot swallow food or talk coherently. Needs help getting in/out bath, can only climb stairs with difficulty etc.

She has only been claiming the incapacity benefit for 2 months. I would have thought the people to target would be those who have been claiming a benefit for some time. Not the genuinely ill who only want short term help until they can return to work.

I too pay into critical illness policies and are sceptical about the whole benifit system. However, when you are in a low waged employment such as nursing staff in the NHS. and have pre existing conditions you cannot afford to enter a private insurance system.