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I was made redundant in 1993, after going to the job centre to register, I was told I needed to be interviewed, the first available slot was in a weeks time. At the interview a week later, I was asked what I was doing about looking for a job, I pulled out a file with job adverts in it and notes of dates I had applied and any follow up conversations. I went through the procedure of signing on, I heard about Job Clubs after a week or two and asked to go on one. I was told at the job centre that to qualify for a place on a job club, you have to be unemployed for 6 months and I was not eligible as I had only been unemployed for a month. I then asked the person behind the desk the following question: "Are you here to help me find work, yes or no? Or are you here to perform an admin function? I was put on a job club starting the next week!

I was mede redundant again 10 years ago, money in lieu of notice so I had to go & sign on to get my NI contributions paid even though I could not claim JSA. I was offered a job starting in 6 weeks which I accepted, the person expected me to get a temporary job on minimum wage for 6 weeks so that I was one less person unemployed.

The people working in jobcentres are working to tight rules and procedures as set out by the Government, they are not deliberatley out to be unhelpful and are probably just as frustrated as the people coming for help. It's just easier for people to see them as faceless objects to vent thier anger on, but not necessarily fair. People who have attended the jobcentre and been annoyed at the few people they see as claiming while they shouldn't, or milking the system, should maybe consider that the staff feel exactly the same, but see a LOT more cases of it than you do, day in day out, which must be pretty disheartening to say the least.

Of course the OP was followed around by a security guard after shouting at a member of staff, you would be anywhere, in fact in most other places you would probably have been asked to leave immediatley. Why should they put up with abusive behaviour? No one expects to put up with it in other jobs, e.g - you can't get on a bus and be abusive to the driver-they will (rightly) throw you off!

Quote: Originally posted by Angef on 20/11/2012

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i think we should have the power to cut off benefits here too.  I also think that job seekers should be made to go and volunteer while looking for work, just saying.

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How would they look for work, be available for interviews etc if they were doing voluntary work?

I used to manage volunteers, and there's no way I would want volunteers who'd been forced to do the work. I don't think they'd have the right attitude.

Quote: Originally posted by jasper15 on 20/11/2012

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I have been umemployed since April I was made redundant, I now am not entitled to job seekers allowance now, and have to sign on every other week to get my National insurance stamp.
I do do voluntary work and have to pay parking and fuel for the pleasure, I get all the dirty jobs to do that nobody else will do, I did leave my last voluntary post, and was repmanded by my assessor at the job center. I go to the job centre at the same time every fortnight, and the same people are there. I sit next to a person from I think Lithuania who sits with his translator, he cant read or write in English but is getting benefit, I cant see him getting a job as he cant look for himself, he gets benefit I dont. I have lived out of the counry as my husband is British Forces, I could not work in the countries we lived I dont have enough credit to get a full pension. Having to just go to the job centre is degrading, not every body is the same, I would love to go back to work.

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