Man sanctioned by job centre after applying for 67 jobs in a fortnight

BN9 BHA · Nov 16, 2014

Peter Styles said:
Thanks all for messages of support. Indeed BN9 BHA they've got considerably worse.
Have put in appeal against the decision and an official complaint against two DWP staff, and have recommended they be sacked for discrimination. Caroline Lucas is also now involved. Blog has had nearly 27,000 visits since Tuesday, but currently have zero income and there have been no concrete offers of work off the back of the story yet.

Good luck with your fight against them.

At the time I wanted to take things further, but I was advised by the college to keep my head down and carry on with my course, they wouldn't tell the DWP that I was still attending.
This was of course good advice as I would have wasted nearly two years hard work.

I remember reading a newspaper report at the time about a young engineer that was told to give up college and look for work when he lost his job, I think he was weeks away from finishing a four year course.

Ernest · Nov 16, 2014

The Large One said:
I've been unemployed (though managed to find some bits and pieces of freelance work) since August.

When I was unemployed a few years ago (1996-97 - it was for about 10 months), and went to sign on, I found the staff in the Job Centre friendly, helpful and sympathetic. I haven't sign on this time around, but the stories I'm reading from other people's experiences sounds horrific. I know they have their job to do as given to them by the DWP, but it seems they're doing it with spiteful gusto. From my experience when it was all handled by the DSS in the mid 90s, there were still the rules to adhere to, but the staff went that extra mile to help.

bn9 9ha's and Peter's stories above sounds as daft as they do spiteful on the part of the Job Centre staff, with no recourse to common sense or proper help. Incredible.

Thankfully, I've found a full-time job, and I start on November 24.

Meanwhile, good luck Peter.

Good luck with the new job

Bry Nylon · Nov 16, 2014

Ernest said:
Good luck with the new job

Seconded. Good luck TLO.

RexCathedra · Nov 16, 2014

Lord Bracknell said:
The obligation that is apparently being imposed on benefit claimants to prepare and submit dozens and dozens of job applications isn't helping anyone..

Not true. It's great political theatre. It's not helping anyone looking for a job. This is different.
We've got state governor candidates who want to institute mandatory drug testing to collect UI, so the theatre can get even better.

beorhthelm · Nov 16, 2014

The Large One said:
When I was unemployed a few years ago (1996-97 - it was for about 10 months), and went to sign on, I found the staff in the Job Centre friendly, helpful and sympathetic.

well it seems it all in the eye of the beholder, when i sign on about the same time i found them disinterested and certainly not helpful. when i went unemployed again a few years later, different town same story. when i was unemploy again, i didnt bother to tackle the system, so i cant comment first hand on more recent. however others i know who have tell a similar story, of an bureaucratic bunch just making it to 5pm. i dont know about the spiteful stuff, as they got off the system in a short time (being flexible, like going from IT to dustman). as far as i can tell the system has been changed to address the career benefit (ab)user, and while some would like to think they are a myth, they are a significant drain on the system, and because of them the system is made harsher. so i dont doubt people have it rough, but rather than attcak the abusers it seems for many it easier to attack the system.

clippedgull · Nov 16, 2014

[MENTION=30394]Peter Styles[/MENTION]

Have you been barred from applying for Employment & Support Allowance? (usually accessible from the Medical Certificate).

Official Old Man · Nov 16, 2014

I was with you until the line "Feeling incredibly stressed, I booked a doctor’s appointment, and he signed me off for a month". You'd last one day with me. If in doubt get signed off stressed.

Coldeanseagull · Nov 16, 2014

I've had two periods over the last 10 years of having to deal with unemployment. Once through redundancy and once through suffering a back problem. Prior to that, I'd been gainfully employed since 1976. The 'we'll help you by you helping yourself' attitude by this Edward St system did not help me find another job....in fact visiting this place I felt like a criminal with the escorting of applicants to various seating areas. It's degrading and humiliating enough (how I felt at the time) without the public interrogation. I applied for over 90 jobs within the Southeast in my general line of work but ended up doing agency stuff and menial jobs on short term contracts. Luckily enough, one of these placements has taken me on full time and within my skill set.
I'm not one to worry over things I can't control, but stress levels can be raised and strains put on marriages when you're wondering if there is an end to all the sending off CV's.
If anyone is suffering unemployment, I wish them all the very best in their job search.

maltaseagull · Nov 16, 2014

Mustafa said:
Following a redundancy I had to sign on for 7 months.

They treat you like cattle. They offer absolutely no support (apart from the £70 a week which is nowhere near enough to live on) and did not take into account that there was a global economic recession, nor did they take into account my skills.

I ultimately got sanctioned for 13 weeks for failing to apply for a job that didn't exist, despite applying for scores every week. I gave them the middle finger after that and had to live off my credit cards. Luckily I found work a couple of months later, but it certainly seems as if the whole system is designed to bully people off benefits, rather than give any kind of support or training.

Good luck with your job search, it really is a terrible experience.

I had a similar experience in the 90s. I had been made redundant and was only signing on to make sure my NI contributions were kept up to date. Was treated like scum until I told the assistant that I had worked from 1968 until 1994 and was not seeking a free ride. They do have to put up with some ********s to be fair but does not excuse their treatment of genuine cases.

Beach Hut · Nov 16, 2014

Fortunately, so far, I have not been made redundant but it must be soul destroying becoming a statistic and been put through what some have described.

Best of luck in getting re-employed.

looney · Nov 16, 2014

Peter Styles said:
Last week Brighton job centre considered my job search insufficient despite applying for 67 positions in the previous fortnight.

It was covered by the Guardian this week:

www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/12/jobseeker-applied-posts-protest-dwp-policy-sanctioned

My blog '67 jobs' has so far received nearly 27,000 visits since it was created on Tuesday.

www.dwpvendetta.wordpress.com

Have also received hundreds of good luck messages from around the world.

N.B. I am a longstanding Albion fan - my first game was versus Mansfield in 1977/8 aged six. We won 5-1, hoorah!

Some simple rules of life you seem to ignore.

1. Dont antgonise people above you who can shit on you, try to make em feel human, especially DWP staff.
2. They are tickbox merchants, just do required and all other search activity of record.
3. They pay your money so your their bitch, kind of harsh way to put it but true.

Had a friend going on about the evil IDS etc and tend to agree with some of what she says. You can apply for an emergency living allowance if you lose your appeal, its not mush but better than zip.

stop playing the martyr/activist, you got to work the system or it will screw you.

Trying to be helpful here, good luck.

dejavuatbtn · Nov 16, 2014

I suggest writing to the editor of the Argus because they are in dire need of someone with your credentials for proof reading. If they say they have no vacancies I would suggest that they sack the existing postholder and give you the job.

spence · Nov 16, 2014

clippedgull said:
[MENTION=30394]Peter Styles[/MENTION]

Have you been barred from applying for Employment & Support Allowance? (usually accessible from the Medical Certificate).

Good luck Peter. It's a horrific system to get caught up in and utterly degrading. Wait until they force you to do work experience at Pound land or something similar with no chance of employment at the end of it. Companies exploit this as it's free labour for them.
All this stress of sanctions and no work available can have serious repercussions on your health.

As for employment support allowance. there's two rates. You are either placed in the support group or the wrag group. Most people are forced into the wrag group including people with disabilities and mental health issues. Being placed in the wrag group isn't much difference from signing on. You are expected to look for work and do work trials despite being deemed unfit to work.You can also get sanctioned despite being signed off sick. Thousands of people have been placed in the wrong group it's sickening.

spence · Nov 16, 2014

looney said:
Some simple rules of life you seem to ignore.

1. Dont antgonise people above you who can shit on you, try to make em feel human, especially DWP staff.
2. They are tickbox merchants, just do required and all other search activity of record.
3. They pay your money so your their bitch, kind of harsh way to put it but true.

Had a friend going on about the evil IDS etc and tend to agree with some of what she says. You can apply for an emergency living allowance if you lose your appeal, its not mush but better than zip.

stop playing the martyr/activist, you got to work the system or it will screw you.

Trying to be helpful here, good luck.

Agree with you on playing the system or it will screw you comment.

As for for playing the martyr/activist remark i totally disagree with you on that. We need people like Peter to carry the fight where others simply cannot. The more exposure and campaigning the better. People should be made aware of it because one day they might end up in this dreadful system. With the general election around the corner i'm sure the Tories can do without bad publicity.IDS is probably the most hated figure in the Conservative party.

Biscuit Barrel · Nov 16, 2014

I have only been unemployed for a short period of time in my life. I was in my mid twenties and had just returned from a years travelling abroad. I found a job within a few weeks of being back in the UK. I can only imaging that it must be very depressing to be out of work and your self esteem must be pretty low. However, I just can't understand how anyone is out of work for more that a few months.

You may not be able to find your preferred job but you must be able to find work of some kind. I would do pretty much any line of work if I had too. I would happily work in a fast food outlet or deliver leaflets. Anything must be better than not working. People on here moan about only getting £70 per week dole money, but you must be able to find a job that pays more than that in a week.

Minimum wage is about £8 per hour, so you would only need to work about 9 hours a week to be earning the same as the dole money. This would leave you plenty of time to look for a better job and you would be supporting your self and not relying on the state. I just can't ever imaging having to rely on the state to support me, unless I was unable to work due to illness. I would even take a job on £5 per hour if it meant that I could support myself. I would work for 10 hours per day for £5 per hour, for 6 days a week if need be. That would work out at £1200 per month. Much better than £70 per week dole money.

I do hope you find a job, but if you have not found one in a year then I do not hold out much hope for you. My advice would be to take any job, on any money and see where it takes you. Your self esteem will improve no end once you start doing a days graft.

perseus · Nov 16, 2014

looney said:
Some simple rules of life you seem to ignore.

1. Dont antgonise people above you who can shit on you, try to make em feel human, especially DWP staff.
2. They are tickbox merchants, just do required and all other search activity of record.
3. They pay your money so your their bitch, kind of harsh way to put it but true.

Had a friend going on about the evil IDS etc and tend to agree with some of what she says. You can apply for an emergency living allowance if you lose your appeal, its not mush but better than zip.

stop playing the martyr/activist, you got to work the system or it will screw you.

Trying to be helpful here, good luck.

Best policy and differs from advice sometimes given.

It is possible to crash into a zealot or get a personality clash.

BN9 BHA · Nov 16, 2014

M

looney said:
Some simple rules of life you seem to ignore.

1. Dont antgonise people above you who can shit on you, try to make em feel human, especially DWP staff.
2. They are tickbox merchants, just do required and all other search activity of record.
3. They pay your money so your their bitch, kind of harsh way to put it but true.

Had a friend going on about the evil IDS etc and tend to agree with some of what she says. You can apply for an emergency living allowance if you lose your appeal, its not mush but better than zip.

stop playing the martyr/activist, you got to work the system or it will screw you.

Trying to be helpful here, good luck.

On your point 1- I'm not sure I was dealing with a human at the DWP when I was told to give up a training course to look for work, ref post # 17.
They just didn't see it from my side and didn't want to help at all.

Spun Cuppa · Nov 16, 2014

Slightly related is a quote I've just read in a book published in 2006, which goes thus...

'...in December 2005, David Cameron, the newly elected leader of the British Conservatives, signalled his intention to turn the Conservative Party into a defender of the underprivileged when he declared, 'I think the test of all our policies should be: what does it do for the people who have the least, the people on the bottom rung of the ladder?'

It must have been his Paul Daniels moment...

Ernest · Nov 16, 2014

Spun Cuppa said:
Slightly related is a quote I've just read in a book published in 2006, which goes thus...

'...in December 2005, David Cameron, the newly elected leader of the British Conservatives, signalled his intention to turn the Conservative Party into a defender of the underprivileged when he declared, 'I think the test of all our policies should be: what does it do for the people who have the least, the people on the bottom rung of the ladder?'

It must have been his Paul Daniels moment...

That went well

severnside gull · Nov 16, 2014

Spun Cuppa said:
Slightly related is a quote I've just read in a book published in 2006, which goes thus...

'...in December 2005, David Cameron, the newly elected leader of the British Conservatives, signalled his intention to turn the Conservative Party into a defender of the underprivileged when he declared, 'I think the test of all our policies should be: what does it do for the people who have the least, the people on the bottom rung of the ladder?'

It must have been his Paul Daniels moment...

Cheers for that :thumbsup:

Needed a proper belly laugh :lolol:

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Man sanctioned by job centre after applying for 67 jobs in a fortnight

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