One thing I can't abide is people wasting my time. I've never been known for my patience. So if I'm due to sign on at a certain time, I expect not to be hanging around for almost an hour. Last week I was given a piece of paper with a different time to sign on at yesterday due to the Bank Holiday.
Off I trotted to the Jobcentre for 11.40 not my usual 12.45 signing on slot. If I'm late at the Jobcentre I would basically be given a warning and if it happens a few times have my benefits stopped. All just another way to improve jobless stats ultimately. So by rights if the Jobcentre keeps me waiting shouldn't I get a pay rise due to their incompetence?! Nice theory but sadly this does not work in practice - obviously waste the time of the under employed is not deemed to be of any significance.
The man who should have been seeing me seemed to be doing other things. Work related but form filling as opposed to signing people on. In the end up I sat there for 40 mins. Man was I getting annoyed - I even went up to check that he had my book which he did. My general exasperation was compounded by the fact that I had things to sort out with regards to my dad's estate which meant trekking across town plus I had an interview to prepare for the next day too.
When I was seen a good hour later, the first thing he said was that I was too early and that my time is 1245. He even showed me his computer screen to back up his statement. I said that he'd given me a piece of paper with a different time on last time I signed on. He said there was no record of this - admin is obviously not a strong point for the Jobcentre maybe we should introduce fining for their screw ups.
Anyway, he said that for next time I would have to attend a one-to-one interview to help me find work. It is due to last at least half an hour. The letter I had referred to a back to work workshop which I asked him about as I had not done that part. He said "that workshop is not for people like me as I don't come across as someone looking to stack shelves at Sainsbury's so I would not need to do that part and the one-2-one would be better for me". Then I asked if I needed to bring my CV. Turns out he had a copy on file which he read in awe. Wow - maybe all the under employed aren't no hopers :)
That's the trouble with portraying JSA claimants as work-shy scroungers: the system becomes optimised for the clueless *minority*. It's also why the DWP will never be penalised for their incompetence - because it would result in "hapless benefit laybouts" being paid £100s in penalties, with predictable out-rage from The Mail, The Express, and The Sun.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more the long term unemployed who don't want to work always know how to play the system to their advantage. As my brother said to me the other day who is one such scrounger "there's money to be 'ad innit"
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there's more money to be "'ad" in convincing the world that all
ReplyDeletebenefit claimants are worthless layabouts.
But maybe your idea would work if the DWP paid the money as a 'reward' for uncovering an inefficiency in the system. Your brother could then hone his expertise as a professional 'inefficiency researcher', and not only would he
be improving the system for the rest of us, but he'd be saving the DWP a packet in consultants. (Although, believe it or not, the DWP are better than the private sector - I'd post a link but blogger is rejecting it.)
Anyway, I assuming the offers are pouring in so quickly you've not had time to blog... I hope one of them pans out. Keep well.
Promise to write some blog stuff soon. Been quite busy but will update you shortly.
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