General Chat

I really do, but i have to at the moment, I am looking for work, but have to sign on every two weeks to get my benefits. But it is so intimidating when you have to push your way through the crowd of dossers and drunks, and the staff all on fag breaks, just to get in!

I know the feeling well

Am out of work for a few weeks as our season has ended, Last year when this happened I was made to feel as if it was my fault that I was signing on.
They want to know the in's and out's of a duck behind.
Hopefully I do not need to do it this year, Hoping to be helping a friend out a couple of days a week, enough to cover the pathetic amount they give you.

Keep your chin up honey, something will come up for you I am sure

Jan x

That's another problem with it, you are treated as with disbelief when you go there..like applying for 6 jobs in the space of two days is not good enough. OK there is a minority who do make it bad for the rest of us, but I hate being treated without respect, and being called to the desk by my surname, no Ms or please...

Oh well, thats it for two weeks, hopefully I will be able to sign off next time.

I will keep my fingers crossed.

Was it you that was talking about the hospital job the other day

If it was

Go for it

Im sure you can do it

Jan x

Yes it was me, but they emailed me the details a bit later... they want someone with a degree in quantum physics at least,, and to be a member of this that and the other..

I don't think my 'O' levels and membership of GR and Ancestry are going to cut the mustard with them LOL

Well never mind

The truth is your too good for that job

Something will come up

Jan x

Oh I can imagine

I remember when I went to register for allowances when I was caring for Daddy..... it got so bad that i actually burst into tears in front of the whole department.

Its humiliating and it shouldn't have been

I can understand in a way why they treat you like that, but surely the scroungers and the fraudsters are in the minority, and the majority of us are genuine claimants?

I just feel we are all tarred with the same brush, and yes Diana, it is humiliating.

How awful for you TW! It is sad to think that attitudes have not changed in over 30 years. Like Diana, I promptly burst into tears (with baby in arms!) when I had to step over the druggies and drunks just to get patronised and a pittance! Chin up! Mwah! BC XX

I dont understand why they treat people the way they do

Everyone should be treated as an individual and on the merits of there claim.

I wouldn't treat any of my customer differantly if they book a holiday via a newspaper or direct.

At the end of the day they have a job because unfortunaltey at the moment you dont.

Its not your fault, maybe they need to start looking at the long term unemployed and asked them why. And i dont mean people that cannot genuinely help it or the disabled or vunerable.

But to many people know the system and use it. only have to look around our town to see that.

Genuine claimant like yourself are penalized because of them

Sorry if this offends any one it is not meant to. I will delete if any one asks

Jan x

I'm sorry but I don't understand why they treat everyone like that - why not actually wait and see what the issue is before judging why an individual is there?????

Teresa,Perhaps you should inform them that you wish to be addressed in a "Civilised Manner" by a Civilised Person,Not a Glorified "Bingo Caller" and that you would quite happily accept the Job of retraining their staff to the proper level required. **M**.

Did you know that if you are a single mother on benefit and want to go back to work part time, up to 16 hours a week so that you are still able to be there for your child they deduct the pay from the benefit and allow you to take home £20 a week on top of your benefit.

Work 16 hours and earn £20, what an incentive hey!!

Merlin, you have a point lol

CG my kids have grown up and have kids of their own now.

Hi Teresa, chin up, hope you will soon be a working girl again and not have to suffer that place. I have had many a run in with the benefits office when it was elsewhere in Norwich and I was a single mum, it was humiliating as you say, and some of the people in the offices then were awful, and that was when it was relatively civilised with more private cubicles etc. I have been in tears there many a time over hassles when I was lied to about things when I moved house, and my money was stopped for a year, I had to fight for everything, and go to tribunals etc and although I won and was paid back some money, it never worked out fairly in my favour, compared to what others seemed to get handed to them.

That rate of money allowed for single mums to earn has not changed in 25 years. When I was first signing on as a single parent, I was allowed to earn up to £20 before anything was deducted from my benefit, wouldn't it have been easier to increase that amount to something more in line with the hourly rates nowadays, and save all the messing about with the rules as has happened so often.
Now I am a pensioner I would only be allowed to earn £5 a week before anything is deducted which is silly, because it doesn't encourage you to try and help yourself, if you were able to work part time - where could you find a little job that would get you out of the house but only end up £5 a week better off, it isn't worth the cost and hassle of travelling anywhere etc?

I know my son found the benefit office in Norwich useless when he was trying to find work, when he first left school. I went with him a few times and it was ludicrous, the things they tried to send him for, either not within his limited work experience at 16 or so far away he would not be able to afford the bus fares etc out of the pittance that is paid in this area.
Lots of luck to anyone stuck in the system at the mo.
Lizx

Sorry Teresa, my response was being sarcastic towards the Government. I am sorry you are out of work at the moment, hope you find something soon. Hold your head high when you are next in the benefit office.

hope you find somethink soon, just you remember youve paid your dues you hold your head up, youve been through enough with your hip. xx

Liz, you are one gutsy woman you know..good on you for standing your ground and fighting for whats yours. You won on the principle even if you didn' tget all that was owed.

You have a point there, they don't really try to match you up with your skills or experience, just throw any old job at you then tell you off when you don't apply for it.

Mind you, its mostly left to us to hunt for the jobs now. In times gone by we used to pick a card on the rack, and they would ring and arrange an interview. Nowadays you use a touch screen to find suitable jobs on offer, get a printout and sort it all out yourself. They do provide phones for you to use though.

Puss, thank you hun xx

CG I know you were only being sarcastic. It's just not good enough. I really do feel for single parents. My mate struggled for years on benefits to bring up her two children after her husband left. As you say, with the 16 hours and the pittance they allow you to earn, it just wasn't worth her going out to earn her own money until the kids were old enough and she could work full time to come off benefits altogether.

I really feel for you TW,

We have been in that position for 3 months when G was out of work and we had 4 young children. Because he was qualified they hounded him mercilessly, even though he was desperate to work!!

You deserve respect love cos you are genuine,

Caz xxx

Awwww TW...nemind it wont be long before you have a brill job......I agree with CC you have paid it in ...

As for the poor officers having a quick cig just think they need after putting up with the abuse off Druggie and drunks ...lol