Jobseeker's Allowance Megathread ver. We're all overqualified!

[dopemegently]

Yeah, it's just repugnant to me the way they've turned people on benefits into hate figures. Apparently that "reality" show lied to the people who took part, and completely misrepresented them. Yeah, there are people who exploit the system, but the system is so badly run and managed, that will happen. Instead of demanding a fair and well-run benefits system from the gov't, all people do is hate the people on benefits. That's the purpose hate figures serve, I guess: it stops people looking at the real culprits.

 

[Eveleivibe]

Yeah, it's just repugnant to me the way they've turned people on benefits into hate figures. Apparently that "reality" show lied to the people who took part, and completely misrepresented them. Yeah, there are people who exploit the system, but the system is so badly run and managed, that will happen. Instead of demanding a fair and well-run benefits system from the gov't, all people do is hate the people on benefits. That's the purpose hate figures serve, I guess: it stops people looking at the real culprits.

That's what I've been saying for years. What reality show? (Not another one *makes a groaning sound*) lol

 

[atmosfear3]

Benefits street!!

 

[pinkpapaver]

benefits, there's nothing beneficial about them.

 

[mydrugbuddy]

got to start the whole process all over again. 50 applications the other week lead to lots of phone calls and emails, 3 interview offers, one of which i turned down as it was a very junior minimum wage position, and i was over confident because i had more interviews lined up. I felt certain i had one of them in the bag but was proved wrong. Have to strart the whole thing all over again soon. It takes a while after going through all that to muster up any enthusiasm to keep plodding away, it is so fucking tedious, the same old questions again and again. Im hoping that sooner or later it will become part of my day to autmatically spend at least a few minutes, gradually increasing every day, applying for jobs. Im taking this approach with walking for exercise, did 40 minutes yesterday, am gradually gonna work up to at least 1 hour brisk walking several times a week, as a means of trying to lift my mood without opis.

 

[Shambles]

Fukkin' shower o' pricks

Whilst being informed that today's appointment had been cancelled (more on that in a minute) I got to see this sanctioning bizniz in action. Genuinely shocked - even by DSP standards they're some cold cunts they really are. Some young lad had arrived late for signing on - it's only lunchtime so can't be that late, and he said that he's only been signing on for six weeks and just got the time wrong cos he's not really used to it yet. DSP fella was using that toe-curling ultracalm, ultrareasonable, "I wish I didn't have to do this but you brought it on yourself and it's really for your own good" voice they all seem to cultivate to calmly - and very coldly - inform him that he was going to have to sanction him for thirteen weeks and then went on - at great length, I might add - about how he was expected to keep up his jobsearch every day online. Was only a young lad and he was clearly bewildered, shocked and with no idea how he was gonna survive for the next three fukkin months with no money. Gobsmacked. And that's just in a sleepy lil rural village/town where they're usually completely understanding about the fact that there simply are no jobs - of any kind - for miles around unless Co-Op or Spar is short of a shelf-stacker. Disgusting way of treating people.

My own thing is more bemused amusement than anything else. Was supposed to have an appointment with the disability advisor last week but she phoned early that morning to say she couldn't make it and re-arranged it for today instead. So turn up today to find the place all but empty with no disability advisor in sight. One of the women called me over and - after a fair bit of fuckabout trying to work the computer - told me that it had been cancelled again this morning and had been re-arranged for tomorrow... and then after a bit more fuckabout with the computer that actually it wasn't tomorrow but next month. Fine, said I, and asked when they were planning to inform me to which she replied that they sent out a letter just under a fortnight ago - that is a few days before they'd changed it to this week. At the risk of resorting to memespeak, sounds legit. Genuinely impressed. All those unemployed prophets and fortune tellers must now be working for the DSP. Damnably efficient of them I must say.

I repeat: shower o' fukkin pricks

 

[mydrugbuddy]

That is an appalling tale Mr. S. They make you feel like a second class citizen right from the moment you sign on. It is nothing for them to fuck up appointments, but if an unemploiyed person does they get no money for 13 weeks, jesus christ, its draconian beyond belief. How is that person supposed to survive ? He could end up in hospital suffering from hypothermia and starvation in a first world country, this is now becoming a possibilty again for the first time in several generations. If he has no food stockpile or network of family and friends then how the fuck is he supposed to just survive, let alone do a dayly fucking job search where there are no jobs anyway ? I share your anger.

 

[Eveleivibe]

I agree Shambles.

That's disgusting. Are you sure the didn't say 13 days????? That 's dreadful. How are people expected to live? Christ this country is becoming a joke.

 

[Sammy G]

That is an appalling tale Mr. S. They make you feel like a second class citizen right from the moment you sign on. It is nothing for them to fuck up appointments, but if an unemploiyed person does they get no money for 13 weeks, jesus christ, its draconian beyond belief. How is that person supposed to survive ? He could end up in hospital suffering from hypothermia and starvation in a first world country, this is now becoming a possibilty again for the first time in several generations. If he has no food stockpile or network of family and friends then how the fuck is he supposed to just survive, let alone do a dayly fucking job search where there are no jobs anyway ? I share your anger.

They're supposed to survive through their ingenuity and 'enterprise'.

Though of course not the kind of 'enterprise' which traditionally attracts those who are out of work, with little prospect for employment and the sudden need to find ways to cover bog-standard subsistence. Not that kind of enterprise at all. 8)

 

[mydrugbuddy]

People are going to be forced to steal or commit other crimes just to survive. This policy is sheer madness. I believe youngsters receive less money, so lets say 13 weeks payment might save the government £500 or something. It will cost far more than that to 'process' the guy if he gets caught comitting any crimes or ends up in hospital through malnutrition or something.

 

[Sammy G]

Exactly.

Though why let numbers and facts get in the way of a policy that's purely driven by ideology and populism?

Besides, I'm sure that once somebody's been hit with a sanction it helps to engage them and make them feel the system is working in their favour...

 

[Shambles]

Are you sure the didn't say 13 days?????

Definitely thirteen weeks. Seems particularly harsh as that's the third level of sanctioning afaik. He's only been signing on for six weeks which means he must've been sanctioned every single time he's signed on unless they jumped straight to the most extreme punishment. Very bizarre and very harsh whatever the case

The local advice centre does have a food bank but it's greatly oversubscribed and they can only help those in most extreme need. I doubt he'll qualify initially despite having nothing. He's a young fella and presumably local so probably got family that could help out but that's hardly the point. Is a disgusting state of affairs when a country as rich as the UK is pissing about punishing people for the tiniest infringement of what are frankly ridiculously petty rules and guidelines as it is. The fact there's even a need for food banks in a rich, modern, Western country is jaw-dropping. Which idiot thought it was a good idea to vote in a Tory government? Presumably not anybody who has to worry about where their next meal is coming from

And yes, obviously it only increases shoplifting and petty crime. Clearly it's better to have people who'd never ususally even consider breaking the law having to steal to eat thus gaining a criminal record making it even harder to find work. Genius. You couldn't make it up

Speaking of Tory government, did anybody see that oily prick trying to justify DSP sanctioning on Newsnight t'other day? Would he answer the question? Would he fuck. The interviewer was terrible - just let herself be steamrollered with irrelevant rhetoric about how the benefits system hurts people by allowing them to remain unemployed. That and the traditional pretence of knowing how it is to be in such situations cos his own father was made redundant and apparently found it hard to motivate himself to find work - presumably due to the depression so common amongst those who've worked for years and find themselves suddenly made redundant with essentially zero prospects of ever being employed again. She did at least ask the obvious question: "How would he have fed your family if he'd been sanctioned?" but oily Tory prick was having none of it and just waffled irrelevencies over everybody until interview time was up. Am not fond of any of the parties but blimey the Tories really are the scum of the Earth

Besides, I'm sure that once somebody's been hit with a sanction it helps to engage them and make them feel the system is working in their favour...

Believe it or not, that is exactly the argument the fellla appeared to be making :D

 

[mydrugbuddy]

Lets face it, its gonna be the people that are more chaotic/disorganised/forgetfull/poor time keepers that are gonna get sanctioned.

I dont know how the hell i wasnt sanctioned, its probably just as well i waited about 4 months after i left my job before i eventually felt together enough to find out what benefit i was entitled to and to submit a claim for it. I failed to attend once very early on and was let off with a warning but told if i was ever late again or failed to attend again i would be sanctioned. It would have been impossible to reliably get there on time every fortnight during the height of my phenazepam problems, i wouldnt have a clue what day it was, let alone what time it was.

 

[maxalfie]

Speaking of Tory government, did
anybody see that oily prick trying to
justify DSP sanctioning on Newsnight
t'other day? Would he answer the
question? Would he fuck.

If that's the same guy I saw which I think it is then he got caught out claiming £5000 on MP expenses to heat his stables.
They are the real benefit cheats!

 

[mydrugbuddy]

Or what about that guy who claimed for some ridiculous floating ornament in his duckpond, you really couldnt make it up how much this whole thing is taking the piss. Fuckin hell, im glad ive not had any coffee or nicotine today, or my blood pressure would be rising through the roof otherwise.

 

[Shambles]

Lets face it, its gonna be the people that are more chaotic/disorganised/forgetfull/poor time keepers that are gonna get sanctioned.

Well this young fella certainly didn't look that way. He's not one of the local dossers or druggies afaik. Dressed smart, didn't look the type who'd be taking the piss. Obviously you can't really know much just by appearance but he certainly didn't look the chaotic and disorganised type. The very definition of a "nice young man" to look at.

If that's the same guy I saw which I think it is then he got caught out claiming £5000 on MP expenses to heat his stables.
They are the real benefit cheats!

Was Monday night, I think. Asian fella - didn't look like he'd missed too many meals when daddy got sacked. And I agree that it's a complete pisstake politicunts demonising the sick, disabled and unemployed when their own snouts are so deep in the trough they barely come up for air. The word 'hypocritical' barely touches the sides

 

[maxalfie]

Was Monday night, I think. Asian fella -
didn't look like he'd missed too many
meals when daddy got sacked.

Yes same bloke, Nadhim Zahawi a tory Mp.I think it was Paxman interviewing him and let him off far too easily for my liking.
When he was found out about using taxpayers money for heating his stables he claimed to have made a mistake & would pay back some of the money. That's ok then.
Yet that lad turns up late for his appt at the jobcentre & gets sanctioned for his minor mistake. One rule for them and another rule for the rest of us. No leniency shown to the public at all but if you are an Mp then everything is forgiven.

 

[Eveleivibe]

I didn 't know we had food banks in the UK. I know that my local drug n alcohol service does breakfast for people who are 'homeless.' And the salvation army does it on a Thursday instead.

 

[Shambles]

^ I think you'll find every town and city in the country now has food banks, Evey. I live in a tiny rural Welsh town (you'd know it if I told you) and they've got one here which I really was shocked about when I found out. I actually qualified for it when it first opened cos I was having such heavy deductions from my ESA but within a month they could only help out those who had literally no income whatsoever and can't even help all of those apparently. They do as much as they can and really are a bit of a lifesaver but there just aren't enough people who actually live here and have enough of an income to be able to afford to donate food and essentials (toilet paper ration is one roll of Co-Op economy a fortnight ) to be able to cover the number of sanctioned people even in a place like this. Really is a terrible, shocking state of affairs.

Yes same bloke, Nadhim Zahawi a tory Mp.I think it was Paxman interviewing him and let him off far too easily for my liking.

Not this recent interview wasn't. Don't know the gal's name. Not Kirsty Wark - some youngish girl I don't recall seeing presenting before. She absolutely rolled over for him - was pitiful given Newsnight's traditional standards of interviewee abuse.

 

[maxalfie]

Not this recent interview wasn't. Don't
know the gal's name. Not Kirsty Wark -
some youngish girl I don't recall seeing
presenting before. She absolutely rolled
over for him - was pitiful given
Newsnight's traditional standards of
interviewee abuse.

You are right Shambles,I can picture her now, my mistake. I must have been thinking of a different night.
I think that is the Mp we are talking about though, I just got the interviewer wrong.

[/URL][/img]