Jsa - A Ticking Timebomb?

[i wanna house]

Good advise, I know it sucks but do it. Don't get in to a situation where you need the money, it is not set up for you, understand that and you will feel less bitter.

Job centres are not any use for finding work, just a place to be humiliated.

Here is a golden nugget though.

A guy I know who is a well paid MD now, took a job at McDonalds as kitchen crew when he got made redundant as a marketing executive for a music company, he put McD's on his CV, when he got an interview he was was asked "you work at Mcdonalds?" His reply was yes, good company, enjoy it, why do I do it, because I don't want to sit around the house watching TV, I prefer to work. This set him above the other candidates who were sitting around watching TV, I know this impresses the hell out of the boss, my boss who employed him told me so.

He didn't slag McDonalds, moan about the work, say he needed the money or it's the only thing he could get. It works, if I need to, I will do, please try it and good luck to anyone looking.

yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir.

and your avatar is of the clash if i am not mistaken. ******IN HELL .

edit.. one too many sirs.... i was getting carried away with the zeitgeist

Edited May 21, 2009 by i wanna house

[Rockape]

yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir.

and your avatar is of the clash if i am not mistaken. ******IN HELL .

edit.. one too many sirs.... i was getting carried away with the zeitgeist

The Clash were sell outs too, CBS tut tut.

Me, just offering a little hope, love that photo though.

[Cogs]

Although i agree with the idea of tax credits in theory, i find it very problematic that they exceed the total tax paid, and even the total wages earned. something totally wrong with the system, incentive to earn minimal part time wage. Something has gone badly wrong.

Tax credits are just a way for the taxpayer to subsidise profits for big business. More widely, they incentivise people not to risk negotiating for higher rates of pay. Not so much of an issue now but it was during the boom (which was the point, see also: immigration). What you may not realise is that tax credits meant you were paying money to suppress the market for your own labour. This should be remembered when they do the gender comparisons and inevitably (IMHO) discover that women with children are paid less than single men. They need to include how much the government is paying to effectively push their wages above what the "patriarch" is getting.

Edited May 22, 2009 by Cogs

[MrPin]

No because you have to go to the Job Centre to show them what you have applied for over the past 2 weeks. If you don't go to sign on, you don't get the money.

Hmm, I'm doing that at the moment.

I write them all down, otherwise I forget who I talked to, or had an email from. It keeps them happy!

As mr "Fudge" pointed out getting that job can take months.

Now, many years ago, near the dawn of time, I was 20, and unemployed. I signed on to do a couple of part time A-levels,

at the local tech college. The bloke at the benny office pointed out that I would be "unavailable for work" for those two afternoons a week. Ah well, if a job came I could drop the courses, or do evening classes! Anyway the guy wished me well,

and the next year I went off to University.

And this time round, well I bought a Yamaha keyboard, and am trying to learn to play it. Also I have a motorbike to assemble.

If a suitable job comes up in the next couple of months, then I would have been very lucky!

As it looks a bit grim at the moment, and I am well past 20 now...;-/

[Frank Hovis]

technically i have been made redundant yesterday.. never been redundant before so anybody could give an advice?

It entirely depends upon your circumstances.

I have been made redundant twice and each time, due to my age and an active job market, thought it was brilliant. Free money and some time off.

If I was in my 50s with debts and many outgoings then with the current poor job market I would be distraught.

If you are closer to the latter then the simple answer is that you have a new job - getting a job. Track all the sources, local papers, trade magazines etc. and apply apply. Tailor the CV, tailor the covering letter. Be positive in interviews talking about the job you want rather than the job you lost. And expect it to take many many months. You may be in a hurry but employers usually aren't.

You will also be eligible for contributions-based JSA even if you have savings, this runs out after six months but you keep signing on to get your NI stamp paid for your state pension (I think this is still the case), which works out at about £4 per week. Better then nothing but only just. The job centre fortnightly process of seeking on their system is a waste of time but for £80 a week JSA (or whatever it is) it works out as a great hourly rate for the contact time.

[Cat in the Hat]

Some colleagues have been laid off recently, and from what they've said you can set up much of the initial claim online through the Job Centre Plus website. This saves a lot of time and faff. As others have pointed out even if you don't qualify for a lot, it's worth it to maintain your NI contribution record.

According to the ex-colleagues, they've all be dealt with very kindly at the job centre (different to my experiences in the early 1990s). One held off claiming for months as she was so ashamed of her first every period of unemployment. When poverty finally forced her into Bromley job centre she broke down completely but was told not to feel embarassed as they were seeing an extra 500 people a week in her position.

They'll still be a useless as a chocolate teapot though.

[davidhpc]

Some colleagues have been laid off recently, and from what they've said you can set up much of the initial claim online through the Job Centre Plus website. This saves a lot of time and faff. As others have pointed out even if you don't qualify for a lot, it's worth it to maintain your NI contribution record.

According to the ex-colleagues, they've all be dealt with very kindly at the job centre (different to my experiences in the early 1990s). One held off claiming for months as she was so ashamed of her first every period of unemployment. When poverty finally forced her into Bromley job centre she broke down completely but was told not to feel embarassed as they were seeing an extra 500 people a week in her position.

They'll still be a useless as a chocolate teapot though.

They are trying to stop your NI contributions too if you have savings etc. They try drag you in on Saturday afternoons and force you to apply for terrible jobs and if you refuse to play ball or they can manage to intimidate you into losing your rag then they will stop the NI too.

The nicey, nicey nu-liebour luvvie treatment is coming to an end too, abrupt and condescending tones are the order of the day, burly security guards are also appearing in the job centres to intimidate.

[Guest X-QUORK]

Don't hang around, your claim starts from the day you walk into the Jobcentre, not when you last worked as I believed.

[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Why the hell are people worried about signing-on? If you live in a country with an economy that produces mass unemployment, where's the shame?

Edited May 22, 2009 by gruffydd

[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

They are trying to stop your NI contributions too if you have savings etc. They try drag you in on Saturday afternoons and force you to apply for terrible jobs and if you refuse to play ball or they can manage to intimidate you into losing your rag then they will stop the NI too.

The nicey, nicey nu-liebour luvvie treatment is coming to an end too, abrupt and condescending tones are the order of the day, burly security guards are also appearing in the job centres to intimidate.

Another wonderful American idea imported by our lapdog governments. Welfare to work (already discontinued in the US). Disgusting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare-to-work

Edited May 22, 2009 by gruffydd

[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Howz about soup kitchens for the working poor? Another great US idea. (1) Create millions of part time McJobs (2) Get good hearted folks to feed the working poor who you've forced to work for pennies. Nice.

[Johnny Storm]

OMG.

I've just checked this. If I sacked my job and went full-time self-employed, and earnt £5K a year, I'd qualify for a package worth £21K a year.

Sh*t, that's more than I earn. I can see why people totally play the system.

This is really worth knowing!!!! Can I live in spain and still claim?

[bagsos]

I saw about 20 people gathered outside our local Job Centre. Not seen that since the early eighties. It's bad out there.

They reckon this summer there will be a heatwave. Heatwave + millions of people with a reason to protest = serious public disorder. The Government know this. They are scared.

Ooh goody - used to like a nice riot when I lived in Liverpool.

[this_prisoner_is_opting_out]

Sign on asap!

When I was 20 I went travelling, I came back aged 21 on a Thursday evening. I stayed on a friend's couch and went to the agencies Friday morning and again the Monday. When I went to sign-on on the Tuesday (just in case) - I was told there was absolutely nothing they could do for 6 weeks because obviously I didn't need any money because I'd "managed" ok for 4 days already. I asked if it would've been different if I'd got off the plane at Heathrow and immediately gone to the job-centre, apparently yes. I found a job that week - but it was still a kick in the teeth to be told any benefits would be delayed because I TRIED TO FIND A JOB FIRST!

[Game_Over]

Well thats the capitalist system for you. Great if your one of the winners. Crap if your one of the losers.

I think everbody should experiance what its like be made redundant and unemployed when you have a family to support, in a recession.

It happened to me in the early 1990's and it was the lowest point of my life, so far.

One thing people dont realise is how slow the job hunting process is.

You look for jobs in local papers, job centres etc apply for the jobs, then wait weeks for a reply, thats if you get any.

Then you get the odd job interview. The pressure is so intense at the interviews because it is so important because you have kids to feed.

Then you wait weeks for a reply, if they bother to reply that is. All the time thinking over and over the interview how well or badly it went.

The whole process from seeing a job advertised to a job offer or rejection takes about 2 to 3 months and takes a lot of determination to keep going to you finally get a job.

Under Socialism EVERYONE is a loser ALL of the time.

If our economy tanks for 20 years, we will still have a better standard of living than they had in Eastern Europe under the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

In a capitalist society people on benefits live better than people who work in other systems.

[Cogs]

Under Socialism EVERYONE is a loser ALL of the time.

If our economy tanks for 20 years, we will still have a better standard of living than they had in Eastern Europe under the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

In a capitalist society people on benefits live better than people who work in other systems.

:

No you won't.

Crikey, talk about being bullish.

20 months, if that.

Edited May 22, 2009 by Cogs

[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Under Socialism EVERYONE is a loser ALL of the time.

If our economy tanks for 20 years, we will still have a better standard of living than they had in Eastern Europe under the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

In a capitalist society people on benefits live better than people who work in other systems.

No no no, that's simply not the case. Compare India - the largest democracy in the world - with China - the largest communist state. Which country has better life expectancy, etc.? Durrrrrr.

May I also point out that within India life expectancy is highest in the communist governed states.

Why do East Berliners still show such massive support to ex-communist hard left politicians FFS!

Edited May 22, 2009 by gruffydd

[Guest X-QUORK]

In a capitalist society people on benefits live better than people who work in other systems.

How do you know?

[Game_Over]

No you won't.

Yes I do!

Embrace the plan

Either you work for the State or you live off the state - everyone else is F*cked

[Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Yes I do!

Embrace the plan

Either you work for the State or you live off the state - everyone else is F*cked

What plan? Feck the poor?

[Game_Over]

How do you know?

I was made redundant 5 years ago and my standard of living is far higher than most people who work in the UK now

Let alone people who worked in East Germany for example

You bleeding heart liberals keep voting for Socialism if you like

It's no skin off my nose

[Cogs]

I was made redundant 5 years ago and my standard of living is far higher than most people who work in the UK now

Let alone people who worked in East Germany for example

You bleeding heart liberals keep voting for Socialism if you like

It's no skin off my nose

Well if you live off capitalist welfare, your VI is clear.

Edited May 22, 2009 by Cogs

[Game_Over]

What plan? Feck the poor?

If you're poor you've got it made.

It may interest you to know that if you own your own home

Have a brand new car in the drive

Have tens of thousands in ISA's or national savings

You are still classed as poor

because your earnings for tax credit purposes are Nil and your assets are not taken into consideration

Gordon Brown is a F*cking Genius!

[Game_Over]

Well if you live off capitalist welfare, your VI is clear.

Socialist welfare, paid for by Capitalist profits

Once everyone works for the state everyone will rapidly become equal

Equally poor

[Cogs]

Socialist welfare, paid for by Capitalist profits

Once everyone works for the state everyone will rapidly become equal

Equally poor

There is no such thing as "socialist welfare".

Lester Thurow:

Marx’s predicted revolution did not occur because he did not foresee the rise of the middle class. The middle class had an interest in preserving capitalism and voted to alleviate the worst excesses of capitalism with social welfare programs. Their very presence gave the poor hope that they too could escape from poverty.

Welfare is what is called a 'sop'. The Marxist analysis of welfare is almost entirely in its use as a tool to coerce and control people. Socialists in general see it is as an intolerable burden slowing down economic development. They've also long argued that over the long term it would prove to be unsustainable. Everyone should be working, not sitting around providing a way for wage costs to be controlled.

Perhaps in your boundless spare time you could do some reading before you start throwing these terms around?

And before you start, Fabians may say they are socialists but they haven't convinced anyone else of that as yet.

Edited May 22, 2009 by Cogs