So that's 2010 done and dusted and we're off in to 2011 with a flying start from the DWP. Do you think they've paid me any money? Of course not. Do you think the people at the job center know why? Of course not, they just direct you to the phones in the corner to ring up "Jobseekers Direct" so do you think they know why? Nope.
None of the people on the phone can actually access my account, which necessitates getting a supervisor to take a look at it and then call me back. I've no idea if we've even gotten to the "supervisor" stage of things but I do know we've not yet reaching "call me back" yet either.
So that made for an awesome Christmas & New Years didn't it? Of course the media is still, occasionally, reporting about the increase in unemployment figures, the state of the economy and how it's all the fault of the scroungers. But I've got to wonder... how many of those people are not actually recieving money despite being included in the figures? It's highly doubtful I'm the only one.
Showing posts with label DWP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DWP. Show all posts
Monday, 17 January 2011
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
I'm no longer surprised
Had a letter through from my bank, it states my account is over its limit.
This in itself is a bit perplexing as to be honest I've been signing on and providing evidence of job hunting. Now I've had a single payment from them, but I guess asking about that disability interview means I'm now in a punishment phase.
I would phone them up but with the protection system they've put on the account (it was either that or denied signing on) means the helpline is useless and it's unlikley I'd get a supervisor on the phone when contacting the job center itself.
So for the time being I am
1. Including in the 'unemployed' statistics.
2. Called a scrounger by the media.
3. Not actually getting a penny from the government.
4. Will be expected to sign on again.
This in itself is a bit perplexing as to be honest I've been signing on and providing evidence of job hunting. Now I've had a single payment from them, but I guess asking about that disability interview means I'm now in a punishment phase.
I would phone them up but with the protection system they've put on the account (it was either that or denied signing on) means the helpline is useless and it's unlikley I'd get a supervisor on the phone when contacting the job center itself.
So for the time being I am
1. Including in the 'unemployed' statistics.
2. Called a scrounger by the media.
3. Not actually getting a penny from the government.
4. Will be expected to sign on again.
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Liar, Liar, pants on fire!
It seems any interaction with the DWP, it's services or those making use of it for offering employment ultimatley results in me being called a liar.
Take for example the position I applied for the other day. Now it flashed up on the DWP website as being valid & live. But had a closing date of earlier this month. Odd. Not unheard off but strange. So I chance my arm and send a quick hello, explain that this appeared on the DWP website and whilst the date's long past I can see it... so it might well be live and here's a copy of my CV.
Now I'd have accepted "Odd", "technical glitch", "WTF?" or similar as a response.
The e-mail I get back pretty much calls me a liar. I'm tempted to go for Libel/Slander but it is a private communication. Ho hum.
Take for example the position I applied for the other day. Now it flashed up on the DWP website as being valid & live. But had a closing date of earlier this month. Odd. Not unheard off but strange. So I chance my arm and send a quick hello, explain that this appeared on the DWP website and whilst the date's long past I can see it... so it might well be live and here's a copy of my CV.
Now I'd have accepted "Odd", "technical glitch", "WTF?" or similar as a response.
The e-mail I get back pretty much calls me a liar. I'm tempted to go for Libel/Slander but it is a private communication. Ho hum.
Friday, 26 November 2010
Back to Work session #1
Had my first back to work session today. I'm not sure what the point of it was.
We were told that applying via newspapers is not the best way of finding work (been that way for years) but that the internet was brilliant so were the websites of agencies themselves. Which confused the ever loving hell out of me.
Speculative letters to large corporations were mentioned (I kept quiet about that one being a waste of paper). They also mentioned again all of the help and services both they and 3rd parties provide... which I had to question because it was a 3rd party that had sent me for the Back to Work sessions in the first place and I could see myself heading back to see him again; after being told he couldn't do anything for me.
The vast bulk of the hour was made up by telling us of her times 'up North', veiled threats about keeping up with our paperwork and the consequences for not living up to our end of the Jobseekers agreement and well you get the idea.
Fair enough. However they then went on to suggest something to do with disability advice, which rang a bell from my Incapacity Benefit days... as in "when you come off IB we'll get you a session with this" sort of which other sectors my skills apply to and how to minimise the issues my medical problems cause. Good stuff. So after the session I talk to the person running it.
Then I was sent to reception.
Then I was sent to speak to the wrong person, who went to get the right person.
The right person told me this wasn't something I couldn't arrange myself. If it hadn't of been arranged when I first signed on to Jobseekers then it was unlikely I'd be eligible for the help. She seemed almost irate at having to meet the great unwashed such as myself.
I asked her to explain to the people who had just held the Back to Work session that what they'd said to do was impossible. She reiterated that I couldn't arrange this myself and I once again explained that I was simply doing as I'd been told. Finally, with a roll of her eyes, she suggested she'd be having a word with them... to make sure it didn't happen again.
Now who here things a) I was just called a liar by a member of DWP staff (again)? b) she'll actually have that talk to iron out things? c) I'll have a black mark on my record for trying something? d) All of the above?
I'm going with option d here personally. But hey, today we only wasted and hour of 2 DWP staffers, 1 3rd part vendors and 15 unemployed peoples time (and money) today. We're getting better aren't we? On the plus side I was able to sign and get out.
Today's "Local" job (according to Jobcentre Plus job point machine) location: Tipton, West Midlands (165miles, 2hr 53min away).
We were told that applying via newspapers is not the best way of finding work (been that way for years) but that the internet was brilliant so were the websites of agencies themselves. Which confused the ever loving hell out of me.
Speculative letters to large corporations were mentioned (I kept quiet about that one being a waste of paper). They also mentioned again all of the help and services both they and 3rd parties provide... which I had to question because it was a 3rd party that had sent me for the Back to Work sessions in the first place and I could see myself heading back to see him again; after being told he couldn't do anything for me.
The vast bulk of the hour was made up by telling us of her times 'up North', veiled threats about keeping up with our paperwork and the consequences for not living up to our end of the Jobseekers agreement and well you get the idea.
Fair enough. However they then went on to suggest something to do with disability advice, which rang a bell from my Incapacity Benefit days... as in "when you come off IB we'll get you a session with this" sort of which other sectors my skills apply to and how to minimise the issues my medical problems cause. Good stuff. So after the session I talk to the person running it.
Then I was sent to reception.
Then I was sent to speak to the wrong person, who went to get the right person.
The right person told me this wasn't something I couldn't arrange myself. If it hadn't of been arranged when I first signed on to Jobseekers then it was unlikely I'd be eligible for the help. She seemed almost irate at having to meet the great unwashed such as myself.
I asked her to explain to the people who had just held the Back to Work session that what they'd said to do was impossible. She reiterated that I couldn't arrange this myself and I once again explained that I was simply doing as I'd been told. Finally, with a roll of her eyes, she suggested she'd be having a word with them... to make sure it didn't happen again.
Now who here things a) I was just called a liar by a member of DWP staff (again)? b) she'll actually have that talk to iron out things? c) I'll have a black mark on my record for trying something? d) All of the above?
I'm going with option d here personally. But hey, today we only wasted and hour of 2 DWP staffers, 1 3rd part vendors and 15 unemployed peoples time (and money) today. We're getting better aren't we? On the plus side I was able to sign and get out.
Today's "Local" job (according to Jobcentre Plus job point machine) location: Tipton, West Midlands (165miles, 2hr 53min away).
Thursday, 25 November 2010
From the mists of time.
A conversation between two DWP staff, overheard by myself and several others, on a site, several years ago:
DWP1: Did you hear about X (male DWP worker)? He's been suspended.
DWP2: What for?
DWP1: Signing on whilst working, apparently he was doing it 5 times.
DWP2: That's just too much, everyone's fine with you doing it 3 times.
DWP1: I know. Five times is just taking the piss.
Now, nobody would of believed this. People would just assume it was two malicious people twisting the knife in to the unemployed people in ear shot. But then nobody would have believed a famous jewelry mogul would stand up and declare his products as shit and having less value than a prawn sandwich (Gerald Ratner for those wondering).
Math time again (62 a week * number of signings * 4 weeks a month):
Suspended dude was getting £1,240p/m
Those two DWP staff were getting: £744p/m each
Legitimate single sign-on claim gets: £248p/m
I'm willing to bet 'reasonable' money that a DWP advisor pays about £700 in tax a month all told (tax, NI, council tax, VAT on purchases, etc.), so they were quite probably working tax free.
Now I'm not suggesting for a moment that this was wide spread, nor am I suggesting for a second that ALL staff are doing this or that the rules haven't changed over the years since hearing this to stamp it out. But I am suggesting that two people in the DWP were claiming their tax back, at that point in history and were intimating that everyone else in the office was doing likewise.
DWP1: Did you hear about X (male DWP worker)? He's been suspended.
DWP2: What for?
DWP1: Signing on whilst working, apparently he was doing it 5 times.
DWP2: That's just too much, everyone's fine with you doing it 3 times.
DWP1: I know. Five times is just taking the piss.
Now, nobody would of believed this. People would just assume it was two malicious people twisting the knife in to the unemployed people in ear shot. But then nobody would have believed a famous jewelry mogul would stand up and declare his products as shit and having less value than a prawn sandwich (Gerald Ratner for those wondering).
Math time again (62 a week * number of signings * 4 weeks a month):
Suspended dude was getting £1,240p/m
Those two DWP staff were getting: £744p/m each
Legitimate single sign-on claim gets: £248p/m
I'm willing to bet 'reasonable' money that a DWP advisor pays about £700 in tax a month all told (tax, NI, council tax, VAT on purchases, etc.), so they were quite probably working tax free.
Now I'm not suggesting for a moment that this was wide spread, nor am I suggesting for a second that ALL staff are doing this or that the rules haven't changed over the years since hearing this to stamp it out. But I am suggesting that two people in the DWP were claiming their tax back, at that point in history and were intimating that everyone else in the office was doing likewise.
Bringing back New Deal!
Well that's pretty much what the government have said. For those not in the UK or who are and aren't aware of the full story I shall give a breif overview of New Deal as it existed in the late 90's & early 00's.
New Deal was originally for 18 - 25 year olds who were out of work. It would be an 'gateway' period which pretty much involved intesive jobsearch to escape the damn thing, CV writing courses, interview technique courses and such, followed by six month work program and finally followed by another intensive job hunting phase. The program was extended to include the over 25's and I think towards the end over 60's before they retired. If it exists currently it is only in the 18 - 25 year old range. For being on New Deal the amount of money you'd get slightly increased although you couldn't 'opt-out' of New Deal... so why they added that sweetener I don't know.
Now it sounds like a good thing right? In principal it sounds good. After all to get a New Dealer in to your business you had to have a vacancy for them to try out for at the end of it and a lot of kids do need help with job interviews and getting their CV in order so excellent.
It's also worth considering what wasn't public reported: for each New Dealer you find a place for that's £2000 tax free. The procedures for making sure a vacancy were real were very well documented and avaliable for viewing.
I encountered one scammer of the system. They were not in reciept of any state benefits. They'd set up a string of charities and businesses with themselves and partner (in crime) as directors and a sap as secretary. Then hoovered up as much National Lottery grant money as possible before staffing the place with New Dealers who she delighted in abusing. The one site I found was staffed by 6 New Dealers who were rotated out every 5 1/2 months; in the final month there was always a problem (they were suddenly racist, lackadaisical, insolent, basically whatever was required to get rid of them) now keep in mind a 'problem' and being removed from site means your in serious danger of loosing your benefit for a while... this is not a good place to be.
But lets break out the math shall we? See how big this scam was.
6 heads
2000 per head
6 months
That's £72,000 every 6 months. £144,000 per year (2 cycles of New Dealers). As stated the person was running several other sites, 4 of them active at the time I appeared, I see no reason to doubt they weren't staffed in a similar manner or with similar numbers so lets factor that in. Per year these two people (three if you count the sap) managed to slurp £576,000 (Five hundred and seventy six thousand pounds) out of the government and I've no idea how much Lottery money they were able to grab. But then as now it was the poor bastard getting £62 a week who was the evil in society and should be made to suffer.
So all these current plans to "make the scoungers work" that are being bandied about I do, in theory support. But I'm also fully aware that the person running that scam was never arrested, never punished and is as far as I know still out there scamming away. So once Mk2 New Deal starts up you can bet your bottom dollar that they or people like them will be back, in force and taking every penny they can from the government.
It gets more interesting when you consider this: The MP's proposing this specifically mention "council jobs" and "sweeping streets" and "clearing graffiti", something local county councils already employ people to do and flicking around the internet they are reasonably well paid for it and heavily unionized. I don't see that ending well do you?
New Deal was originally for 18 - 25 year olds who were out of work. It would be an 'gateway' period which pretty much involved intesive jobsearch to escape the damn thing, CV writing courses, interview technique courses and such, followed by six month work program and finally followed by another intensive job hunting phase. The program was extended to include the over 25's and I think towards the end over 60's before they retired. If it exists currently it is only in the 18 - 25 year old range. For being on New Deal the amount of money you'd get slightly increased although you couldn't 'opt-out' of New Deal... so why they added that sweetener I don't know.
Now it sounds like a good thing right? In principal it sounds good. After all to get a New Dealer in to your business you had to have a vacancy for them to try out for at the end of it and a lot of kids do need help with job interviews and getting their CV in order so excellent.
It's also worth considering what wasn't public reported: for each New Dealer you find a place for that's £2000 tax free. The procedures for making sure a vacancy were real were very well documented and avaliable for viewing.
I encountered one scammer of the system. They were not in reciept of any state benefits. They'd set up a string of charities and businesses with themselves and partner (in crime) as directors and a sap as secretary. Then hoovered up as much National Lottery grant money as possible before staffing the place with New Dealers who she delighted in abusing. The one site I found was staffed by 6 New Dealers who were rotated out every 5 1/2 months; in the final month there was always a problem (they were suddenly racist, lackadaisical, insolent, basically whatever was required to get rid of them) now keep in mind a 'problem' and being removed from site means your in serious danger of loosing your benefit for a while... this is not a good place to be.
But lets break out the math shall we? See how big this scam was.
6 heads
2000 per head
6 months
That's £72,000 every 6 months. £144,000 per year (2 cycles of New Dealers). As stated the person was running several other sites, 4 of them active at the time I appeared, I see no reason to doubt they weren't staffed in a similar manner or with similar numbers so lets factor that in. Per year these two people (three if you count the sap) managed to slurp £576,000 (Five hundred and seventy six thousand pounds) out of the government and I've no idea how much Lottery money they were able to grab. But then as now it was the poor bastard getting £62 a week who was the evil in society and should be made to suffer.
So all these current plans to "make the scoungers work" that are being bandied about I do, in theory support. But I'm also fully aware that the person running that scam was never arrested, never punished and is as far as I know still out there scamming away. So once Mk2 New Deal starts up you can bet your bottom dollar that they or people like them will be back, in force and taking every penny they can from the government.
It gets more interesting when you consider this: The MP's proposing this specifically mention "council jobs" and "sweeping streets" and "clearing graffiti", something local county councils already employ people to do and flicking around the internet they are reasonably well paid for it and heavily unionized. I don't see that ending well do you?
Ok, so first post...
So the first post, new blog, OMG! Lets start with what this blog is about and why it exists.
Unemployment and pretty much all other benefits in the UK are handled by an entity called the "Department of Work and Pensions" (DWP) known many years ago as "Department of Social Security" (DSS, who used to issue UB40 books for signing on, hence the bands name.. ES40 doesn't have the same ring IMHO), now the DWP gobbles up great gobs of cash and every so often the media jumps up and down about how much money this is and how everyone should rally against the unemployed scroungers who are sucking the country dry.
Fair enough you might think. But how exactly are the DWP spending all of that money we've all paid in to the system to form our safety net? Whilst their figures are as with all government spending available to the public it makes for dry reading and frankly the amount of hyperbole surrounding it means everyone gets a little... excited.
Now depending on who you talk to and who you believe I am a "work shy scrounger who should be sweeping the streets for my benefits" or a "down on my luck person who needs help and wrapping in cotton wool and assistance", but that does mean that I'm intrinsically involved with the great machine that is the DWP; I get to see its underbelly and unlike a lot of people I'm cynical and twisted enough to poke at it and see where my money went.
I also figured that with the current media outrage over unemployment and public spending this might make a small (very small) counter-point to it. So yeah in essence this is me sticking two fingers up at the press and going "Bite me" in a somewhat factual way.
Unemployment and pretty much all other benefits in the UK are handled by an entity called the "Department of Work and Pensions" (DWP) known many years ago as "Department of Social Security" (DSS, who used to issue UB40 books for signing on, hence the bands name.. ES40 doesn't have the same ring IMHO), now the DWP gobbles up great gobs of cash and every so often the media jumps up and down about how much money this is and how everyone should rally against the unemployed scroungers who are sucking the country dry.
Fair enough you might think. But how exactly are the DWP spending all of that money we've all paid in to the system to form our safety net? Whilst their figures are as with all government spending available to the public it makes for dry reading and frankly the amount of hyperbole surrounding it means everyone gets a little... excited.
Now depending on who you talk to and who you believe I am a "work shy scrounger who should be sweeping the streets for my benefits" or a "down on my luck person who needs help and wrapping in cotton wool and assistance", but that does mean that I'm intrinsically involved with the great machine that is the DWP; I get to see its underbelly and unlike a lot of people I'm cynical and twisted enough to poke at it and see where my money went.
I also figured that with the current media outrage over unemployment and public spending this might make a small (very small) counter-point to it. So yeah in essence this is me sticking two fingers up at the press and going "Bite me" in a somewhat factual way.
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