Work for your Benefit
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Work for your Benefit
Information on Work for Your Benefit Trials and Legislation will appear here soon.
In the meanwhile please check out Ipswich Unemployed Action for more information.
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You need to look on the downing street website. A petition has been launched against this
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I have no intention of working for my pittance. Like many people signing on I want to work but I have mental health problems and will not be doing anything which jepoardises my health. My GP will sign me off if I ask. Screw this country.
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Asda are expecting people to work for their pittance.
2 week work trials and you’re not on their pay roll , they give you a break to go to the job centre and sign on. This is walmart as well, the biggest retailer in the world, and they refuse to pay you minimum wage for 2 weeks work.
Which can include Saturdays or Sundays. I think it’s disgusting and amazed the government are allowing them to get away with it.
if that’s not exploitation then what is?
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Actually do you know how Tesco Boss Terry Leahy got his knighthood?
Tesco donated £5000 sponsorship in 1997 and 1998 (not sure if that was combined for both years or each) to the Labour party. Not Cash for Honour scandal though…. we are building up to it..
Tesco was the biggest supporter of New Deal scheme and before he was knighted (in 2002) gave over 1500 opportunities (to work for nothing) to those on New Deal. This was the reason he got the knighthood and not because he is the boss of the largest British supermarket. If I find the article I will cite the source.
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Hey this website is fantastic and is just the sort of thing that’s needed to combat this cruel, exploitative nonsense.
Anyway, I’ve got a few survival tips for avoiding New Deal. Don’t know if they’re mentioned elsewhere but I’ve done a few of them and know people who have done the other things.
First and best thing to do is get on incapacity benefit. You can do this by going to the doctor and telling him you’re feeling depressed, suicidal, socially anxious, whatever. If you’ve just been on a New Deal placement, you probably won’t even be lying! You’ll get signed off and you can claim incapacity benefit, which is (i think) more money, plus it’s MUCH less hassle. I know a few people on incapacity benefit and they don’t have any problems once they’re on there. It’s cushy but it does tend to be long-term. My mate’s been on it for ten years now.
Personally, I did a few things to avoid / survive New Deal placements on the dole.
First thing you can do is turn up to the first appointment (if it’s a Job Search thing that doesn’t help you) and don’t show up to any of the others. When asked later, just say you didn’t know you were meant to go to any others, and look suitably horrified that you missed out on a wonderful opportunity.
Move to a different Borough. I did that a couple of weeks into my slave-labour placement and they cancelled it, saving me 11 awful weeks of steaming clothes with grannies in Cancer Research.
Maybe it’s possible to fake moving by getting your bank to send statements to a friend or relative’s house, and using that as proof of address at a different Jobcentre. If you aren’t receiving housing benefit, that should work and there’s very little chance you’ll ever get caught.
You’re entitled to three sick days without doctor’s permission, so you can use these on the slave-labour work-for-food placements they send you on without having sanctions put on you.
You can also turn up consistently late and they can’t do anything about it. Just be nice about it so you can take the piss a lot more. An hour or two every morning really makes a difference. And have a moan with some other people there. You’re all united against a common enemy. Why suffer in silence? If you’re in a group you’ll find it easier to take longer breaks from doing Wordsearches with different types of jobs in them (I kid ye not!) and do what you want to do instead.
It helps a lot to be nice to the staff regardless of how cretinous and awful they seem, because if they’re your friends you can get away with more stuff, like leaving early, dossing around, stuff like that.
Also, I found taking a clever-looking book into the Job Club helped for boredom relief mostly, but also helped in changing the way staff reacted around me. Reading a book during their banal seminar on ‘barriers to work’ etc. seems to put them in an awkward position because they don’t want to berate you for reading but can’t stand the fact that you’re ignoring them. If they say anything just apologise, then do it again a couple of hours later.
Hope these have been useful. Have fun.
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the only incapacity benefit is those that pre claimed employment support allowance.
there are many with anxiety problems claiming jobseekers,my gp was willing to sign me off,however this leads to the new employment support allowance.
trips to the job centre are still unavoidable however for sick notes, further problems occur later with atos,this company has a bad record of dealing with health issues,if “deemed fit” the claim is terminated and those have to claim jobseekers allowance or crisis loans to appeal outcomes’.
people with mental health problems find it a huge barrier to find work.the job centre take the view its unlawful to discriminate,however the records show over 90% are out of work,these people are caught between aggressive job centre staff who aggravate conditions and causing further problems,atos taking a lax view and employers that taking a far from lax view.
i personally have reservations of these programs,for the outlay to the public purse the success rate is low,i passed a charity shop recently and one person who was to supposed to have found employment when i was on new deal was back in there with a vacuum cleaner,it is supposed to provide a work reference but for many who are not in retail its useless,its seen as drab in reality and combined with gaps results in being overlooked.
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Any idea how long you can be on ESA before
a: you are forced to attend a medical?
and
b: before your previous jobseekers claim is reset back to 0 weeks?
regarding a:, at least, I was on ESA from July 09 to September 09 at which point I (stupidly) chose to sign on rather than get another medical certificate. (Before I lost my job in July I had only claimed about 14 weeks of JSA in 10 years… I honestly/naively/insanely believed their claim that they wanted to help the unwell back to work)
However, they messed my JSA claim up and the BDC’s systems said I was still in receipt of ESA even though I wasn’t and was signing on. Every time I signed on my JSA payment had to be processed manually which meant a delay of up to a week.
Anyway, because of this mistake, ATOS started hassling me in around November. After speaking to about 12 people in the jobcenter and the BDC and writing to ATOS, noone did anything to fix it so I just ignored their letters and didn’t turn up to the medicals (bear in mind, this was their mistake – I was receiving JSA and wasn’t claiming to be unwell). By the end of December I was still getting letters threatening me with withdrawal of my non-existant ESA payments if I didn’t go to their medicals. So I reckon I could have got away with going from July to December (almost 6 months) claiming ESA without having a medical?
nb like others who post here, I have conditions which make work very stressful & difficult for me but I suspect those are not the sort of things picked up in DWP medical assessments
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hi michael,
i am in a similar position to yourself,given these stupid jobseeker agreement rules brought in i dont even know if i will get paid despite doing everyday search.
i am going back to my doctor and i am going to make sure this job centre and there practices are going to get a full mention,the stress is terrible.i will not be treated like that from like what i have seen and witnessed to others.
my gp is likely to suggest signing off,from what i have been reading here
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_money/benefits/benefits_for_people_who_are_sick_or_disabled.htm
“preparation” for work starts 13 weeks into the claim,i cannot see how you will be taken on if there are health problems,they have chosen to ignore that fact,also to claim jobseekers you cannot be classed as “sick” yet they close esa claims in favor of jobseekers and someone is still ill,the fact that an illness is present is likely to push people on to hardship payments as they have little prospect of work,it could go on and on its plainly ridiculous that a gp can say your ill which is the case and atos try and send you back to the job centre.
i personally think i will have a very tough time now finding employment with my problems,its enough to kill an interview on the spot,the problem is disabilities have to be disclosed for dda purposes.
my time signing time at the job centre i fear is very short now,some one cannot go on signing and signing its not fair on that person and with little or no prospect of having a normal work life.
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follow up
it appears atos are up to dirty tricks as here
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?s=132b2d3754cea63d7ddacfea5b3ca15d&t=1908607
this is not good enough they appear to paper over other benefits in favour of jobseekers allowance.none of whats been said here comes as a surprise.
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I was actually one of the very first people on New Deal just after New Labour got into power (1999, I think). I got a 6 month trial, which led to a 3-year job. None of the help I got was from outside agencies; it was all from people employed by the jobcentre. I always thought it was a good idea but it sounds like these greedy private firms have ruined it.
My recent (unpleasant) experience of signing on has been an eye opener. There are far more unemployed people than jobs so why waste hundreds of millions harassing the least employable people into work. Why not worry about those people when there are more jobs than unemployed? The whole thing makes no sense.
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Totallyicapacitated: Thanks for the tips, some of which I might try myself when the opportunity presents itself.
But you do realise the New Deal was replaced in Oct last year with the Flexibel new Deal? Instead of the 13 weeks, you now only have to go to a provider once a fortnight for a few hours.
I also think they have now tightend up on the disability dodge for new claimants.
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people who have a disability have a track record,it could go back many years’,perhaps being diagnosed at childhood and problems continue over many years’,that person might not even know,they suspect somethings wrong but dont know what.
people who have a disability diagnosis are protected by the disability discrimination act and employers and the dwp have to follow that.
this is what is one of my main concerns with people who have to attend the job centre,staff might realise how bullying and intimidating they are coming across and how this can effect someone who does not have a visible disability,it would appear that the tactics used shows a complete lack of awareness or worse they couldnt care less.
as we all know there is no confidentiality in a job centre and when someone is taking an attitude with people it stands out and shows.
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We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to call a Public Inquiry to establish whether paying private companies to reduce UK unemployment represents good value for the taxpayer?
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/JobPrograms/
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Hi – do you get paid extra money if you go on a work placement (or ‘boost’) on Phase 4 of the FND (I’m currently getting £100.95 pw JSA)? If so, how much more do you get? Any help gratefully received.
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Bono: As far as I know you will only get reinbursement of travel expenses.
Mnd you, there’s nothing to stop the company providing the work placement bunging you a few extra quid on the QT.
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I don’t know if this is the right place to post it but I was watching the wright stuff. It asked a question for the break. 6000 benefit cheats are found but only 70 tax evaders are found and prosecuted yet more money is lost through tax evasion go figure. Is the unemployed or incapacitated, disable or elderly this governments whipping boys and girls.
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Kyron, it’s been like that for years. The reality is that it is a lot easier to catch a benefit cheat than investigate someone for tax evasion even though they cost the country more money.
Think I will have to start watching the Right Stuff, looks a lot more interesting than some of the usual rubbish.
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as the saying goes “somethings will never change thats the way it is.
while jobseekers’ have no rights regarding conditions’,the .gov website contradicts this.also skill not matching the job,yet they will try and send you for anything.
“Typical causes of work-related stress include poor communication, a bad working environment and skills not matching those that are needed for the job”.
they say that people are better off in work with mental health problems?.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/HealthAndSafetyAtWork/DG_10026604
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I’m on the FND scheme with Working Links . I attended my induction and then went in for one more meeting with them , since then I have heard nothing in a month .
Nobody mentioned going there every 2 weeks or any further things that I needed to do .
I’m signing on as normal and still receiving JSA .
Whats going on ? Should I contact them ? I have no interest in going there but obviously I don’t want to lose any benefit .
( Sorry if this is a general question but I’ve just found this site and am not sure where to post )
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Continue to provide signed labour market declarations (i.e. sign on) – I wouldn’t personally rock the boat by contacting them.
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I completely agree with FND on this regard. My ordeal by A4E is causing me a lot of problems, my health is suffering. My chances of getitng sanctioned are getting higher as they are trying to make me apply for jobs I have no right or no possibility of getting.
I am awaiting for a time they send me for a job as a brain surgeon knowing full well i can’t do it. Id still have to apply and goto interview if there was one otherwise i might get a sanction for it.
Take it from me let sleeping dogs
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… lie? A very big keyword there!
Load of lies on Flexible New Deal!
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I am glad you said that I wanted to leave an opening for someone to say that.
OH BTW I am conscious that I have made waves for A4E is there anyone that could volunteer for me. I am looking for someone to ask for the getting to know you questionaire of 107 questions under the FOI Act. I am trying to save my own up as I don’t want them saying i am being vexatious.
Do You think your friends LIKE YOU ?
Do you Strangely Agree, Agree, Neither disagree or agree, Disagree or Strangely Disagree.
Sorry can’t forgive the slight pee take
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It’s a bugger, this Flexible New Deal. Ah,fuck it, it’s too much hassle getting the benefits these days.
I think I’ll get a job instead.
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***Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights***
“Article 4 – Prohibition of slavery and forced labour
1. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude. 2. No one shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour. 3. For the purpose of this article the term “forced or compulsory labour” shall not include:
a. any work required to be done in the ordinary course of detention imposed according to the provisions of Article 5 of this Convention or during conditional release from such detention;
b. any service of a military character or, in case of conscientious objectors in countries where they are recognised, service exacted instead of compulsory military service;
c. any service exacted in case of an emergency or calamity threatening the life or well-being of the community;
d. any work or service which forms part of normal civic obligations. ”
Does A4e and the Government even know they are breaking The Law??
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Isn’t there a European Court of Human Rights or some sort of similar body where you can submit a complaint about an organisation or company? If there is I think we should all sign a petition against the Jobcentre and/or the UK government, to highlight the illegality of it all.
Surely they can’t ignore it?
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They are all part of the same club. The people who make the laws (including the welfare laws) are funded by the wealthy – the very people who want to exploit you and who avoid paying UK taxes by claiming so-called “non-dom” status (e.g. Lord Michael Ashcroft).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8542744.stm
It’s the same in Europe; it’s the same everywhere.
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The UK government has been hauled before the European Court for more breaches of human rights than any other government.
So don’t give up, keep fighting in your own way. And they will be in for a shock when the fightback begins if they try and implement Workfare.
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W: There’s a YouTube video about Article 4 in the context of Workfare. It’s says how people on Workfare will probably be doing the same work as those sentenced to Community Payback and how being unemployed is not a crime, so they might be able to refuse to do the same work.
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