• As a jobcentre adviser, I got ‘brownie points’ for cruelty
    50 replies, posted
[QUOTE]Angela Neville, 48, is describing events she witnessed as a special adviser in a jobcentre that prompted her to write a play about her experiences. “We were given lists of customers to call immediately and get them on to the Work Programme,” she recalls. “I said, ‘I’m sorry this can’t happen, this man is in hospital.’ I was told [by my boss]: ‘No, you’ve got to phone him and you’ve got to put this to him and he may be sanctioned.’ I said I’m not doing it.” “You’re not doing the job, you’re firefighting,” she says. “From my own experience, staff are subjected to constant and aggressive pressure to meet and exceed targets. [B]Colleagues would leave team meetings crying[/B]. Things were changing all the time. The pressure was incredible. [B]Advisers were actively encouraged to impose sanctions (along the lines of “sanction of the month”) to contribute to the points system that ranks jobcentre offices[/B]. It was often for stupid reasons,” she adds. A demonstrable shift took place once the coalition settled in, says Neville. Along with “relentless” targets, huge caseloads, and less time to spend with individual claimants, she lists the increasing complexity of the system including the many and very complicated forms that needed to be filled in and problems with the fitness to work test administered by Atos. “It used to feel like we were doing something for clients, now it was [doing something] to them,” she says. “And it was happening all the time. A customer maybe would be a little bit late or would phone in and the message wasn’t passed on. It was very distressing to have customers literally without food, without heat, without resources and these are unwell [and] disabled customers. If it hadn’t been for the fact that most of my colleagues were dedicated and compassionate people I wouldn’t have lasted more than a few months.” [/QUOTE] [URL="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/04/jobcentre-adviser-play-benefit-sanctions-angela-neville"]Source[/URL]
I do feel for them, they have to be cold heartless bastards or get fired.
Thats what happens when you outsource it to private companies. All about profits and goals rather than actually helping people get into full time work or get careers. If worst comes to worst bully people into stopping coming so they're no longer listed as unemployed and so meet their goals that way.
They would also pick and trick claimers who had learning disabilities.
This was a /r/unitedkingdom thread as I recall. Also, she literally lives about 10 mins away from me, which was weird to read.
Take this from someone who has just signed on, my advisor is horrid and I've only been there once. Questions designed to trip you up and from the experience of friends who are going there or have been there they do sanction you for ANYTHING
[QUOTE=Thomo_UK;47112501]Take this from someone who has just signed on, my advisor is horrid and I've only been there once. Questions designed to trip you up and from the experience of friends who are going there or have been there they do sanction you for ANYTHING[/QUOTE] Just wait till they start pushing you onto unpaid work experience stacking shelves.
[QUOTE=mdeceiver79;47112507]Just wait till they start pushing you onto unpaid work experience stacking shelves.[/QUOTE] I had this happen to me. It was supposed to be a 4 week "work experience" (read: free temps for them) placement over the Christmas where I was working more hours than almost all of the rest of their actual staff. On top of that the managers were complete cunts and treated us like dirt whenever they spoke to us.
If you do get a job don't tell your advisor/agency ANYTHING. Tell them to get lost. They will try and claim they got you the job and claim the government bonus given for doing so. Cunts. This happens in Australia, not sure about the UK.
[QUOTE=Trainbike;47112531]I had this happen to me. It was supposed to be a 4 week "work experience" (read: free temps for them) placement over the Christmas where I was working more hours than almost all of the rest of their actual staff. On top of that the managers were complete cunts and treated us like dirt whenever they spoke to us.[/QUOTE] Same scenario for me every time. I've done two placements, second wasn't too bad since there were other people on placement in the same boat but management for both were horrid. One of my co-workers in the first placement pretty much harassed me as much as possible trying to make me flip out so I'd end up getting sanctioned. It's worse when you've not really got much option but to take shitty warehouse/retail jobs where they all require an absurd amount of experience/licenses so you end up having to apply for a few jobs, which they say isn't enough and sanction you for it even if you explain why.
[QUOTE=Brandy92;47112591]If you do get a job don't tell your advisor/agency ANYTHING. Tell them to get lost. They will try and claim they got you the job and claim the government bonus given for doing so. Cunts. This happens in Australia, not sure about the UK.[/QUOTE] here doing that means you could jolly well end up with your benefits being stopped and possibly going to court and jail for benefit fraud
Well, guys, that's what you get for voting for assholes.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;47112843]Well, guys, that's what you get for voting for assholes.[/QUOTE] well good sir its either assholes assholes who want your money or racist assholes take your pick
[QUOTE=Taiset;47112800]here doing that means you could jolly well end up with your benefits being stopped and possibly going to court and jail for benefit fraud[/QUOTE] Yeah you just tell them you're not claiming job seekers, cause they're supposed to help you find a job and I've literally met no one who would say they found them their job for them.
The UK privatized their employment agencies?
[QUOTE=Reshy;47112870]The UK privatized their employment agencies?[/QUOTE] Naw man, they're just shit.
[QUOTE=Reshy;47112870]The UK privatized their employment agencies?[/QUOTE] Nah the Department for Work and Pensions are just assholes ran by people who have never been hungry, probably. [QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;47112843]Well, guys, that's what you get for voting for assholes.[/QUOTE] But the 2010 election ended in a Hung Parliament and we are only in this position due to the coalition formed by the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives in order to get a majority?
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;47112843]Well, guys, that's what you get for voting for assholes.[/QUOTE] to be fair i don't think anybody knew how impotent nick clegg was going to be. it was hoped that the liberal democrats would shelter people from the worst of the tory government but they didn't and now their chances are completely decimated for the next decade or so
This seems to of become a thing since the coalition came to power in 2010, they probably pushed it because it supports the work-shy scroungers image that the gutter press like to use. Fat chance of it changing while the conservatives are in power, they are the biggest suck ups to them imaginable.
[QUOTE=mdeceiver79;47112507]Just wait till they start pushing you onto unpaid work experience stacking shelves.[/QUOTE] I left when they wanted me to do unpaid work experience at the centre itself, became self employed :v:
[QUOTE=Lf751;47113045]I left when they wanted me to do unpaid work experience at the centre itself, became self employed :v:[/QUOTE] I didn't quit when they sent me on an all day customer service course - despite me having about 4 jobs in the customer service sector. I didn't even quit when they made me do two weeks unpaid work experience in a supermarket. but Yeah when it got to that point I left too I DJ now which is a lot more stressful and unreliable than Jobseekers but fuck it I'd rather struggle and not feel like shit 90% of the week
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;47112843]Well, guys, that's what you get for voting for assholes.[/QUOTE] Well it's either that or you don't vote at all..
The key thing for me in this article is the awful, awful truth that in our society, there are people who believe that taking heat, food and potentially shelter away from disabled and hospitalised citizens, is completely justified and/or a great way of meeting 'sanction quotas'. They don't quite understand that [i]disability is a fucking protected quality[/i]. That means that by sanctioning people because they cannot work due to their disabilities, they are violating the Human Rights Act. Might I remind you that the Tory government propose to scrap this act? Fuck the DWP so hard. Edit: My mistake, apparently the protections are afforded by the Equality Act. I just did a course on this a few weeks ago. Perhaps I fell asleep. Even so, denying disabled people their heat and food because they can't pitch up to a job centre at some advisor's beckon call? Come on.
Thoroughly unsurprising, you get shifted around so much and sent on waste of time courses so much it's ridiculous.
People on benefits are being scapegoated as the greatest thread to our society at the moment so it isn't surprising they get treated so shitty. People are more worried about the people getting £50 a week to live off that they forget about how the hugely rich are the ones actually fucking everything up.
[QUOTE=Pepsi-cola;47112415]I do feel for them, they have to be cold heartless bastards or get fired.[/QUOTE] My dad worked in a Job Centre in the early 80's and this was pretty standard. 20 years between then and now, staff pretty much did bugger all. Point to a computer terminal and say 'Start looking.' Advisor meetings were pretty much non-existent, so suddenly having to do this stuff must be a shock to the system. I wonder if the tact changes depending on location, or they just act cold to everyone regardless?
[QUOTE=RainbowStalin;47114104]People on benefits are being scapegoated as the greatest thread to our society at the moment so it isn't surprising they get treated so shitty. People are more worried about the people getting £50 a week to live off that they forget about how the hugely rich are the ones actually fucking everything up.[/QUOTE] there's been so many scapegoats going around recently it's hard to keep track of them all. muslim immigrants are taking all the jobs but if you can't find a job yourself then you're a fat lazy cunt and you need your benefits cut and THAT'S why we need to leave the EU
[QUOTE=Thomo_UK;47112902]Nah the Department for Work and Pensions are just assholes ran by people who have never been hungry, probably. But the 2010 election ended in a Hung Parliament and we are only in this position due to the coalition formed by the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives in order to get a majority?[/QUOTE] I refuse your first statement, because my father works at the DWP. Yes, we have never been hungry, but I've seen how much our family has gone downhill under conservatives. We used to be able to have family holidays and shop without actually having to worry about things. Now we haven't been on holiday for the duration of the conservatives and now have to only buy things on offer in the cheapest stores. It's not the same as having to weigh up the mortgage against food, but £50 a week for four people isn't that much. I notice you said probably, and it isn't the case. Assuming that everyone who works at the DWP is a rich, pompous asshole is not the right way to go, because a lot are in the same boat as you. My dad had the chance to get whatever he wanted from that place as he was the last person they had who was trained for the position but he didn't ask for anything.
Being in the Job Center and listening to advisers can easily throw you into depression. Happened to me a few years ago. They all seem to be horrible and so damn forceful. There was a time I had approached an employer who really badly needed help, I offered to help in a freelance manner to weaken the load he had for a low price, as I mainly wanted the experience. He agreed and suggested I start right away but sign up to a youth employment scheme on the Job Center for a bit extra pay saying I wouldn't have been getting much. I mentioned this agreement to my adviser (minus the fact I was getting paid), and she did not want to help at all. She was telling me to immediately stop working there because I was being "used". I kept telling her I didn't care about the money (that she didn't think I was getting at all), I was in it for the experience that I needed desperately, but this didn't seem to matter to her. My allowance was threatened by her and I had to stop working there until I got the scheme set up.
[QUOTE=MissZoey;47114246]I refuse your first statement, because my father works at the DWP. Yes, we have never been hungry, but I've seen how much our family has gone downhill under conservatives. We used to be able to have family holidays and shop without actually having to worry about things. Now we haven't been on holiday for the duration of the conservatives and now have to only buy things on offer in the cheapest stores. It's not the same as having to weigh up the mortgage against food, but £50 a week for four people isn't that much. I notice you said probably, and it isn't the case. Assuming that everyone who works at the DWP is a rich, pompous asshole is not the right way to go, because a lot are in the same boat as you. My dad had the chance to get whatever he wanted from that place as he was the last person they had who was trained for the position but he didn't ask for anything.[/QUOTE] My apologies, I meant to put it was the very-very top brass of the DWP that often are not on the 'frontlines' as they would put it. [editline]10th February 2015[/editline] The same people who push down these ridiculous 'reforms' as they would put it.
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