As I will point out again I'm not on the dole I am underemployed just scraping by on NMW on horribly low hours. But this article caught my eye.
A positive experience on the job centreHowever the comments at the bottom are most scathing here are a selection:
22 Sep 2009, 10:55AM
By far the most ridiculous part of the jobcentre process is that to sign up/enquire further about a job, without going into the centre, you must ring a premium rate phone number. I recently applied for jobseekers allowance for the first time and due their internet site not working, I was forced to ring from my mobile. This cost me £15 before I had even attended for the first time.
My only other experience of the job centre is during my time as a student, my girlfriend required jobseekers allowance. Due to us living in a shared house (despite having separate bedrooms) she was forced to make a joint claim. The member of staff then proceeded to tell me I needed to be looking for a job despite being in full time education. He then made up some job prospects for me, telling me I would never need to come back as long as there was something on the system. My girlfriend was then rejected from receiving jobseekers allowance due to me being a student. Obviously I was supposed to support us both on a £3000 a year loan.
22 Sep 2009, 10:42AM
You have to lie at the dole, that's what pisses me off the most. You can't just say what's true, that yes, you are looking for a job that isn't a shit job and no, you're not sending off three applications a week for arsehole jobs that no tosspot in their right mind would want to do.
So you have to lie; you become a liar by necessity; if you tell them the truth you don't get the dole.
By far the most ridiculous part of the jobcentre process is that to sign up/enquire further about a job, without going into the centre, you must ring a premium rate phone number. I recently applied for jobseekers allowance for the first time and due their internet site not working, I was forced to ring from my mobile. This cost me £15 before I had even attended for the first time.
My only other experience of the job centre is during my time as a student, my girlfriend required jobseekers allowance. Due to us living in a shared house (despite having separate bedrooms) she was forced to make a joint claim. The member of staff then proceeded to tell me I needed to be looking for a job despite being in full time education. He then made up some job prospects for me, telling me I would never need to come back as long as there was something on the system. My girlfriend was then rejected from receiving jobseekers allowance due to me being a student. Obviously I was supposed to support us both on a £3000 a year loan.
HumanBoeing
22 Sep 2009, 10:42AM
You have to lie at the dole, that's what pisses me off the most. You can't just say what's true, that yes, you are looking for a job that isn't a shit job and no, you're not sending off three applications a week for arsehole jobs that no tosspot in their right mind would want to do.
So you have to lie; you become a liar by necessity; if you tell them the truth you don't get the dole.