[Centzon Totochtin]

Ugh, I've been feeling really down for no damned reason lately. Since I can't figure out why I am finding it hard to snap out of it

[tiam]

stone monkey, on 01 August 2011 - 07:37 PM, said:

tiam, on 01 August 2011 - 01:28 PM, said:

Ive just finalised signing on/claiming job seeker allowance. While this inspires me more than ever to get a job anywhere it is soul destroying having to justify my existence to the woman in the job centre who Im fairly certain isnt as qualified as myself. I need the money for travel costs pay off my overdraft etc but I actually regret doing it now. I need to do voluntary work to make myself eligible for applying for a PGCE/Teaching certificate but this isnt an option apparently as volunteer work, despite building my CV and allowing me to gain more experience therefore contributing to me getting a job, is not allowed. The short sighted nature of it is what annoys me. I need to claim this for a few months but because your not lettin g me do volunteer work I might be on it longer as I wont get the job I want.

Bureaucratic frustration will be taken out on cuddly nintendo characters in Super Smash Bros soon enough.

Unfortunately them's the rules, she has about as much say in them as you do; and I suspect she's well aware that they're totally counter productive in your case. One of the frustrations of working within the benefits system is that you can see how the rules disadvantage the people you're dealing with and can do nothing about them. She can't break the rules just for you; she would actually be prosecuted, and probably gaoled, if she did that - the Civil Service Code of Conduct is enshrined in law and therefore Serious Business.

If you do go down the route of voluntary work, keep it under 16 hours per week. If you do any more than that it counts as full time work and you lose your entitlement completely. As long as you don't get paid for it and you also keep up with your end of the Job Search agreement, you should be okay. If you can get the voluntary work classed as a training course you might be able to keep your full entitlement for the duration. But don't take my word for it; have a word with a CAB, they should be able to give you a bit of salient advice.

And you might be surprised about the qualifications of the people who work in Job Centres - I know a couple of PhDs and plenty of people who have degrees. Another of the frustrations of working in the benefits system is dealing with people who think you're an uneducated idiot merely because of the job you do. And be glad that you don't need the money to pay for food and a roof over your head.

Yes I know theyre very qualified just mind numbing frustration caused a rant

I asked if I do a few volunteering hours below 16 and asked whether it will be ok aslong as I keep up with my job search agreement but they said anything even a four hour shift isnt an option. While I understand this is to encourage people not to 'scrounge off the dole' and to encourage them to find paid work, it seems reasonably short sighted for someone who needs a small amount of time (a month or two) of benifits for travel costs. Thats actually the worst thing about this as it completely understandable yet to my specific situation it makes it difficult.

Essentially my situation is I am applying for a PGCE (teaching certificate) in september. After September Ill know either way if Ive gotten onto it but it doesnt start until the following september so no matter what im going to get a full time job from september till september 2012 (aslong as the world doesnt end ). However I need to claim benifits largely for travel costs to boost my application form prospects with relevant experience. A few friends of mine applied while doing observation in class rooms, which I will do also, but the PGCE people claimed that this wasnt enough. I said to the woman in the job centre that would it be possible for me to do a volunteer position for a small time to boost my CV (aswell as my teaching certificate) but this wasnt an option.

My mum used to work for the CAB so I might ring her up later to see if she knows anything about it.

Edit- Sorry ive just seen the post below the other one. I didnt mean to offend you (judging by your post you work in a similar environment). Like I said frustration caused a rant because I want to get a job so badly, just get up go to work stack shelves and come home, but I have to do volunteer work to make my application eligible which makes things very difficult. My family have been very supportive but they havnt got the money to keep me and im desperately searching for night work that would allow me to volunteer in the day. Ive wanted to be a teacher so long its just frustrating when bureacratic stuff seems to get in the way.

This post has been edited by tiam: 02 August 2011 - 01:21 PM

[Mentalist]

Diablo 3 being online only is messing with my groove. I was looking forward to this game for several years, and now I won't be buying it.

[QuickTidal]

stone monkey, on 01 August 2011 - 08:14 PM, said:

Okay, now this is messing with my groove:

Let's be clear on this - and I do know it's fun and emotionally satisfying to blame the messenger but it's rather pointless - the staff in your Job Centre do not want to keep you on benefit; they actually have targets set for them about how many people they get off benefit and into work, so it's in their interests to get you working. If you have problems with the rules for benefit, take them up with your MP - they're the ones who set them.

If you wander into your Job Centre with the idea that everyone in the building is an idiot who wants to stand in the way of you getting the job you deserve, then trust me they can tell. They're legally obliged to treat you equally to everyone else, but it's going to be no fun for you or them.

I've claimed Jobseekers, probably 70-90% of those of us who work within the system have, so we really do know what it's like to be on the other side of the desk.

I think (unless I miss the mark) the major complaint was that reporting too many job seeking types was deemed not allowed. As far as I am concerned that's ridiculous and the Jade Hog has a point about that. I don't know how it is elsewhere in the world, but in Canada (here we call it E.I.) you can do as much as you like in terms of job seeking and volunteer work doesn't enter into it at all. In fact so long as you aren't working a full time job that PAYS you money you can collect it. At least that's how I understood Jade's comment, and he's got a point.

Now, The folk who work at Jobseekers are Gov't employees aren't they since the JSA is run by the UK Gov't? I'm sorry, if I lived in the UK I'm not going to bother with my MP, the JSA people at ground level who work for the gov't would face my ire...as they are a branch of the gov't, or at least working FOR them....so in my eyes, if I have a complaint I WILL voice it about/to them and it should get passed up the line accordingly. Telling someone to talk to their MP is like telling them to talk to a brick wall...it's not going to go anywhere, cause MP's usually don't give a crap about one person complaining. I can talk to my MP till I'm blue in the face about an issue I have and unless it's election time, I'll get a form letter. It's a waste of time.

This post has been edited by King Kazma: 02 August 2011 - 07:22 PM

[Grimjust Bearegular]

I HAD ON MY CAKE-EATING T-SHIRT TO WORK TODAY, BUT THERE WAS NO CAKE TO BE HAD!

[QuickTidal]

Deadilly Facesnarker, on 03 August 2011 - 02:53 PM, said:

I HAD ON MY CAKE-EATING T-SHIRT TO WORK TODAY, BUT THERE WAS NO CAKE TO BE HAD!

Foiled again!

I hate when that happens!

[Loki]

Rustle keeps trying to evacuate his contents :S


Also, I seem to have developed a strong attraction to rednecks lately - I mostly blame Norman Reedus' character in The Walking Dead - I need to stop watching movies set in southern USA and keep from watching Walker: Texas Ranger for a bit.

*shakes head* Don't judge me....

This post has been edited by Loki: 04 August 2011 - 10:09 AM

[Puck]

Loki, on 04 August 2011 - 08:09 AM, said:

I mostly blame Norman Reedus' character in The Walking Dead -

Well, he IS awesome.


Minor groove messing: my DG is falling apart. It's been read only three times! The pages aren't supposed to be falling out when I open it just yet!

[Tapper]

I'm listening to the Ramones, and I can't help but wonder why their classics sound like a cheap up-tempo pop group nowadays instead of the legends of punk they were.

[tiam]

WOMEN!!!

[Ain't_It_Just_]

I've been turning the house upside down looking for my favourite rainbow bobble hat, and no luck. Seems no-one knows where it is, so I think ive lost it And casual clothes tomorrow, rotten luck! This sucks.

[Captain Beardface]

Bored at work... Would rather be busy as the day goes by faster as it is it will drag on...

[Loki]

I went to replay Dragon Age and all my DLC is corrupt - now I have to re-install it all

[QuickTidal]

Ain, on 04 August 2011 - 12:29 PM, said:

my favourite rainbow bobble hat

^^WTF? Holy Hell! Somebody get AIJ a proper black baseball cap (or at least a badass cowboy hat) STAT!

[Tapper]

tiam, on 04 August 2011 - 12:20 PM, said:

WOMEN!!! are glorious creatures, but in the scheme of relationships

1. see
2. speak
3. kiss
4. date
5. ?????
6. PROFIT

I never seem to get to the PROFIT stage.

Fixed for accuracy.

[Binder of Demons]

King Kazma, on 04 August 2011 - 01:06 PM, said:

Ain, on 04 August 2011 - 12:29 PM, said:

my favourite rainbow bobble hat

^^WTF? Holy Hell! Somebody get AIJ a proper black baseball cap (or at least a badass cowboy hat) STAT!

Hey, if he can rock a rainbow bobble hat in high school without any shame, i say more power to him.

[Darkwatch]

I'd say someone (not Aij) "lost" it with intent.

[LadyMTL]

I've had a mo-fo of a migraine all day...I tried napping and couldn't nap, I've swallowed more pain pills than I ought to, I've done everything short of slam my head into a wall and it won't go away. And yes, I know staring at a computer screen won't help but at this point I don't care anymore.

[tiam]

Tapper, on 04 August 2011 - 02:10 PM, said:

tiam, on 04 August 2011 - 12:20 PM, said:

WOMEN!!! are glorious creatures, but in the scheme of relationships

1. see
2. speak
3. kiss
4. date
5. ?????
6. PROFIT

I never seem to get to the PROFIT stage.

Fixed for accuracy.

Its more to do with being tempted to get back to the profit stage but I dunno whether I can be bothered anymore.

So I hold to my original statement of WOMEN!!!!

[Tapper]

Honestly dude, opting for celibacy or one-night flings is no option. Simple as that.

Anyway, currently messing with the groove:
A. there's no-one in chat.
B. I'm slightly drunk.
C. There's no-one in chat to be slightly drunk with (leading to embarrassing situations/screenies)
D. the rather fetching slightly chubby blonde who kept looking at me all the time but who left moments before closing time
E. the very, very beautiful yet slightly worn down redhead who is my best friend's best lady friend and who is in desperate need of a good boyfriend but doesn't fancy me for that role;
F. the lesbian couple doing a saucy latin just before I left.

Naturally, B and D soothe my ego as well as messing with it, F is awesome eyecandy and B is not a bad thing per sé, but still, I am disappoint by having to share my happenstances in a post rather than chat. you let me down, peeps.