Discussion
Spent 6 months on JSA between jobs.
Claiming was a piece of piss- couple of visits and a form and bobs your uncle I've got 60quid a week.
I had to set aside 15mins once per week to sign on.
They couldn't have been more helpful with claiming other benefits, they were throwing money m way and seemed very suspicious when I refused them.
Having said all that I hated it and got a job pretty quickly once id put my mind to it. Around 25% looked embarrassed to be there- the rest looked perfectly happy!
Claiming was a piece of piss- couple of visits and a form and bobs your uncle I've got 60quid a week.
I had to set aside 15mins once per week to sign on.
They couldn't have been more helpful with claiming other benefits, they were throwing money m way and seemed very suspicious when I refused them.
Having said all that I hated it and got a job pretty quickly once id put my mind to it. Around 25% looked embarrassed to be there- the rest looked perfectly happy!
Sticks. said:
thinfourth2 said:
Its also a f
king terrible solution as the potential for abuse is massive. Once it is the norm for one sector of society to have their spending controlled by the government then it can easily be rolled out to others. And i for one really don't want some government tt saying i shouldn't be buying goose fat to stick on my roast potatoes.
Thisn is it for me. There is a sector of the UK which is multi-occupancy addresses, NFAs, unclear and multi-identities, and that's before you start on the trade, loss and theft of the cards, and the consequent resource needed to plug the leakage.king terrible solution as the potential for abuse is massive. Once it is the norm for one sector of society to have their spending controlled by the government then it can easily be rolled out to others. And i for one really don't want some government tt saying i shouldn't be buying goose fat to stick on my roast potatoes.But if you think it's a good idea, why not start with Child Benefit? Govt could ensure that children don't eat non-state-approved foods and drinks, which would benefit their education, behaviour and improve their long term health and economic outcomes. There would therefore be savings all round, from youth crime, the obesity epidemic to a healthier old age. You could also use your vouchers for the single state-approved school uniform, so that children are properly dressed.
It's a bit commie for me, but once you've accepted the principle, what's to stop it?
This must be stopped
So i agree
The first benefit to get the welfare card MUST be child benefit
Just think of the children
SpeedMattersNot said:
Some parents even use the child support money to buy fashionable clothing for their child. Totally uncalled for and cards should be implemented so that they can only buy them shoes at the local charity shops.
(actually, that's not a bad idea)
And of course under no circumstances should this child benefit card be allowed to be used in upmarket shops like Waitrose.(actually, that's not a bad idea)
It should only be used in shop which provide maximum value like Asda and Tescos
If we start off with child benefits i could actually warm to this idea of a benefits card
thinfourth2 said:
SpeedMattersNot said:
Some parents even use the child support money to buy fashionable clothing for their child. Totally uncalled for and cards should be implemented so that they can only buy them shoes at the local charity shops.
(actually, that's not a bad idea)
And of course under no circumstances should this child benefit card be allowed to be used in upmarket shops like Waitrose.(actually, that's not a bad idea)
It should only be used in shop which provide maximum value like Asda and Tescos
If we start off with child benefits i could actually warm to this idea of a benefits card
I have seen the light....
PugwasHDJ80 said:
Spent 6 months on JSA between jobs.
Claiming was a piece of piss- couple of visits and a form and bobs your uncle I've got 60quid a week.
I had to set aside 15mins once per week to sign on.
They couldn't have been more helpful with claiming other benefits, they were throwing money m way and seemed very suspicious when I refused them.
Having said all that I hated it and got a job pretty quickly once id put my mind to it. Around 25% looked embarrassed to be there- the rest looked perfectly happy!
I spent a few weeks on JSA a few years ago. Like you I found signing on a very easy process, just a phone call an interview and a few forms. I got £57 a week and all I had to do was write down three thing a week to show I'd been looking for a job. This could have been as something as simple as looking at a website, a paper or in the job centre window.No proof was required that I'd actually been doing this though.Claiming was a piece of piss- couple of visits and a form and bobs your uncle I've got 60quid a week.
I had to set aside 15mins once per week to sign on.
They couldn't have been more helpful with claiming other benefits, they were throwing money m way and seemed very suspicious when I refused them.
Having said all that I hated it and got a job pretty quickly once id put my mind to it. Around 25% looked embarrassed to be there- the rest looked perfectly happy!
Unlike you though, I was not offered any other support or benefits and had to fund my own journeys to job interviews. I only found out about the perks once I was working again.
I was very easy to tell the 'normal' people signing on from the regulars with their taxis waiting outside for them.
The staff came across as uncaring and just wanted to tick the boxes. My 'advisor' seemed genuinely surprised that I'd applied for several jobs and had a couple of interviews lined up within the first couple of weeks. I ended up working again within 3 weeks.
Until you've had to step into one of these job centres and sign on, I don't really think you can understand the feeling involved. I've been in full time work since I was 16 apart from those 3 weeks, and hope I never have to sign on again.
eccles said:
PugwasHDJ80 said:
Spent 6 months on JSA between jobs.
Claiming was a piece of piss- couple of visits and a form and bobs your uncle I've got 60quid a week.
I had to set aside 15mins once per week to sign on.
They couldn't have been more helpful with claiming other benefits, they were throwing money m way and seemed very suspicious when I refused them.
Having said all that I hated it and got a job pretty quickly once id put my mind to it. Around 25% looked embarrassed to be there- the rest looked perfectly happy!
I spent a few weeks on JSA a few years ago. Like you I found signing on a very easy process, just a phone call an interview and a few forms. I got £57 a week and all I had to do was write down three thing a week to show I'd been looking for a job. This could have been as something as simple as looking at a website, a paper or in the job centre window.No proof was required that I'd actually been doing this though.Claiming was a piece of piss- couple of visits and a form and bobs your uncle I've got 60quid a week.
I had to set aside 15mins once per week to sign on.
They couldn't have been more helpful with claiming other benefits, they were throwing money m way and seemed very suspicious when I refused them.
Having said all that I hated it and got a job pretty quickly once id put my mind to it. Around 25% looked embarrassed to be there- the rest looked perfectly happy!
Unlike you though, I was not offered any other support or benefits and had to fund my own journeys to job interviews. I only found out about the perks once I was working again.
I was very easy to tell the 'normal' people signing on from the regulars with their taxis waiting outside for them.
The staff came across as uncaring and just wanted to tick the boxes. My 'advisor' seemed genuinely surprised that I'd applied for several jobs and had a couple of interviews lined up within the first couple of weeks. I ended up working again within 3 weeks.
Until you've had to step into one of these job centres and sign on, I don't really think you can understand the feeling involved. I've been in full time work since I was 16 apart from those 3 weeks, and hope I never have to sign on again.
So that was an absolute waste of a day and if i really was desperate I think I would have been suitably dejected to wonder why I was even bothering.
Job centres are very depressing places and as far as I could tell not greatly helpful unless you wanted a job washing dishes/cleaning toilets or working in a care home. I think the money would be better spent closing them down and trying something else. All they seem to do is monitor the unemployed.
sugerbear said:
I think we, as taxpayers ,should allow it to used in Iceland, Aldii and Netto only. There should also be a special "benefits" isle, clearly signed and the card itself should have "WELFARE" emblazoned on it so that everyone knows exactly what it is.
Have you ever been in an Iceland? You don't need the "benefits" sign, the windows are adequate...Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff