Jobcentre plus (The other hell)

Well, boys and girls, I'm soon to be out of the system and working. And I can honestly say that my time on jobseekers allowance have been the worst times of my life. Yes, it was great having support so I didn't starve but the process is so convoluted and difficult that it causes more stress and heartache than it relives.


As you may know I have very high anxiety levels and the sheer volume of incidents where the jobcentre have made a mistake and sent me into a full blown panic attack, or a depression spiral, is ridiculous.

And thinking about it there are two reasons:

1) I'm honest. If I'd lied half of the time I wouldn't have had a problem. There are people that are out there, sitting on their behinds, eating their own swiftly growing bodyweight in junk food not worried in the slightest that their money won't come in because of a loophole in the paperwork. I religiously did everything they said and still got kicked around like an old football.

2) I'm in a civil partnership. Yes, I'm pulling the "I'm gay" card. I don't think it's intentional, but their system is so old it keeps trying to turn me into a man every time we're transferred. Yes everyone, I have been called a male name when someone called me from there. And I can think of no other reason than the fact that I am in a lesbian relationship and the antiquated computer cannot comprehend the idea.
And that's not all I have to complain about. If you've ever visited, or had the bad luck to be forced into, a branch of job centre plus you will know that there are two levels. Upstairs (where all the one to one interviews go on) and downstairs (Where everyone simply signs in). Now, upstairs they're very nice and polite and honestly care about you. Downstairs, they couldn't give two hoots. They can't even be bothered to remember the names of the other staff above them, or the policies that the jobcentre hold. They just basically tell you to go and bother someone else with your money troubles. They don't care if you haven’t got enough money for food, I doubt they'd even pee on you if you were on fire.
A system that is meant to help you in times of need does not want you. In fact some of the money they keep to help you get what you need to work they don't like you knowing anything about. When a man in my training group mentioned this Advisor Discressionary Grant they replied with "How do you know about that?” Yes people, they couldn't care less.
And as you may have heard the unemployment rates in England have gone down. Wonderful you say. Well, do you want to know the government’s dirty little secret? Every time they send someone on a mandatory training course they stop classing them as being on jobseekers allowance. So that figure that has dropped, hasn't dropped at all. It's been shifted. Well done Mr Cameron, you've spun it in your favour yet again. Well done for beating us down so hard no one will speak out about it. Well done for turning your country into a hub of lies and depression. I'm waiting for you to completely divide the rich and poor again. You truly are a great dictator leader.



Over and out comrades, I'm going back to my bunker.

Fight the power (Notes on a broken system)

So as I type I can see so many examples of how broken our benefit system is.
My partner now has a casual job, bringing in some money, yay. I am still volunteering.
Not that I'm complaining, I like my job. I'm even being trained as a relief manager. But, and here's the thing, our benefits are going to be cut. Why, you ask?
Well, next week my partner will be working twentysix hours. To end her claim she needs to work sixteen, to end both hers and mine she needs to work twentyone. Twentysix>twentyone.
Great you say. Finally off benefits and making a contribution to society.
Not so much. After this full week we may go back to a lot less, or even nothing. As is the way of the casual worker. But this means we will have to temporarily reclaim benefits to have enough money to survive.
This system is a complete mess and doesn't take into account real people and how they work. Or how our shattered economy effects those trying to live without steady work.
We are trying to put together some savings but it's impossable in our current climate. That means moving out of my parents house (as I am in my twenty's and married) is becoming a harder and harder possibility. After this training is complete hopefully I can get a decently paying job and get out of this careers black hole that is the midlands.
Someone pay for a house for me, and a uni place, and a bloody morgage.