Jobcentre Trauma.

[chymaera]

That applies to JC staff, the police, and various groups of people IMO. I'm sure you could find some groups which I'd find more difficult to view in this way though. IMO, human beings by their nature find it easy to slip into prejudice because it helps us make sense of a complex world. We just have to keep an eye out for it.

My point was it appears on U75 one can be hypercritical of the police and get no stick for it. Be critical of a group of people I would hazard a guess far more U75ers have had problems with, and the insults start to fly.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

My point was it appears on U75 one can be hypercritical of the police and get no stick for it. Be critical of a group of people I would hazard a guess far more U75ers have had problems with, and the insults start to fly.

How a thread will pan out will be dependent on who is around to argue on it. Personally I think assuming that all police are inherently bad because the police force has done some terrible things is wrong, and if this thread was about that, then I'd say so.

 

[chymaera]

How a thread will pan out will be dependent on who is around to argue on it. Personally I think assuming that all police are inherently bad because the police force has done some terrible things is wrong, and if this thread was about that, then I'd say so.

The next time someone start hurling abuse at the police on U75 I expect you to make a comment about it. (Usually at least one thread a week.)

 

[Greebo]

This will be the last time I waste my scarce free time replying to this thread.
FWIW I'm female 5'0" and was thin for my height at the time - does it change the picture if I tell you that the DWP clerks who knowingly kept me hungry, thirsty and stressed for an entire jobseeking day were male?

hazy p, nobody forced you to have children. Having had them, nobody forced you to value your work ethic-based self-esteem over pure finance. As a single parent you would have been better off being a stay-at-home parent for at least the first 10 years and claiming everything you could. I am responsible neither for your choices nor for the cost & availablity of childcare.

I receive carers allowance - do my job and then call me lazy. I don't need to sign on, and the next time I attend a work focussed interview will be over my dead body

BTW I'm sure that everyone on this thread is a decent person at heart, when not at work - that could probably be said about parking enforcement people and police officers too, but that's another thread entirely.

 

[heartof gold]

i just thought of something i wanted to add. I used to do voluntary work in a housing and benefits advice centre so you could say pretty much the same as jc except we gave free advice on benefits/problems. We had some rather rude and angry people in sometimes and also on the phone, and got some abuse there was no protection really from these people. All we had was a care book where nuisance/ abusive people had their records kept so we could be aware not much cop really.

I didnt get paid even i was doing it voluntary. Im glad im not there i dont miss some of the people who used the service!

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

hazy p, nobody forced you to have children. Having had them, nobody forced you to value your work ethic-based self-esteem over pure finance. As a single parent you would have been better off being a stay-at-home parent for at least the first 10 years and claiming everything you could. I am responsible neither for your choices nor for the cost & availablity of childcare.

What a wierd course of argument to take. People are allowed to have as many kids as they want in this country, and working to pay for them is admirable (as well as netting more cash) rather than sponging off the state.

My experiences of the jobcentre and JCA where mainly positive. Everyone was very nice. The only issues was the glacial speed with which things were done. But at the end of the day it dispences free money

When I went for an emergency loan I was the first person at the centre. It was amazing the way all the nutters, special brew drinkers, freaks and wierdos got seen first and sorted out quickly. Especially if they shouted and screamed and bashed the glass. While I ended up being the last to leave! Thats what you get for being polite and saying please and thankyou

On a broader point I think you should be able to quickly and easily claim the benifits that are due to you. Which nearly happened to me. But relying on benifits when you could very well be working is not good. Some of the people there struck me as working the system. We are lucky to have it at all!

 

[ViolentPanda]

What a wierd course of argument to take. People are allowed to have as many kids as they want in this country, and working to pay for them is admirable (as well as netting more cash) rather than sponging off the state.

Except, of course, that with most sub-"average wage" jobs, the "more cash" is usually comprised of tax credits (a "welfare benefit") making the family income up to a decent level.

My experiences of the jobcentre and JCA where mainly positive. Everyone was very nice. The only issues was the glacial speed with which things were done. But at the end of the day it dispences free money

"Free money"? It's not "free" at all, except for an infinitesimally small number of people who never contribute at all. For most people it's "payback" on the contributions they've either already made, or will make in the future.

When I went for an emergency loan I was the first person at the centre. It was amazing the way all the nutters, special brew drinkers, freaks and wierdos got seen first and sorted out quickly. Especially if they shouted and screamed and bashed the glass. While I ended up being the last to leave! Thats what you get for being polite and saying please and thankyou

Poor bouncer.

On a broader point I think you should be able to quickly and easily claim the benifits that are due to you. Which nearly happened to me. But relying on benifits when you could very well be working is not good. Some of the people there struck me as working the system. We are lucky to have it at all!

The struck you as "working the system", did they? Have you offered your obviously great skill at detecting people "working the system" to the DWP's fraud inspectorate? I'm sure they'd be happy to have the services of someone who's able to distinguish genuine from false claimants so easily.

You muppet.

 

[bouncer_the_dog]

I could tell by the look in their eyes ViolentPanda, they were definatley benefit cheats, no mistake about it.

But on the other hand I suppose they must have been genuine claimants as they were getting cash, and faster than me! What I meant was that people had an amazing knowledge of the system, and what they could claim, no bad thing. And by 'working the system' i meant they knew the ins and outs and what they could get - and better than the staff as they loudly pointed out. But the thought did remain "if you put as much effort into figuring out how to get a job as you appear to be doing rinsing the benifits system maybe you'd be better off''. Now clearly I didn't say this, but it was tempting. But i think you are right to imply I was making an assumption, theres no way to know either way.

But others turning up in a tracksuit with a can of special brew and an alsatian and shouting at the staff seems an odd way to demonstrate your enthusiasm for finding a job and coming off benefits. Which I think should be the aim for all people in that situation.

 

[hazyp]

Bouncer, I must admit, we get loads of people with their cans of Special Brew..and the amount of people who arrive at 9am drunk is something to be seen!!

Also, we get soooo many people whose giro's get lost, dont arrive by post...Royal Mail must be sitting on loads!! And of course, its always the same people week in and out this happens to....strange.