Unemployment Benefits - RANT

[Merylj]

Good luck Richard, you have recieved very poor service.

 

[AndRu]

This annoys me. The goverment would rather help these people than genuine people who has lost thier job. Yet will pay up to people who claim all the benefits in the world and yet dont blink an eyelid. Whats this world coming to aye. Sorry I am ranting now.

Nah, carry on! You're speaking the truth!

 

[Richard Bruvofetc]

I think David was trying to help you Richard.

Yes, apologies David.

I've now taken my anger therapy over the past couple of days (good stuff Ruddles County Ale ) and am preparing for my "repeat" initial interview at the JobCentre Plus (still without my P45)

I sit with baited breath awaiting for former company to efficiently forward it to me.

 

[alisonbestford]

Good luck with everything Richard

 

[daipp]

Yes, apologies David.

I've now taken my anger therapy over the past couple of days (good stuff Ruddles County Ale ) and am preparing for my "repeat" initial interview at the JobCentre Plus (still without my P45)

I sit with baited breath awaiting for former company to efficiently forward it to me.

No problem - I'm a Customer Service Manager at a large Jobcentre Plus office so I'm used to it !

I repeat again - if you haven't got your P45 OR you can't get your P45 then ask in writing for the Decision Maker to exempt your evidence requirements.

Best wishes

David

 

[Lizzybear]

Nah, carry on! You're speaking the truth!

I agree too. Bf went to the jobcentre recently to ask if they had any advice in terms of jobseeking or any jobs they think he'd be good for (they advertise a service along these lines) He was just told to check the job boards! I hate the place.. I had to sign on for a month in between a college course I started and left the year after leaving school and starting full-time work and I hated how they made you feel like a total sponger when I was actively jobseeking!
I feel as if in this country if you're not a drug addict or pregnant the Government don't want to know.

 

[Cochise]

Sorry to see you are having so many problems Richard but nice of David to help you with those details.

I have done 13 years in the department now and unfortunately the service that good honest hard working civil servants in the Jobcentres and processing offices had taken a very large step backwards due to air heads who make decisions for the department. This is not the fault of the people who interview or process your claim but the red tape that has come in over the last few years to supposedly prevent fraud/overpayment and identity theft. Since CMS went live just a couple of years ago the processing time for a new claim to benefits such as JSA or ISCS has gone from 95% within 7 days up to 6 weeks yet the powers that be see this as progress !!!

I am privvy to all the changes to the systems long before they go live and we have been sitting there in disbelief recently on what has become "important" to sort out and let me tell you it aint any persons claim getting processed and paid.

Last year the Government sign a new contract with the private compant who supply our technical work, this contract is effectively transfering the work departments like mine who actually give a stuff when the system works and gets the payments correct over to this company who are American. They currently have a number of Egyptian and Indian workers training at this time to take alot of their work abroad. So the benefits system is being privatised very quickly and by back door methods. The contract contains numerous "targets" that company x have to meet else they are fined by the Government, but guess what targets are not included....yep paying benefits on time. Company x will ensure they only fix and control issues that wont get them punished under the contract.

Please dont blame the staff in the offices, they have been and will continue to be treated like ...well i cant type that.

I hope you get things sorted there Richard and you get the money you are entitled to and fingers crossed you find work soon.

Take a breath

 

[daipp]

Since CMS went live just a couple of years ago the processing time for a new claim to benefits such as JSA or ISCS has gone from 95% within 7 days up to 6 weeks yet the powers that be see this as progress !!!

AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You mentioned CMS !!!! Please don't ever do that again - I come on the disboards primarily to avoid it !!! I was the one who hoped it was all a bad dream and would go away !!!! (It nearly did).

Apologies to all those outside the DWP.

David

 

[Richard Bruvofetc]

Sorry to see you are having so many problems Richard but nice of David to help you with those details.

I have done 13 years in the department now and unfortunately the service that good honest hard working civil servants in the Jobcentres and processing offices had taken a very large step backwards due to air heads who make decisions for the department. This is not the fault of the people who interview or process your claim but the red tape that has come in over the last few years to supposedly prevent fraud/overpayment and identity theft. Since CMS went live just a couple of years ago the processing time for a new claim to benefits such as JSA or ISCS has gone from 95% within 7 days up to 6 weeks yet the powers that be see this as progress !!!

I am privvy to all the changes to the systems long before they go live and we have been sitting there in disbelief recently on what has become "important" to sort out and let me tell you it aint any persons claim getting processed and paid.

Last year the Government sign a new contract with the company EDS which is losely termed as TREDS (standing for Transforming EDS - or something) this contract is effectively transfering the work departments like mine who actually give a stuff when the system works and gets the payments correct over to EDS who is an American company who in fact have a number of Egyptian and Indian workers training at this time to take alot of their work abroad. So the benefits system is being privatised very quickly and by back door methods. The contract contains numerous "targets" that EDS have to meet else they are fined by the Government, but guess what targets are not included....yep paying benefits on time. EDS will ensure they only fix and control issues that wont get them punished under the contract.

Please dont blame the staff in the offices, they have been and will continue to be treated like ...well i cant type that.

I hope you get things sorted there Richard and you get the money you are entitled to and fingers crossed you find work soon.

Take a breath

....one guess who I worked for before being "separated"?

 

[Richard Bruvofetc]

Well, off for my second "initial" interview at the Jobcentre Plus at 1.50pm today. The JSA5 (accellerated claim?) form I requested hasn't been supplied to me and even after contacting my former employer, I still haven't received my P45 (hey! I was only "separated" from them on 13th October after all. ). So it looks like I'll be taking David's advice and asking the Decision Maker to put into writing an exemption from my evidence requirements.

 

[Queenie]

Good luck Richard. I have to agree with everyone on here about the terrible state of our benefits agency or whatever fancy name they're trying to give it now. I had to claim a few years back and it took them six months to accept me, even though I didn't have a penny to my name at the time and was having to borrow money off friends who couldn't afford it to buy those luxuries like food! The reason they kept pushing on me that I wasn;t eligable was that I was living in a shared house with a man so therefore we MUST be living as married and he MUST be able to support me! Do we live in the dark ages???

Sorry I'm going to stop now or else I'll be wound up for the rest of the day!