Solution: Job Seekers Benefits

[IanSuth]

I didn't know about the partnership experiment. I'd be asking myself, what went well? What didn't work? Perhaps a new partnership could work, based on the successes and failures of the previous experiment? If the policy and direction was more about skill-building and ensuring people are in roles they want to be in, rather than targets of getting people in work quickly, that would change how JC is run. I agree that a reform at the JC is swiftly needed.

They started from the premis agencies wanted to help (as opposed to wanted to make £)

Basically as an agency you had to complete a large booklet (i won't call it a form) stating what you did in terms of specialities of work and location. The deal was you would be able to send them your jobs and they would send you people they thought were right for your jobs.

The downsides were

1. If they sent you someone you had to interview them - there was no feedback mechanism to say "sorry this role has x skill listed as essential on the brief we sent you so please do not send those without it, it wastes their time"

2. As they are public sector you were bound by their equal opps rules (not a problem) and agreed to a snap inspection/audit whenever they wanted with 24 hrs notice (a problem for a 3 person company as the audits take 2 full working days). There was also no way to give them advance warning of known issues. For example we were in an upstairs office in a listed building, our website clearly stated "due to the historic nature of our building people with mobility issues will not be able to come in, let us know a convenient local meeting place like a coffee shop and we will interview you there" but we couldn't pass that info on to job centre applicants and it fell foul of their accessibility rules (their version of reasonable adjustments wasn't ours)

3. they were too slow - send them a job on a tuesday, first applicants the following week when job already at interview stage, tell them the job no longer needed new applicants and you were still getting them 2 weeks later and being obligated to interview them for a role that didnt exist anymore taking up your time you could be doing something else and wasting the time/demoralising sometimes quite depressed people for no reward.

They are just too rigidly process driven

It was easier just to list the job on indeed and let the candidates find it themselves.

As I said it would work for a large high street agency with big contracts to provide 20 customer service agents for y ltd or keep a warehouse staffed, but for more specialist higher level roles where the jc+ really needed help their systems and people were to put it bluntly incompetent, inadequate and in many ways counter productive

 

[IanSuth]

Here is an example of the type of courses people are pushed to

Cyber Security | Netcom Training

Equip yourself with the necessary tools for a career in Cyber Security with our comprehensive course at Netcom Training.

www.netcomtraining.co.uk

Having done IT recruitment for 27 years i can tell you the chance of an unemployed person taking a 12 week correspondence course and fiddling with Linux at home (or even the 12 week fundamentals then the 10 week practices course) then successfully applying for these is as close to 0 as it can be

Career Opportunities​

Upon completion of the course, you’ll have gained the essential skills and up-to-date knowledge needed to transition into roles such as:

• Junior Security Analyst
• Junior Cyber Security Analyst
• Junior Penetration Tester

 

[Newchodge]

Here is an example of the type of courses people are pushed to

Cyber Security | Netcom Training

Equip yourself with the necessary tools for a career in Cyber Security with our comprehensive course at Netcom Training.

www.netcomtraining.co.uk

Having done IT recruitment for 27 years i can tell you the chance of an unemployed person taking a 12 week correspondence course and fiddling with Linux at home (or even the 12 week fundamentals then the 10 week practices course) then successfully applying for these is as close to 0 as it can be

Career Opportunities​

Upon completion of the course, you’ll have gained the essential skills and up-to-date knowledge needed to transition into roles such as:

• Junior Security Analyst
• Junior Cyber Security Analyst
• Junior Penetration Tester

Do you know if they actually provide training that helps. For example a forklift truck driver needs a certificate proving they can drive a forklift truck, which only lasts a set time. Does the JC pay for someone to renew their licence? What about an HGV driver licence?

 

[IanSuth]

Do you know if they actually provide training that helps. For example a forklift truck driver needs a certificate proving they can drive a forklift truck, which only lasts a set time. Does the JC pay for someone to renew their licence? What about an HGV driver licence?

I was at a meeting about exactly that

Tesco started a new distro debot in Reading, part of the planning was that they and the construction firm engaged with local college for apprentices in construction and then logistics. The JC+ lady asked about taking on long term unemployed who had done FC licences in past but were lapsed and the general thought was the only compulsion that oculd be put on tesco was via the apprenticeship route (which they would use their apprenticeship levy for so would be cost neutral). So JC+ were going to try and get experienced people onto the apprenticeships as a means to an end

HGV there are firms who will pay for a licence renewal but you owe them back if you leave withing x period of time (they also underpay on hourly rate)

 

[Craiglincs]

How long should be spent looking at a CV you know is irrelevant?

If you were hiring, what would you do when the candidate is not in this country, you can't sponsor visas, and they have none of the skills you require?

I see where you are coming from. Although I'm annoyed from the past when London company told me they were not hiring international candidates. I'm a UK citizen living in South Holland,lincs.

If I was in charge I wouldn't use CVs at all. I wish I could find the study that said they are the worst method possible for hiring. They tell you what people claim to be able to do Nog what they can.

Random selection then phone screen to see if they are in the country,right to work etc then work skills based test until I find a fit.

Or (true story) you ran an advert for a Development team leader which required mentoring graduate software engineers and received an application from an addiction mentor.

I rang that guy to say "sorry i think you clicked the wrong advert" as I assumed it was a mistake and he looked an experienced guy (just in the wrong profession), I got an earful of abuse as the JC+ in his area (Southampton) was demanding they all apply to a minimum of 50 jobs a week or face sanction and you had to apply from the ones the computer system flagged as relevant, the system (which i happen to know is a whitelabelled version of the main Monster engine developed by TMP Worldwide) had spotted the word Mentor and suggested my job so he applied to continue getting his benefits whilst he tried to get an actual paid job in his field (alcohol addiction)

Recruiters and indeed a d the like do this too. It's how javascript guys get hounded for java jobs.

If you want that then you need people who can do that working in the JC+'s, that means either experienced recruiters (not high street low level grunts) or HR professionals. That means you are looking at salaries in the high £30k's minimum - a low level jobcentre employee is on just over min wage and a "work coach" is on £29k and there are 27k of them. Just to pay that role £10k more to get people who could do it right would cost £270m per year

If you teamed it up with "top recruitment companies" that would actually mean some form of deal with a company like Reed and would do nothing (they tried a partnership experiment with agencies in about 2006 and it was a disaster) agencies are paid by their clients, they are paid to find people who can hit the floor running most of the time. The easy placements from out of work people will happen anyway as it is in the agencies best interest to - therefore paying them to do something they would get paid for anyway is an inefficiency. Agencies are sh1t at finding different permanent work for people as companies are apt to say "if i wanted to take that risk i would do it directly myself" - temp to perm is possible but works really badly with UC so that would need reforming first.

I wouldn't be against it costing more if it meant saving more in the benefits in the long run. The job centre should get involved for people at risk of claiming from redundancy end of contracts etc rather than waiting till they claim. Prevention is much cheaper than cure. It also needs reforming to make self employment a better route. I hear that UC is not fit for the self employed and working tax credits were much better. A lot of disabled people also find their route out via self employment rather than employment so that would be good for them too.

 

[japancool]

I thought the Jobcentre advisors were all contractors provided by the likes of Capita. I know DWP PIP assessors and Home Office immigration case workers are.

 

[IanSuth]

I thought the Jobcentre advisors were all contractors provided by the likes of Capita. I know DWP PIP assessors and Home Office immigration case workers are.

I "think" they now use contract firms to take up the slack but have a core of employed low level civil service employees. Basically whenever there is extra need it is outsources to Maximus/Capita etc when work load shrinks they made civil servants redundant (or just didnt replace leavers)

https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/search?cti=full_time&cty=permanent&loc=86383&q=work coach 271 work coaches currently being recruited

This is an outsourced job at Reed (notice no advertised pay)

Employment Adviser - Restart - Hull | Job details | Find a job

findajob.dwp.gov.uk

this is what you are meant to do
"Working on our Restart Scheme, that gives Universal Credit claimants who have been out of work for at least 12 months enhanced support to find jobs in their local area. Following referral from their local Jobcentre Plus, participants receive 12 months of intensive personal support from the Restart Scheme. This support helps them to break down their barriers to work and secure sustained employment"

for which they think the required experience is......

• Able to demonstrate coaching/mentoring experience and persuasion/influencing skills through previous work or social activities
• Experience of working in a customer facing environment (i.e. Customer Services, Hospitality, Social Care, Customer Services, Sales)
• Experience of working in a performance target driven environment
• Willingness to travel locally (e.g. to meet customers/employers).
• A minimum of 2 A-Levels or an equivalent Level 3 Diploma in combination with GCSE English Language Grade B or above (or equivalent Level 2 qualification).

 

[japancool]

I think the:

• Experience of working in a performance target driven environment

says it all really.

 

[IanSuth]

I think the:

• Experience of working in a performance target driven environment

says it all really.

Yes it's KPI's will basically be "make Reed money" not "get the most people into the most suitable roles"

 

[Craiglincs]

I "think" they now use contract firms to take up the slack but have a core of employed low level civil service employees. Basically whenever there is extra need it is outsources to Maximus/Capita etc when work load shrinks they made civil servants redundant (or just didnt replace leavers)

https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/search?cti=full_time&cty=permanent&loc=86383&q=work coach 271 work coaches currently being recruited

This is an outsourced job at Reed (notice no advertised pay)

Employment Adviser - Restart - Hull | Job details | Find a job

findajob.dwp.gov.uk

this is what you are meant to do
"Working on our Restart Scheme, that gives Universal Credit claimants who have been out of work for at least 12 months enhanced support to find jobs in their local area. Following referral from their local Jobcentre Plus, participants receive 12 months of intensive personal support from the Restart Scheme. This support helps them to break down their barriers to work and secure sustained employment"

for which they think the required experience is......

• Able to demonstrate coaching/mentoring experience and persuasion/influencing skills through previous work or social activities
• Experience of working in a customer facing environment (i.e. Customer Services, Hospitality, Social Care, Customer Services, Sales)
• Experience of working in a performance target driven environment
• Willingness to travel locally (e.g. to meet customers/employers).
• A minimum of 2 A-Levels or an equivalent Level 3 Diploma in combination with GCSE English Language Grade B or above (or equivalent Level 2 qualification).

Restart scheme is contracted out but not the same as UC/jobcentre itself. I hear a lot of bad things about restart. Apparently if claimant gets job off their own back restart will hound them for details and try to get them sanctioned so they can pass details on to job centre as if they found it and get a bonus. For comparison here is a DWP role
civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi?vxsys=4&vxvac=361564

 

[IanSuth]

Restart scheme is contracted out but not the same as UC/jobcentre itself. I hear a lot of bad things about restart. Apparently if claimant gets job off their own back restart will hound them for details and try to get them sanctioned so they can pass details on to job centre as if they found it and get a bonus. For comparison here is a DWP role
civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi?vxsys=4&vxvac=361564

Yes that is one of the 271 i posted the link to above.

The restart scheme is one of many outsourced programmes that really are there to make the providers money with people getting jobs the biproduct of that. It is a big money spinner for reed as it goes up in revenue when the recruitment side goes down (recessions)

Reed in Partnership​

In 1997 Reed was invited to bid on contracts issued by the Blair administration, in which some of the traditional work of Job Centres was outsourced to the private sector. This resulted in Reed in Partnership, which now employs 2500 people.

In July 2023, Reed Group launched Reed Environment, an initiative whose main focus is establishing Energy Academies across the UK by 2025. These Academies will provide essential skills training for assessors and installers of net-zero technologies, including solar power, electric vehicles and heat pumps. In addition, the Academies will offer job opportunities, energy advice and consultancy solutions related to retrofitting homes for energy efficiency.[23][24]

 

[IanSuth]

On a related note - there must be a lot of apprenticeship levy money kicking around unused as I just got this email - the idea of a lv7 HR apprenticeship boggles me and stinks of inventing something to stop the money being used where it should be.

Quick one – do you have unspent apprenticeship levy? Need help understanding it all? Would like some advice on how to spend it? September is the best time to kick-off with new training and we’re here to help with the whole process.

• With our Learning Centre based in Central London we offer a combination of remote and face-to-face training.
• Open and closed cohort learning option available, all-year round.
• Workshops led by industry experts
• Flexible coaching to work around you

Below is a summary of the apprenticeships we offer:



Management & Leadership

Level	Apprenticeship standard	Duration	Max funding band
Level 3	Team Leader	13 months	£4,500
Level 3	Facilities Supervisor	13 months	£5,000
Level 4	Facilities Manager (Includes mandatory IWFM diploma)	20 months	£6,000
Level 4	Hospitality Manager	14 months	£6,000
Level 5	Operations / Department Manager	16 months	£7,000
Level 7	Senior Leader	21 months	£14,000

Professional

Level	Apprenticeship standard	Duration	Max funding band
Level 3	Learning & Development Practitioner	14 months	£6,000
Level 3	HR support	13 months	£4,500
Level 4	Corporate responsibility & sustainability practitioner	30 months	£14,000
Level 4	Associate Project Manager	18 months	£7,000
Level 5	People Professional (Includes mandatory CIPD diploma)	20 months	£11,000
Level 5	Coaching professional	16 months	£5,000
Level 5	Learning & Development Consultant Business Partner	16 months	£7,000
Level 7	Senior People Professional	24 months	£19,000

Women in Leadership (includes ILM certificate)

Level	Apprenticeship standard	Duration	Max funding band
Level 3	Team Leader	13 months	£4,500
Level 5	Operations / Department Manager	16 months	£7,000
Level 7	Senior Leader	21 months	£14,000

Technical

Level	Apprenticeship standard	Duration	Max funding band
Level 2	Production Chef	13 months	£6,000

 

[Craiglincs]

I've no idea what levels mean. Why is l7 HR apprentice bad? Where should it be used?

 

[Newchodge]

I've no idea what levels mean. Why is l7 HR apprentice bad? Where should it be used?

Apprentices, traditionally, learn a fundamental role about which they have little or no prior experience. When the apprenticeship ends they are trained at that level and usually develop to higher levels through experience and on on the job training. A L7 apprentice is at the top end of their career path, and that level would normally be achieved through lower level experience and on the job training. I don't think it is necessarily bad, but it is surprising.

 

[Craiglincs]

Ah,so it's the level rather than the role? L1 hr would be ok?

 

[Newchodge]

Ah,so it's the level rather than the role? L1 hr would be ok?

Yes.

 

[IanSuth]

A lot of generic NVQ's in things like customer service are Lv3 which is meant to be equivalent to an ALevel and i wouldn't bat an eyelid at a lv3 course being via an apprenticeship

Lv7 is theoretically the same as doing a Masters !!!!

What qualification levels mean

Find the difficulty level of a qualification and compare qualifications across different countries.

www.gov.uk

Hence why it looks to me like a way of targeting HR departments (who will have access to what is left in the levy pot) so that rather than actually taking on juniors and using the pot to train them they instead use the money to put themselves through high level HR qualifications by way of a Lv7 apprenticeship (a degree apprenticeship is a lv6 qualification)

 

[Newchodge]

I wonder if someone in power has been reading the earlier parts of this thread?

From The Guardian:

Local areas should instead offer personalised support and advice to people who want to work and to employers looking for staff, with a central role for NHS care boards.

Integrate NHS services and job centres to get more people working, report says

Exclusive: Pioneering study says regime based largely on benefit sanctions has failed to tackle economic inactivity

www.theguardian.com

 

[Craiglincs]

I think its from the Barnsley report which was a while ago

 

[Martin Patfield]

Ergh!

As if the business I worked for at the time going kaput and being the last one out of the building with the administrators wasn't bad enough.

The whole experience with the job centre was also frustrating and baffling.

The person dealing with my case saw my previous job roles, wages and experiences.
She had me applying for bare minimum wage cleaning roles FFS!


Equally on the other side, receiving applications for certain job roles put out online, you could see by the CV what the application was for, and was a complete waste of my time trawling through to find the ones we actually wanted.

It definitely needs a rethink on the JSA and job centres end and the message they are portraying.

 

[Tomwirral]

Solution to reduce expenditure on unemployment benefits

The rules state “While you receive JSA, you’ll need to take reasonable steps to look for work as agreed with your work coach.”

This generally means the process is: To be seen to be actively seeking work and applying for jobs, an interview verifies this. That is it!

As business owners, we advertise a position and get inundated with applications, we shortlist and invite a select few for interviews, we then get this:

1. No further correspondence
2. Agree to attend but don’t show up, wasting hours of time.
3. Turn up with bad attitude and no intention of wanting to work.
4. Occasional genuine person who wants to work.

I am not alone; this is a big flaw in the job seekers system and business owners are being used to facilitate people to continue to claim JS with no intention to work. This is costing the taxpayer and costing businesses time.

The solution: There needs to be feedback from the employer to qualify the JS to be eligible for payment with the following criteria:

1. Did they show up for interview
2. Did they arrive on time
3. Did they present respectfully
4. Did they appear keen to work
5. Were they offered the job, if not reasons why

Thoughts?? I'm sending this to our local MP

I can not understand why there has to be what you have described above. Can you not give your own objective feedback to the job centre?

 

[HFE Signs]

I can not understand why there has to be what you have described above. Can you not give your own objective feedback to the job centre?

I did try this, they went off on one about how we could advertise with them rather than indeed, totally missed the point I was making.

 

[NewTime]

I really hate the idea of people going over agressive over people who receive benefits or the ability to make assumptions.

Just because you are a tax payer, it shouldn't give you god right to make decision on other peoples lifes and validation for paying tax.

And whilst on the idea what you mention of a checklist for job seekers, if you was given the ability to review a job seeker, they would just turn up to tick the boc to get paid.

People also have the ability to think that everyone should have a job and there is a job for everyone, but you look at employment figures for certain areas and it'll be like 19k unemployed total vacancies 9k.

If there are some things that I would like to see changed.

Universal credit makes a mockery of DLA/PIP. If you get minimum wage, or close and receieve a disability benefit you then get a further 'top-up', why? That means 40 hours of work at min wage + DLA/PIP + top up (because disabled) - what's the point in pip/dla then??

In the general election I would have liked to see Labour come up with a plan for the unemployed. We talk about people who just can't get any soirt of job and are forever seen as unable to fill criteria, but why doesn't the government fund it for some people for a period of 3 months, so that employers can get them past the training.

 

[HFE Signs]

I really hate the idea of people going over agressive over people who receive benefits or the ability to make assumptions.

Just because you are a tax payer, it shouldn't give you god right to make decision on other peoples lifes and validation for paying tax.

And whilst on the idea what you mention of a checklist for job seekers, if you was given the ability to review a job seeker, they would just turn up to tick the boc to get paid.

People also have the ability to think that everyone should have a job and there is a job for everyone, but you look at employment figures for certain areas and it'll be like 19k unemployed total vacancies 9k.

If there are some things that I would like to see changed.

Universal credit makes a mockery of DLA/PIP. If you get minimum wage, or close and receieve a disability benefit you then get a further 'top-up', why? That means 40 hours of work at min wage + DLA/PIP + top up (because disabled) - what's the point in pip/dla then??

In the general election I would have liked to see Labour come up with a plan for the unemployed. We talk about people who just can't get any soirt of job and are forever seen as unable to fill criteria, but why doesn't the government fund it for some people for a period of 3 months, so that employers can get them past the training.

I don't see anyone here being 'over aggressive' or making any assumptions - I was always brought up to respect everyone nonmatter what, I was also brought up to be true to my word, the bit that annoys me is: to apply for a job, agree to an interview and not show up, that shows a distinct lack of regard. Whatever side of the fence you are on, you have to agree that deliberately wasting peoples time is not a good trait, right?

 

[Craiglincs]

Universal credit makes a mockery of DLA/PIP. If you get minimum wage, or close and receieve a disability benefit you then get a further 'top-up', why? That means 40 hours of work at min wage + DLA/PIP + top up (because disabled) - what's the point in pip/dla then??

In the general election I would have liked to see Labour come up with a plan for the unemployed. We talk about people who just can't get any soirt of job and are forever seen as unable to fill criteria, but why doesn't the government fund it for some people for a period of 3 months, so that employers can get them past the training.

The point of pip is to pay for the extra costs of a disability. Walking sticks,wheelchair etc. if you are disabled and have to pay for that out of your own money then you are making less than someone else and if you need that money for living are less likely to enter work. Pip isn't means tested either so you can get it even if in full time employment

Why aren't the employers paying for people to be trained would be my question? If there is that many unemployed and so few jobs why are they letting so many immigrants in? Shouldn't we be reducing that to encourage hiring locals?

 

[Newchodge]

The point of pip is to pay for the extra costs of a disability. Walking sticks,wheelchair etc. if you are disabled and have to pay for that out of your own money then you are making less than someone else and if you need that money for living are less likely to enter work. Pip isn't means tested either so you can get it even if in full time employment

Why aren't the employers paying for people to be trained would be my question? If there is that many unemployed and so few jobs why are they letting so many immigrants in? Shouldn't we be reducing that to encourage hiring locals?

Reducing immigration will not encourage locals to be hired. What is needed is for employers to offer attractive jobs - decent pay and conditions, training, career development etc. AND treat them as a valued member of the organisation. One of the biggest areas with staff vacancies is in the care industry. First problem, it is not an industry and should not be run as such. The work involved is physically and emotionally demanding. Staff have always been paid at minimum wage or below and treated by their employers as a necessary nuisance. I have met many dedicated and committed care workers and I have, frankly, never understood why they do the job they do. Put those things right and recruitment would be easier and there could be less reliance on migrant workers.

 

[Craiglincs]

So if we eliminated immigration would the jobs just stay open? Or would they be outsourced/automated? I'd have thought reducing supply of labour would cause demand of wages and conditions to rise.

Hoe would you get employers to pay them more and treat them better other than raising min wage?

 

[Newchodge]

So if we eliminated immigration would the jobs just stay open? Or would they be outsourced/automated? I'd have thought reducing supply of labour would cause demand of wages and conditions to rise.

Hoe would you get employers to pay them more and treat them better other than raising min wage?

Outsourcing requires the same number of staff who don't exist - nearly all, if not all, adult care providers are outsourced. Please explain how you can automate care provision?

We have restricted immigration and the jobs stay open. Have a look here https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/long-reads/social-care-360-workforce-carers

How to get employers to treat their staff better? I would suggest reverse outsourcing - bring the provision back under local authority control. They already fund most places and would no longer have to pay for the profits of providers and would be able to offer career progression. They are also unionised and TCS are better.

 

[japancool]

Universal credit makes a mockery of DLA/PIP. If you get minimum wage, or close and receieve a disability benefit you then get a further 'top-up', why? That means 40 hours of work at min wage + DLA/PIP + top up (because disabled) - what's the point in pip/dla then??

You misunderstand. If you are disabled, you get NO extra allowance in Universal Credit unless you are classed as "Limited Capacity for Work and Work Related Activity". You are not expected to look for work, because you are considered unable to work. You will NOT get a top-up if you are only classified as Limited Capacity to Work (although you get an amount that you are allowed to earn before your UC is affected).

You do not automatically get the top up or earning threshold just because you get PIP.

And what's the point? Because if you're just on minimum wage, and you're severely disabled, often unable to work 40 hours a week. Your daily living expenses are a lot higher. The purpose of the two benefits is different.

 

[japancool]

Why aren't the employers paying for people to be trained would be my question? If there is that many unemployed and so few jobs why are they letting so many immigrants in? Shouldn't we be reducing that to encourage hiring locals?

Oh, here we go again. "Immigrants are stealing our jobs!"

OK, you're unemployed. Here's your choice - you either train to wipe someone's arse, or you stay on benefits. Which would YOU choose? The care sector, agriculture sector, hospitality sector are all crying out for staff. Why aren't locals taking those jobs?

Hey, the NHS needs more doctors and nurses. Where are all the trainee nurses? Where are all the doctors? Off in Australia, that's where, because they sure as hell don't want to work here.

 

[TBLZ]

We are currently recruiting. I originally had four face-to-face interviews today. Two of them have withdrawn their candidacies. At least those were decent enough to warn me that they would not come, but as I write this, I am sitting alone in my office after 17:00 waiting for a candidate to turn up to his interview; he is already 10 minutes late. I've just called his mobile, and got his voicemail. In all likelihood, this will be another no-show, no-apology. I spend an average of 45 hours on each vacancy we have, and a lot of those hours are spent on phone pre-screenings for these indolent and rude candidates who simply do not turn up for the second stage.

We did not have this problem ten years ago.

 

[NewTime]

The point of pip is to pay for the extra costs of a disability. Walking sticks,wheelchair etc. if you are disabled and have to pay for that out of your own money then you are making less than someone else and if you need that money for living are less likely to enter work. Pip isn't means tested either so you can get it even if in full time employment

Why aren't the employers paying for people to be trained would be my question? If there is that many unemployed and so few jobs why are they letting so many immigrants in? Shouldn't we be reducing that to encourage hiring locals?

Erm. My understanding of PIP to yours is alot different, aides for people who are disabled are paid for by the NHS, if you need a specialised aid - it is paid for by the NHS, not out of PIP. Of course you can, if you wish, just go to the local charity shop and pick one up for a fiver out of PIP.

PIP is there to help generally for everyday costs that are incurred by having a disability.

As for comments regarding UC and PIP I just don't understand the reasoning behind extra payments for people with a disability if that is what PIP is for. Yes it is limited regarding of your own circumstances and not everyone can claim it, but I would have throught that PIP/DLA is there specifically for everyday issues for disabled people, rather than a potential extra top-up.

I am not fully against it as such, but I don't really get it.

 

[Newchodge]

Erm. My understanding of PIP to yours is alot different, aides for people who are disabled are paid for by the NHS, if you need a specialised aid - it is paid for by the NHS, not out of PIP. Of course you can, if you wish, just go to the local charity shop and pick one up for a fiver out of PIP.

PIP is there to help generally for everyday costs that are incurred by having a disability.

As for comments regarding UC and PIP I just don't understand the reasoning behind extra payments for people with a disability if that is what PIP is for. Yes it is limited regarding of your own circumstances and not everyone can claim it, but I would have throught that PIP/DLA is there specifically for everyday issues for disabled people, rather than a potential extra top-up.

I am not fully against it as such, but I don't really get it.

Suppose you are visually impaired and therefore cannot drive. Public transport does not work because you cannot know when to get off the bus. So you have to use taxis to get around. How do you pay for that?

Suppose you have severe mobility issues and need a wheelchair, but the NHS one is not feasible because your arms are not strong enough to power it. Who pays for the mobilty scooter?

Suppose you have a major intestinal problem and can only eat specific foods that cost 3 times what standard foods cost?

Suppose you stop complaining about people receiving support that they need and start complaining about the government failure to invest in this country.

 

[japancool]

Erm. My understanding of PIP to yours is alot different, aides for people who are disabled are paid for by the NHS, if you need a specialised aid - it is paid for by the NHS, not out of PIP. Of course you can, if you wish, just go to the local charity shop and pick one up for a fiver out of PIP.

Depends on the aid. A mobility scooter would not be supplied by the NHS, nor would a modified car. A prosthetic, yes, but if you want anything beyond a basic one, you have to pay for it yourself.

 

[NewTime]

Suppose you are visually impaired and therefore cannot drive. Public transport does not work because you cannot know when to get off the bus. So you have to use taxis to get around. How do you pay for that?

Suppose you have severe mobility issues and need a wheelchair, but the NHS one is not feasible because your arms are not strong enough to power it. Who pays for the mobilty scooter?

Suppose you have a major intestinal problem and can only eat specific foods that cost 3 times what standard foods cost?

Suppose you stop complaining about people receiving support that they need and start complaining about the government failure to invest in this country.

I think you completely missed what I posted and chose to take it our of context.

I said that some aids are provided on the NHS and some are not. I didn't make any comment on foods as I am aware that the NHS aren't going to subsidise that - but some actual food aids are provided by the NHS as they are not available to freely buy.

Like I said, some things are provided some are not.

As for travel and so on, particlar trval needs as are under the umbrella as a cost that would be helped by disability benefit.

You are talking to someone that receives PIP.

As for your comment on under investment, you ight be better looking at the post before where I speak of the need for government to help people get into employment.

 

[IanSuth]

We are currently recruiting. I originally had four face-to-face interviews today. Two of them have withdrawn their candidacies. At least those were decent enough to warn me that they would not come, but as I write this, I am sitting alone in my office after 17:00 waiting for a candidate to turn up to his interview; he is already 10 minutes late. I've just called his mobile, and got his voicemail. In all likelihood, this will be another no-show, no-apology. I spend an average of 45 hours on each vacancy we have, and a lot of those hours are spent on phone pre-screenings for these indolent and rude candidates who simply do not turn up for the second stage.

We did not have this problem ten years ago.

I did recruitment for 27 years. Certain jobs have always had high no shows for interview. Sales the worst at c50% for junior roles.

Set the applicants a simple task (or an assessment like we do) chances are anyone who will waste your time won't do it. Can be as simple as "Explain why you want this job and what you know about us in a few sentences"
Anyone who doesn't answer doesn't get an interview invite and you can spend the time on those that care

 

[NickGrogan]

I did recruitment for 27 years. Certain jobs have always had high no shows for interview. Sales the worst at c50% for junior roles.

Set the applicants a simple task (or an assessment like we do) chances are anyone who will waste your time won't do it. Can be as simple as "Explain why you want this job and what you know about us in a few sentences"
Anyone who doesn't answer doesn't get an interview invite and you can spend the time on those that care

It reminds me of my first telesales management job.

Ad in the job centre, paper and shop windows.

If you applied for the job, you got an interview.

If you turned up for the interview, you got offered the job.

If you turned up to work, there was a 50% chance you'd leave at the break (after 2 hours of work), and of those who returned, 50% wouldn't turn up the next day.

On a typical day, 10 people might apply for the jobs, three would turn up for interviews, and one might turn up for work the next day.

 

[Craiglincs]

Erm. My understanding of PIP to yours is alot different, aides for people who are disabled are paid for by the NHS, if you need a specialised aid - it is paid for by the NHS, not out of PIP. Of course you can, if you wish, just go to the local charity shop and pick one up for a fiver out of PIP.

PIP is there to help generally for everyday costs that are incurred by having a disability.

As for comments regarding UC and PIP I just don't understand the reasoning behind extra payments for people with a disability if that is what PIP is for. Yes it is limited regarding of your own circumstances and not everyone can claim it, but I would have throught that PIP/DLA is there specifically for everyday issues for disabled people, rather than a potential extra top-up.

I am not fully against it as such, but I don't really get it.

My aids were not paid for by NHS.yhats what I needed pip for

God I hated b2c telesales. Lasted a few weeks though then the company closed down.