Signing on - the irony

[screenman]

if you ever find yourself on the wrong side of the desk at a jobcentre you can generally pick out those who make a career out of signing on, on the other hand you can also pick out the people who have worked pretty much all their lives. It's the difference between a yobbo in a hoody stinking of weed or booze and the smartly dressed individual looking fed up and somewhat nervous, the difference is (to me) quite obvious.

I agree but after the first 20 it must be quite hard to sound chipper. Maybe they need different staff for the career claimants and another for the others.

 

[coffeejo]

Anyone got the stats to back up the "career claimants" statement?

 

[marinyork]

Anyone got the stats to back up the "career claimants" statement?

It depends what you mean by career claimant. If you look at DWP reports you could attach almost any label you want to that group:-

career claimant
unlucky
hard workers severe job insecurity
yo yo claimants
previous workers
people with mental of physical disabilities

 

[steve50]

Anyone got the stats to back up the "career claimants" statement?

Do you think anyone is ever going to admit being a "career claimant" though i must admit to having met a few people who simply will not look for work because, and i quote, "it won't pay as much as benefits will it " a sad reality of those who have never worked or wanted to work in their lives.

 

[coffeejo]

Do you think anyone is ever going to admit being a "career claimant" though i must admit to having met a few people who simply will not look for work because, and i quote, "it won't pay as much as benefits will it " a sad reality of those who have never worked or wanted to work in their lives.

Hard facts rather than anecdotal evidence?

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Hard facts rather than anecdotal evidence?

Does that mean unless it can be proved you're not going to admit it happens?

 

[steve50]

Hard facts rather than anecdotal evidence?

Hard facts and figures are not going to exist,as above, nobody is ever going to publicly admit to being a career claimant.

 

[raleighnut]

Do you think anyone is ever going to admit being a "career claimant" though i must admit to having met a few people who simply will not look for work because, and i quote, "it won't pay as much as benefits will it " a sad reality of those who have never worked or wanted to work in their lives.

There are also some people who are unemployable, I've seen quite a few of em.

 

[coffeejo]

Hard facts and figures are not going to exist,as above, nobody is ever going to publicly admit to being a career claimant.

Why would anyone have to admit to it? Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't benefits are done against NI numbers and are therefore in a database? I'm fairly certain that if this is the case then, given all the debates and legislation concerning welfare and benefits since the Tories moved into Number 10, surely someone like IDS would have released the facts and figures showing what proportion of claimants are scrounging?

 

[steve50]

Why would anyone have to admit to it? Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't benefits are done against NI numbers and are therefore in a database? I'm fairly certain that if this is the case then, given all the debates and legislation concerning welfare and benefits since the Tories moved into Number 10, surely someone like IDS would have released the facts and figures showing what proportion of claimants are scrounging?

it comes down to proving facts again though doesn't it. It's one thing to publish figures it is quite another to back it up with facts ie; names dates times etc or even using NI details, I would imagine some (scroungers) would start screaming libel.

 

[coffeejo]

it comes down to proving facts again though doesn't it. It's one thing to publish figures it is quite another to back it up with facts ie; names dates times etc or even using NI details, I would imagine some (scroungers) would start screaming libel.

Of course it comes down to facts!

 

[screenman]

I could name three people who have asked me to write a letter saying they have applied for a job, even though they did not do so. I would have thought it easier to get a letter from a company that had turned you down.

 

[classic33]

I suppose if the first 20 people you saw that day were the career unemployed then it must be hard to get yourself up for the genuine people. Not defending them in any real way, after all they chose that job, or did they, maybe they were unemployed and it was the only one they could get.

My "advisor" sanctioned me every time I saw her because I refused to "consider driving jobs". Legally I'm not allowed to drive due to epilepsy. That made no difference, apply or else!

 

[classic33]

people with mental of physical disabilities

Would you define epilepsy as a physical disability or a mental disablity?

Local assesment office disagreed with the local office.

 

[screenman]

My "advisor" sanctioned me every time I saw her because I refused to "consider driving jobs". Legally I'm not allowed to drive due to epilepsy. That made no difference, apply or else!

Your advisor was maybe in the wrong job.