61-year-old Jimmy Stirling is left wondering why the DWP is making changes to how he is being dealt with but won’t give a straight answer why
I AM Jimmy Stirling, a 61-year-old unemployed graphic designer, photographer and musician, single grandfather and social housing tenant living in Glasgow.
I receive Jobseeker’s Allowance of PS50 per week and have a very small pension payment of just under PS25 per week. I do voluntary work for my neighbouring community and look after one of my granddaughters for two days per week.
I was recently conscripted to take part in the UK Government’s Community Work Programme, where I would be forced to work for my Jobseeker’s Allowance, which I see as slave labour.
This not volunteering, this is not being paid a wage, this is conscription.
I am against this terrible programme and this is my experience in trying to avoid a six-month, 30-hours-per-week sentence just to juggle the government’s statistics to make them look good.
Below is my latest diary update. You can read the others here.
25 November 2015
My last article – 61 years old and the DWP have me applying to be a beauty therapist – brought me some sunshine via my Facebook page from friends who commented on it. Varying from “bloody ridiculous”, to: “Can you fit me in for a cut and blow dry tomorrow?”
I attended my regular Wednesday visit at the new time to see my new work coach. After a 20-minute wait, I was called. No new work coach after all, he wasn’t in that day, so I got the same substitute coach that attended to me last time.
He asked me what jobs I had applied for and I told him he would see them all on my Universal Jobseekers online record. He said I should apply for jobs outwith my usual applications and I told him I was doing this and if he looked at my online record, he would see that.
Again, he went on about a civil service job for which I should apply. This was the telephony agent/account developer role with the DWP – “… an exciting opportunity to shape and be at the heart of the government’s innovative welfare reform agenda, in particular the flagship Universal Credit”!
Although giving me no written direction to apply for this post, could he hold it against me if I did not apply? Could he say, in future, that I didn’t apply and could be sanctioned for not following a direction?
He figured I would be quite capable of doing this job. He asked if I had applied and I told him not yet. He said that I should apply; I told him that I would. Of course, there is nothing to suggest I would actually get this job.
Now, this is where the devious brain goes into gear. Although giving me no written direction to apply for this post, could he hold it against me if I did not apply? Could he say, in future, that I didn’t apply and could be sanctioned for not following a direction?
This is the way I have to think. It is a stressful way of thinking.
He then suggested I take any job, just to tide me over for a couple of months. Why? Is there something going to happen over the next few months? Is there something he is not telling me?
I have applied for festive period jobs, it does not mean that I will be successful in gaining festive employment, and there is no guarantee of getting a job “just to tide me over for a couple of months”.
Two months down the line since refusing to sign some forms regarding the Community Work Programme and there is still no decision forthcoming from the DWP on whether or not I’ll face any consequences.
After signing, I asked if my allowance would be paid into my bank account. He asked if I got my last payment. Yes, I did. Well, this is just the same. No simple yes or no.
I get the impression that my possible sanction and my contest of it has not been resolved. However, when I ask about my payment, there is always a hum and a haw about it, as if they can’t tell me.
I am still getting jobs sent to me and some of them since last time have been: garage mechanic – my knowledge of cars goes as far as I can tell what colour they are; DPHC regional reserve occupational health nurse with the Ministry of Defence; inventory specialist – must be prepared to work flexible hours (early morning and late nights), experience preferred but not essential, hours not guaranteed; help desk role with a busy support centre; sheriff officers assistant; apprentice in business administration; and fundraiser for a group I have never heard of and can’t find anything on Google about.
One or two of these jobs ask that you go along to one of the Jobcentres which are holding an info session about the jobs, which is not always your local Jobcentre, or I can contact my work coach, quoting a reference number. I have still not met my new work coach yet.
So, two months down the line since refusing to sign some forms regarding the Community Work Programme and there is still no decision forthcoming from the DWP on whether or not I’ll face any consequences.
But since then I’ve had a compliance officer meeting, a change of work coach, then I am being sent lots of job vacancies, many of which I have no experience for.
But since then I’ve had a compliance officer meeting, a change of work coach, then I am being sent lots of job vacancies, many of which I have no experience for.
I will keep applying for these jobs to show that I am doing what am told and that I am willing to apply for them. If employers or, in most cases, recruitment agencies choose not to interview me or offer me a job then I have to accept that.
But, somehow, that just does not appear to be good enough for the DWP.
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Picture courtesy of Andrew_Writer