Does anyone else feel embarrassed going on JSA

as the title says does anyone else feel embarrassed of going to the jobcentre and signing on? I hate going there.

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I did. If anything it frustrated me when they go hard on me for genuinely looking for a job, and then mr wastmanz just chatting garbage and blatantly not looking for a job just gets his money with no hassle and applying for jobs he knows he wont get!

Reply 2

username232868

Original post by Spoonforknife

what i mean is every time i have to go there for either singing on or etc even the though of getting my foot in the door just embarrasses me.

Reply 3

xoxAngel_Kxox

I've never been on JSA, because up until now I've literally gone straight from school > college > uni without a break so haven't needed it.

I don't think that people should feel embarrassed, because it's there to support you while you're searching for a job. However, the number of people who abuse the system means that everyone gets lumped in with them, and the "general public" seem to assume that being on JSA is something that you should be ashamed of, that you're lazy, that you have no intention to work etc. You've heard all of this countless times most likely.

I have several friends who didn't go to college when the rest of us did, which was five years ago, and they just went straight on JSA and have stayed on it since. They get enough to pay for a room in a shared house which they have together, and enough spare to feed themselves and have a better social life than I have ever been able to afford even though I'm now working. They apply for the bare minimum jobs, but make sure that there's no way they'd get an offer by handing in a poor CV.

How do I know all of this? Because they BRAG about it. One of them has even managed to fabricate a disability (back problem) to mean that they can't work, so he gets disability as well. Absolutely nothing wrong with him.

On the other hand, my Dad, who is 51 and has worked full time without a break since he was 16, was made redundant in November. He was on JSA for a period of just one month before getting his new job (which he was completely overqualified to do, but he would rather do ANYTHING that NOTHING- and has now almost finished training to be a driving instructor) and applied for HUNDREDS of jobs within the two week period of leaving his job. He got a fair number of interviews because he pushed SO hard to try and find work. He attended his Job Centre meetings in a suit and tie, because to him, that's how you behave in what is supposed to be a professional environment. In the town I live, there are mostly hoodies smelling of weed in our Job Centre, so imagine how he felt in his suit..!

Nobody should be embarrassed to ask for help when they need it, but unfortunately due to a number of idiots ABUSING the system, JSA is given a bad name.

Reply 4

Ex Death

Everyone must work. Work is very important. It is important that everyone spends 50 years in a glass and metal cage doing something they hate. Anyone who applies for JSA is a scumbag. Everyone should want to work. It is important that you earn lots of money so that you can then spend your free time as a consumer drone buying lots of pointless items you don't need. After all, capitalism is a wonderfully perfect, fair and sustainable system. Don't worry about the 35,000 african children who die per day because of the system. It is important that you get a job so that you can support the national economy. Don't worry about the wellbeing of the planet, carry on consuming. I promise you that the world will not get destroyed if we carry on as we are. As they said in nazi germany, "Arbeit Macht Frei" - Work liberates you. Thank you for embracing the matrix. Carry on.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 5

ForKicks

Original post by Ex Death

I think I remember your posts from a while back. A monologue followed by 'carry on' and often 'have a nice day' or something. What's your issue? :confused:

You have too many chips on your shoulder.

Reply 6

M1011

Original post by Ex Death

Sigh. Just sigh.

Reply 7

facdroit

The problem isn't with the JSA.
The problem is the type of people who get the JSA and the stereotypes associated with them.

Reply 8

Sprockette

I have signed on twice but found a job the following week. However I have been told both times that I wasn't entitled to anything as I didn't have enough class 1 contributions but I could get help towards housing/CT, or something. As I found a job the next week I didn't follow it up to find out what it meant but it got me pretty annoyed that I had been working for years (although not full time) and some people can seem to just leave school, never work and be able to get benefits no problem. I know I probably would have gotten something if I had checked up on it but I haven't needed to yet.

I really didn't want to sign on, I was embarrassed even going in there. It wasn't as bad as I thought although I felt bad about the amount of professional looking people there with me. Lots of suits replaced the expected tracksuits :frown:

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 9

Airfairy

Original post by Spoonforknife

This! It was really annoying turning up, having them have a massive go at me and then seeing my areas council estate turn up and be in and out in a few minutes. I don't really get the employees there, because I thought they might find it refreshing to deal with someone who doesn't look like a teenage mum, but apparently not, they just nag even more and have a go at me for being over qualified.

Reply 10

Ex Death

Original post by ForKicks

I think I remember your posts from a while back. A monologue followed by 'carry on' and often 'have a nice day' or something. What's your issue? :confused:

You have too many chips on your shoulder.

M1011

Sigh. Just sigh.

Denial is a wonderful thing. Please pretend you didn't read my post. It is important that you do not raise questions. Keep your head down and do not rock the boat.

Reply 11

thetobbit

Yes. It's called having self-worth.

Reply 12

Drewski

Was on it for a month last year after getting back from Canada while looking for and then starting a new job.
Hated going. The tone of surprise that met my evidence of having looked and applied for jobs was abhorrent and the staff were suitably jaded and condescending.
Thankfully haven't needed to return.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 13

ForKicks

Original post by Ex Death

Denial is a wonderful thing. Please pretend you didn't read my post. It is important that you do not raise questions. Keep your head down and do not rock the boat.

If you insist :colone:

Reply 14

Jaidenh

Original post by Ex Death

"Capitalism is a wonderfully perfect, fair, sustainable system"

You knob

Reply 15

Ex Death

Original post by Jaidenh

"Capitalism is a wonderfully perfect, fair, sustainable system"

You knob

Irony is a hard concept to understand.

Reply 16

Spoonforknife

Original post by Airfairy

Thank you! Glad you feel the same way and it isn't just me! :smile:

Reply 17

xoxAngel_Kxox

Original post by thetobbit

Yes. It's called having self-worth.

Some people have no choice but to claim JSA though. Particularly in such a hard financial time, people with families to support are finding themselves a wage down due to redundancies. They're not scummy chavs- just genuine individuals struggling with the current economic situation.

Reply 18

M1011

Original post by Ex Death

Denial is a wonderful thing. Please pretend you didn't read my post. It is important that you do not raise questions. Keep your head down and do not rock the boat.

SHHHHHHH! You're disturbing my cubicle.

Now back to the land of fairies with you.

:ahee:

Reply 19

Mr.Zen

There's nothing embarrassing about signing on for JSA, for some people, it's a necessity in order for them to get by. When you think about it, 50 odd pounds a week is pittance, and without it some people just wouldn't be able to eat.

Being from East London, I know what it's like to live in a relatively poor and deprived area, I went to college in Plaistow and some of my friends and people I know were unbelievably impoverished, and without JSA/EMA, it would have been a lot worse. Yes, there are benefit scroungers, but on the flip side of the coin, there are people who deserve and need it.