The dole have stopped my money!!!!! What should I do now???

Question

I am a recent graduate, who was working parttime through my degree. When I finished uni i asked for more hours at my job, was constantly refused.My friend told me a bout graduate placement scheme that gets unpaid placements,for UNEMPLOYED graduates.Quit my job signed on and applied for countless jobs, all saying i wasnt experienced enough, eventually i found placement in an office which starts next week(not payed), in the meantime i have just been selceted to come for an interview, aswell as applying for another two jobs which i am confident of securing an interview.ONly now, the job centre has stopped my dole after saying i voluntarily left my PARTTIME job!!I already explained the chain of events saying i need to be unemployed,to get on garduate scheme,to get experience,to get a full time job.Now i am down to £0.00 i cant attend the graduate scheme, the unpaid placement or the job interview, or pay rent!!! What should I do, I thought i was just out the woods!!!Any help????

nb-the job interview i secured was for the job centre, the people who stopped my income support was....the job centre, therefore stopping me going for the interview!!

Answer 1

I feel sooooo sorry for you, and no, i am not being funny, I really do feel sorry for you. It sounds as though you have had a raw deal, I suggest that you go down to your nearest advice centre ASAP and see if they can sort something out for you......Good Luck X

Answer 2

What was your degree in - 'Avoiding the real Work of Work at All costs'?

If you want an office job and cant get one (Which I find hard to believe as good office staff are always being advertised for) join a temping agency. Work, wages, no experience neccesary and plenty along the way. Check out the local phone book or job centre (if you have not been banned from there yet!) for administrative temping agencies. Not sure where you are but Travail, Office Angels and Sue Sheppard are national. The local council and hospital trust usually have their own internal agencies too.

These will sign you on and can give you work immediately - my advice would be join several so you can juggle offers and if one is lacking contracts, then you can go elsewhere. Payment is usually weekly and the DWP may be able to help you with a crisis loan until this happens, but the usually do this if you are on I.S and have dependents.

Answer 3

If you leave your job you are not entitled to dole.

BUT

You are entitled to appeal against the decision.

If you lay out exactly why you did what you did in writing, they will review their deciion.

I quit my job, as i was pregnant and being bullied in work, so I claimed, was refused as I quit, then I appealed and they started to pay me. I explained that I intended to get another job asap, explained I had been bullied in work due to the pregnancy (long story) and they said I could claim.I got another job 2 weeks later, so I stopped claiming,

It was the only time in my life ive claimed dole, but after working and paying into the system for 20 years, I dont think 2 weeks of dole is asking too much!

Appeal against the decision, explain the situation, they may well help you out. Its worth a try.

I know a couple of people who have appealed and won, so its definitely worth trying.

You will have to show them that you are seeking work, show them any letters offering interviews, etc, so gather up as much paperwork as you have with regard to the unemployed graduates placements and see how it goes.

In the meantime, start getting your CV out to potential employers, contact job agencies, look for some bar work, anything to get you into work.

Im sure there must be someone who will lend you some money, parents, friend, family, even if its just enough to buy basic food and have some bus fare for interviews.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Stopping your benefit does not stop national insurance contributions being paid. Even if you're getting no cash at all your NI still gets paid so long as you continue to sign on. There's nothing to stop you signing off if you want. Course, you do know a lot of employers directly advertise through the jobcentre, so clearly it's entirely up to you whether or not to use that service. Oh yeah, and I vaguely remember that you're expected to do job searches at home when you sign on anyway.

Answer 5

Tell them that as you have been refused jobsekers allowance, you would like to apply for income support. By law, they are not allowed to let you live without anything.

go to the job centre websitehttp://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/index.html
and find the phone number for the direct line and ask for income support forms not job seekers allowance. The money may take a while to come through, but the sooner you apply the better.

you will hopefully get a bit of money through then to help you with your interviews and get a job.

Answer 6

Apply to them for Hardship Allowance, it;s reduced rate of Jobseeker's Allowance for those people who no longer meet the criteria. Also suggest trying for a Crisis Loan. Probably be peanuts, but it might be enough to tide you over until you get your first money through from anywhere else. Would also check out local projects in your area, many independent and government funded employment assistance schemes all over the country, which can sometimes provide funding, or advise on other solutions. Also just read 'Brainlady's' answer. I agree, good idea to apply for income support as well. Good luck mate!!

Answer 7

If you quit your job you loes the dole. You could try going back to the Job Centre and seeing if there are any other benifits you could claim or what you need to do to get it back. Or why not get a part time job in a shop or pub for a bit.

Answer 8

If you voluntary give up work to claim JSA of course they won't pay you,no entitlement to income support unless your a lone parent, recieve carers allowance or are sick so don't bother try claiming just wasting your time & the Jobcentres.

Are you sure you haven't only been suspended for a period of time & may be entitled at a later date?

As for your work placement make sure you declare this to the Jobcentre as any unpaid work can stop you receiving benefit & make sure you still look for work even if your placement is allowed.

Speak to them, don't lose your rag or get shitty with them, gets you nowhere, believe me I work in one & always try me hardest to help someone whose willing to listen to what I've got to say rather than the prick who believes shouting & screaming is gonna make me help them

Answer 9

If you make yourself unemployed then you have to wait at least 6-10 weeks before they will give you any money

why not pretend to be an immigrant they will give you a house and plenty of money!

Answer 10

Get up, off your as.s, get some inititive, pound the pavement. If you wait for someone else to get you a job, you'll go hungry. If you hit 5 potentials in the morning everyday for a week, that's 25 CV's. Wait a week, call them all, then do it again, wait a week call them all again, annoy them until they give you a chance. Also instead of surfing answers, try surfing job sites. Post your CV in as many free sites as possible.