’67 jobs’ – Guess what? I got one of the 67 jobs I applied for!

67 job applications in a fortnight and sanctioned

Here is a sentence which I think proves the current approach of the sanction-happy DWP is deeply flawed and should be abandoned forthwith. In my opinion 17 words which is deeply damning.

I have got one of the 67 jobs I applied for in the fortnight I was sanctioned

So apparently I was sanctioned for having an insufficiently wide job search, despite applying for two entry level positions at a supermarket because I was ordered to by jackboot DWP bullies. Their intransigence and lack of humanity beggars belief.

I am still waiting to hear from the independent adjudicator looking into the reasons for the sanction, and have heard nothing from my official complaint to the DWP demanding two Brighton Jobcentre staff are sacked for discrimination.

No matter what the result – the simple sentence in bold above speaks volumes about the retarded nature of the present government and why they…

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Back from London

Wee Ginger Dug

So I go away for a few days, and have a great time apart from a rampant allergy to my daughters’ cats, and all sorts of things happen in my absence. Gordon Brown announces that he’s standing down at the next election, Ukip kicks both the Tories and Labour up the backside in a by-election in Rochester, Niclasturjun replaces Alicsammin as the synonym for Scottish independence in the British media and holds a rally attended by thoosands, the Radical Independence Campaign hold a conference just over the road also attended by thoosands, many of whom are the same thoosands as those who went to see Nicla, a new pro-independence newspaper gets launched without a regular column by a small reddish canine who’s really quite affordable (cough cough), and Jim Murphy had a damascene conversion and discovered some real political principles. OK, so that last bit is a lie.

Let’s start…

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Jobcentre Busy-Bodies To Outrank Healthcare Professionals In Treatment For Addictions

the void

Jobcentre busy-bodies could soon have the power to force people in treatment for drug or alcohol problems to take up full time ‘work related activity’ if they are unable to beat their addictions quickly enough.

The DWP has published guidance on the support (stop laughing) that will be offered to people claiming Universal Credit who have a dependency on drugs or alcohol.  Claimants will be given six months to undergo what the Jobcentre calls ‘structured treatment’ during which period they may not be required to look or prepare for work.  After this has elapsed however it will be a very diferent story.

The guidance warns that any further treatment will only be taken into account in a Claimant Comitment if Jobcentre advisors agree this if the best way for a claimant to achieve their ’employment goals’.  This truly chilling move means that the newly named ‘work coaches’ will be able…

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A list of official rebukes for Tory lies

Politics and Insights

Here is catalogue of officially recognised Tory lies used to justify their unjustifiable policies, which have have resulted in official reprimands:

David Cameron rebuked by statistics watchdog over national debt claims– PM said the government was ‘paying down Britain’s debts’ in a political broadcast, even though debt is actually rising.

“Now that his false claims have been exposed, it’s time the prime minister stopped deliberately misleading people about his economic record.”- Rachel Reeves.

Finally Exposed! The Deficit Myth! So, David Cameron When Are You Going to Apologise? David Cameron rebuked over austerity claims – David Cameron has been corrected by the Treasury’s own forecaster over claims that cuts in public spending are not reducing economic growth. The Office for Budget Responsibility told the Prime Minister that it does believe that cutting public spending will reduce economic growth in the short term.

Robert Chote, the head of the OBR, contradicted a claim Mr…

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Over Half A Million Trapped In ESA Assessment Stage

Same Difference

With many thanks to Benefits And Work.

Over half a million people are trapped in the assessment phase of employment and support allowance (ESA) whilst waiting for a work capability assessment (WCA) and hundreds of thousands more are dealing with the uncertainty of not knowing when their next assessment will be, a government minister has confirmed.

In answer to a written question, Mark Harper, minister for disabled people, stated that:

“As at 30 September 2014 there were around 580,000 cases awaiting Work Capability Assessments at Atos Healthcare (down by 25% since February). These figures do not include cases where the claimant has yet to return the claimant questionnaire.

“From 1 March, MAXIMUS Health and Human Services Ltd. will take over delivery, initially using elements of the Atos infrastructure in order to ensure a smooth and gradual transition between providers. The priority for MAXIMUS will be to deliver the best service…

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What Happened Yesterday on Clydeside?

First exit poll from Rochester and Strood: Lib Dems get 0%!

Pride's Purge

(not satire – it’s the Lib Dems!)

Oh dear.

In the first exit poll from the Rochester and Strood by-election, the Liberal Democrats have got no votes at all:

Ukip – 49%

Conservative – 29%

Labour – 16%

Greens – 6%

Liberal Democrats – 0%

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At what point will the Lib Dems wake up and realise enabling the Tories has completely destroyed their party?

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Please feel free to comment. And share. Thanks:

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Learning Difficulties and Signing On? The System Can’t Be Bothered

Same Difference

Back to Kilburn jobcentre this morning for a Thursday signon session with Eddie, the 51-year-old man with learning and literacy difficultieswho I’ve been working with as he’s tried to get his fortnightly jobsearch done and avoid sanctions.

The jobcentre was pretty chaotic this morning – understaffed, I think, and tense. Most of the seats in the waiting area were occupied by people who were waiting to sign on. A number of people were pacing around.

Eddie was one of them: “I want to get out of here,” he kept saying to me. “Let’s get it [the signon] done and go.” Eddie hates the jobcentre and he seemed fraught this morning. He said there’d been some sort of fight between a claimant and adviser and/or Security just before I arrived. I knew something was up, because I’d seen four or five coppers climbing out of their car and heading…

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Conservatism in a nutshell, part 2: Laissez-faire isn’t.

Politics and Insights

 “David Cameron and George Osborne believe the only way to persuade millionaires to work harder is to give them more money.

But they also seem to believe that the only way to make ordinary people work harder is to take money away.”

Ed Miliband.

Source: Hansard, December 12, 2012.

Oh, the irony of Cameron trying to blame the “global economy”for the utter mess of the UK economy that his party has created. (Well, unless you are a millionaire, then it’s all a pretty good mess, actually.) Cameron’s mess is an entirely homegrown one, and is entirely down to his policies. Worse still, no matter how desperate things get, his message to the UK is that the only solution is to stick to his plan – more austerity – the plan that has created the problems in the first place.

Labour dealt with the global banking crisis without the need for…

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[Video] IDS’ Jobs Fair, Chingford, 14th November 2014