I am one of the "parasites" on unemployment benefit who is draining your income

I've seen many people lately refer to those on Benefits as "lazy drop outs" and "bums"

I've seen many people crying about how social security is a parasite that feeds off of their hard work...

I've seen people threaten to leave the jobs and join the people on social so that, they too, can have the "easy" life.

I find this really upsetting... you people have no idea what you are talking about...

For 20 years i have worked... Spent time working as a builder, a chef, worked in a warehouse, and eventually ended up in IT. I have NEVER had problems finding work and have an excellent CV (Resume)

However, last year i was made redundant...

No problem, i thought, i will soon find work even in the current environment... I am skilled, have experience as a manager, good references etc... Easy!!

I had paid into a mortgage protection scheme... i received a semi decent payout from work... should be ok...

For the first four months i didn’t even sign on... thought i could go it alone, using my redundancy and savings, I didn’t want to be a drain on the system...

In just less than a year of searching i have had just 3 interviews... Every month moves my bank account deeper into the red... The money received from my redundancy is long gone... Every month i have the usual arguments with my mortgage protect people... Their payments are ALWAYS late...

"Sorry sir, but we need this form counter signed by a manager from the job centre"

"sorry sir, but we have lost you form"

"sorry sir, but we have not received any letter"

etc...

Every day i sit at my PC and send off applications, make phone calls, contact potential employees...

I have not limited myself to IT Management roles (although i did at first)

Do you realise how demoralising and depressing it is for a man who was manager 25 people and commanded a salary of almost 40K a year to be rejected for jobs on minimum wage?

I have put the word out to friends that i am available for employment and asked that they make me aware of any positions, that may be available, but they have all said the same thing...

"of course i will mate, but my company is losing people at the moment"

And the thing that really gets me?? The jobs i cannot apply for because of ridiculous changes made to legislation requiring licensing and training!!!

I wanted to apply for a job as a Gardner... but needed a sprayers license.

www.pesticides-safety-training.co.uk...


Then i thought i could do a bit of minicabing to make ends meat... but no... i need a PCO license which costs £298...

www.tfl.gov.uk...

Then thought about maybe doing some security work... but this time it’s a SIA licence at around £135

www.get-licensed.co.uk...

This is a joke.... I know how to spray plants... it’s not rockets science... and even if i didn’t it is something you could show someone in less than 10 minutes.

I know how to drive.... i know how to get from point A to point B... While i understand that cab drivers need to be regulated to prevent sex offenders and criminals taking advantage of the public... Should it REALLY cost £298 to get registered???
And i know how to stand on a door and look out for bad guys...

These are all jobs where you could be given on the job training with little fuss and maybe spend £10 or £20 pounds on a licence...

When you working, £135 doesn’t sound like a lot of money... But for me it’s the difference between feeding my kids or watching them starve...

I have even asked the jobcentre if they could help with the cost for one or more of these licences... The answer? No!!

A friend of mine who work in HR has told me that the last job they had available received 300 applications for 1 position... They received so many that they didn’t even look at most of them... simply picked 10 at random and chose from there!!!

Being on Social is demoralising... it makes me feel less of a man, that i cannot feed my family and have to go cap-in-hand to the government for help...

But without it, myself and my family would be on the streets starving. This last year has humbled me and forced me to look at things differently.

Sure... you get your social drop outs in the dole queue... I’ve seen the long termers who have no intention of working...

But i also see a hell of a lot of similar people to myself trying to explain what they have done to search for work to a spotty teenager behind a desk, who has your family’s welfare in his hands, and not long been out of school.

For those of you who think social security is nothing but a drain on your precious incomes... try and spare a thought for people like me... and in turn i will spare a thought for you, and hope you never have to experience it personally in order to learn this life lesson!

Peace





[edit on 23-7-2010 by Muckster]

So, why are you drawing Social Security? Or, is it "Unemployment"? I guess I'm a bit confused...

er, actually I just realized that you are in the UK? What is Social Security for, in the UK?

Here, it is a fund that employers and employees pay into, with the expectation of being able to retire at 65 (or, is it 105 these days - I lose track). By retire, I mean "stop working"; since, it's not really a 'retirement' wage. It's more of a monthly check to pay for incidentals and utilities.

The problem with the US Soc. Sec is congress' greedy little hands. They just keep bobbing their heads into our apple barrel. We (Americans) are upset that we've been led to a ponzi scheme that most of us won't be able to benefit from. So, supposedly it isn't a 'tax', but a 'fund'. But, we all know it's a tax and we'll be lucky if there is enough to feed our parents for a few years.

reply to post by SourGrapes


Sorry for confusing the issue... written with passion

Jobseekers allowance is the official name of the benefit i am on!!!

It’s what you receive from the government when out of work!

Peace

Edit to say... i have changed the title to say "unemployment benefit" now... hope that helps.

[edit on 23-7-2010 by Muckster]

I hear exactly where you're coming from man, I'm right there beside you.

I live in Michigan currently, and for anyone in the United States that is unemployed, they are all glad they are not here. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate of the 50. I progressively stepped up in jobs since I was in high school. I started out with the simple stuff, fast food joints like every other teenager, eventually going into specialized fields as a Mobile Electronics Technician and then into running half of a sub-contracting company installing commercial GPS systems for companies in over 7 states. I then stepped up to a better management position with a major retailer and worked there for 364 days before I was let go. Each instance I made just a little bit better money, and I thought that my management job would be the one to carry me through my current enrollement in college to earn a bachelors degree in 3d Design.

However no matter how hard I worked it was not good enough, I was short staffed and over-tasked. There was nothing I could do that I wasn't already doing. I saw it coming for six months before it happened, I was pretty much biding my time.

Unfortunately for me unemployment paid me more than any job I could find. There are a few jobs around, but whenever I interviewed or at least got contacted by employers I had to compete with the same number of applicants as you do.

I am currently holding a 3.5+ GPA in college so far and I have two years left to go to which I hope to get set in a career that will make me around 80,000 a year, however last week I found out that I am going to be a father and the fit hit the shan so to speak.

My unemployment ran out last week and I am waiting on congress to approve or deny the federal extension to see where I have to go next.
My problem is that I have done so many different skills it's hard to focus on my resume. I've done general construction, electrical specialty in the automotive field, Mobile electronics, GPS, Management, various other general jobs and I still can't seem to find decent employment.

I'm only 30, 31 this august, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

I feel your pain man, keep holding on like the rest of us, I'm sure everything will work itself out eventually.

King

I get disability living allowance and my parents get a carers allowance, I get about 110 pounds a week. I'm 32 and have been forced to move home to live with retired parent's, after living in London with friends for 10 years before.

I am now looking to get back into work, but my having outlived my original prognosis( for a brain tumour) by 3 years I cant promise any employer I will still be around in 6 months let a lone a year.

My Benefits are likely to be slashed in the upcomming cuts, but at least i will have a roof over my head and loving parents, which is more than many in a similar situation can expect.

I hate the way people on benefits are victimised in this country. Benefit fraud costs the UK 1 billion a year compared to tax evaision which costs the country 15 billion a year, but how often do we hear about that. Not to mention the daily allowance for a member of the House of Lords is well over 300 pounds a day. But still we prefer to have a go at those on benefits.

reply to post by Muckster


You could get a job as a gov gang stalker, lol. Gov jobs are all the rage now in uk and usa are they not?

reply to post by Muckster


I feel your pain but if it wasn't for the ones ripping off the system you would be paid more..

I'm in Australia and know entire families living off welfare and living well.

Young girls getting pregnant to "so called" unknown men then living off single parent payments for the next 20 years...

Its all a scam...I'd say less than 50% really need it.
And because of the scammers, the ones that really need it dont get enough....

reply to post by woodwardjnr


Hey woodwardjnr... have you changed your avatar? I believe that you had a pic of someone blowing a vuvuzela??

If that is you then i always enjoy reading your comments...

Benefit fraud costs the UK 1 billion a year compared to tax evaision which costs the country 15 billion a year, but how often do we hear about that.

This one quote perfectly sums up the witch hunt for the poor that is designed to hide the crimes of the rich!

Perfect...

I have added you as a friend


[edit on 23-7-2010 by Muckster]

Originally posted by SourGrapes


The problem with the US Soc. Sec is congress' greedy little hands. They just keep bobbing their heads into our apple barrel. We (Americans) are upset that we've been led to a ponzi scheme that most of us won't be able to benefit from. So, supposedly it isn't a 'tax', but a 'fund'. But, we all know it's a tax and we'll be lucky if there is enough to feed our parents for a few years.

yes indeed, Social Security would have assets, instead of IOUs from Congress... if it wasn't raided by putting the 12% funded by the worker money into the 'General Fund' category. since the 1980s when Regan increased the rate of SocialSecurity taxes on our paychecks---
the 'fund' would have over $2.5 Trillion of assets in it....& would be viable today.


OP... i am saddened by your predicument, but this is the result of a collapsing system..
here in the USA, congess jut passed the $30billion unemployment extension (?#4? )for persons without work for more than 6 months
~and will supposedly pay up on the checks they lost out on during the weeks of non-payment because the old extension expired.

i cannot imagine unemployment checks going for past 48 months
but at the rate of recovery the extensions may well be paid to workers that cannot find jobs for 120 months = 10 years!

reply to post by Muckster


Mate, I am in exactly the same position as you. The whole system is a joke. I could go on with a passion statement that echoes yours exactly, but just wanted to say I know how you feel. I was being turned down for minimum wage jobs and god knows I least want to do them. You can imagine the power tripped line managers who you'll have to report to! I was a marketing manager and the job center told me to change my cv so my time in hospitality would be more prominent. I haven't worked a bar for seven years!

The whole system is screwed and now our glorious coalition government wants us to move across the country to find jobs. But what jobs? Makes me think that learning Mandarin and moving to China will be a better bet.

reply to post by Kingalbrect79


Thanks for your kind words... I guess i have a similar problem... i kind of feel like a "jack of all trades master of none"

I've done a little of this, little of that... and therefore don’t seem best suited to any one particular role... Even my IT management role (which at the time seemed like a great idea) now seems to have done nothing more than deskill me technically.

I am sure you are correct though... it will all work out in the end... good luck with your own search Bro

Peace

I'll not state anyone is lazy or a drop-out or not looking for work, or even state my opinion on the matter, as it isn't relevant. I might, however, be able to clarify why people in the US are aggravated over the continual extensions of our unemployment benefits here.

As many understand it, unemployment in the US is something we pay into when we have a job. We put a limited amount of money into an account that we alone can draw out of when we are laid off of our job... Not when we are fired, though. Past Employers ALSO pay into unemployment claims, however it is still a limited fund, and once the money in the account is gone, the time is up. It is not something that tax dollars pay into... well not until recently. Extending the unemployment benefit means that the money comes from somewhere else, as the "personal account" has been used up already... that money is everyone else's tax dollars.

IDEALLY, to continue getting your benefits you have to prove that you have been actively looking for work, but since it really can't be proven one way or another it's assumed many have given up.

In reality It is a broad generalization from angry people who are tired of not having any say on where their tax dollars are spent, and who are tired of having the systems abused by so many.

I hope this helps a little in at least understanding the general ideas of why people are angry about unemployment in the US being extended.

BTW, good luck in your search, hon! I hope you find something soon... I know personally how difficult job hunting can be sometimes! *hugs*

[Edited: Added last line, I am not a complete jerk!]

[edit on 7/23/2010 by Sararainmaker]

My fiancé and I (living together with a child) both managed to lose our jobs about 3 months apart. I lost my job first working as a field technician for sun microsystems and she lost her job about 3 months later working as an executive asst. At a medical device company. After I was laid off i thought about collecting unemployment but did as the OP and decided not to trouble the govt and live off of my girlfriends (at the time) salary while looking for work. When she lost her job she got on unemployment and I still abstained from it. We have been a family of 3 living for the past 11 months on her unemployment benefits. As far as our job searching goes read the op's post and it's pretty much a match. Thank jeebus though, yesterday she was hired as a legal executive asst making a little less than her last job but it's a start in the right direction. I am looking forward to beginning work with a contractor buddy starting next week as general labor but I'm happy as hell for the opportunity. We are on our way back up. Keep your heads up guys. It will get better as long as you stay positive and keep looking. Any contact may be the one!

Oh ya, forgot to mention. My fiance's unemployment benifits ran dry a few weeks ago and we were thinking really bad thoughts about our future. These jobs could not possibly have come at a better time. We celebrated her new employment last night with a bottle of bubbly and some personal time....

[edit on 23-7-2010 by IllMannered]

Originally posted by andy1033
reply to post by Muckster

 

You could get a job as a gov gang stalker, lol. Gov jobs are all the rage now in uk and usa are they not?

If you have a government job in uk you are likely to be losing it soon, with the new cuts. Its all about the big society now, DIY society, should be interesting. Who's up for being a volunteer road sweeper?

reply to post by Muckster


I hear you mate.

The Jobcentre is a mess. Adding the "Plus" a few years ago was bloody hilarious.

There IS money available for things like private hire licences and SIA badges, I think it's called Discretionary Employment Allowance or something like that. I got it eighteen months ago.

The people behind those desks don't give a toss mate, 90% of them anyway. To be honest I don't blame them, after dealing with the sort of people they have to every day, I'd become a bit cold. The funny thing is tht a good chunk of the Jobcentre staff gained their employment through being unemployed. How quickly they forget...

Unfortunately, you're going to have to set aside your morals and play the game. Put you and your family first. Lie, deceive and get what you need. Help increases when you've either been unemployed for six months, or, you health is suffering. I used the latter, and I don't feel guilty one bit.

You're not a parasite, bum or anything else, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Best of luck to you mate. I hope it all works out for you.

Sendran.

Good luck getting a job Muckster, and I hope it's one you enjoy.

We've just spent a year on jobseekers, my partner was sacked last summer for no good reason. Day after he was sacked he parked on the edge of a zig-zag line and got an on the spot £60 fine and 3 points off his licence. What a kicking that was. Thank goodness our insurance covered the mortgage.

Don't give a damn about what people think. It's just man's way of having to be superior to someone. I have spotted those "stirrings" in the press though. They've probably always been there but when you're in that situation you seem to notice it more. It's like they want you to be ashamed for being out of work.

The real truth is, MOST people in a job are slaves to someone and nobody is paid what they're worth because some fat cat is at the top licking all the cream. We're all trapped in the crap system. Just go along with them, be polite, laugh inside 'cos it's a f****ng joke, but don't let them get to you. And if you get a chance of a job on the side, cash in the back pocket and all that, take it. It's the system that's corrupt, not you.

Good luck.

ps Sendran is right. There is money for courses, licences etc, just ask at job centre and get yourself on agencies books. They'll even do you CV for you if you can't be arsed. Take advantage. Make them work for their wages.



[edit on 23-7-2010 by wigit]

reply to post by Muckster


Yes that was me with the vuvuzela, got rid of the annoying thing. I re read your post and your situation sounds really harsh, having a family to support must make this 10 times more difficult. The thing is if your a hard worker and like you say a jack of all trades, some work will come. Good luck in these hard times, we're all going to need it.

Thanks for the friend add, I also enjoy reading your posts.

I was in the same boat as you mate, after a while they will pass you onto a private employment agency to find you work and they all get mega kick backs if they find you a job...they are all lining each others pockets, but they will pay for your SIA card etc
What you need is a skill which you can get "cash in hand" i did a plastering course, but ill stop there if you know what i mean !

it is a way to shift blame from what has happened. they need for the person fired or laid-off to take the blame. combine that with fear, and you have a willing populace that does NOT ask for raises, or benefits when they do have a job. if labor is scarce, the demands for better pay, better working conditions costs the wealthy more. that's why these types of recessions will continue into the future. the extremely wealthy have the luxury to sit out any recession. thus, recessions and depressions are simply a way to buy valued assets at a much cheaper price.

[edit on 23-7-2010 by jimmyx]

wow.

thank you for your story. i am sorry this has happened to you.
if i owned a business i would hire you.

dont give up. and i dont think you are a parasite, you paid into the unemployment fund, so take.