0.5 C
Mönchengladbach
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Advertise with us
ReviewsDole Life: Second Part

Dole Life: Second Part

Euro international News : The Jobcentre can be an ugly place. Steven Bradbury follows up his experience of trying to get on the dole in austerity Britain with the second instalment of ‘Dole Life’. Read Part One here

Week three – the fun week. A different adviser (again) and this one was a disaster before I even got there. Due to my careless ignorance, I missed the appointment. My adviser didn’t take this lightly and from what I could see, may have actually taken it personally. I don’t think we would have got along even if I did make the original appointment. She was brisk but clumsy – a combination that doesn’t float too well for most. Saying that though, she had the delightful habit of patronising me with statements like ‘it’s hard to get used to’ whilst smiling and shaking like one of those psychotic hyenas from The Lion King. We conversed about why I missed the appointment and every now and then she’d cut me off in a Paxman-esque way like she was holding me accountable for something serious. It was condescending and unnecessary. Righteousness and anger fuelled the fiery tone in her voice. Her little stabs were grating on me; it was like a contest to see who would crack first. Her way of talking to me was similar to that of being prodded up close with a wooden stick by some socially rejected zoo keeper who gets their kicks from bullying small animals.

I wasn’t sure when I got paid and it would have been a hell of a lot easier to have just looked this up myself, rather than trying to be moderately civilised (lazy) and simply asking her when the pennies roll in. She tried to work it out like it was a long math question. I guess it’s my fault as I should have emphasised the word “when”, but our brief history together indicated that she was doing this simply to waste my time at the sound of her own nagging voice. After a couple of minutes of this circulating itself, I Paxo-cut her myself and asked: ‘So it’s fortnightly?’ ‘Yes’. Done. I was out, and two days later I got a letter that tells me I have now been sanctioned from payment for a month.

Where I went wrong with her, I can only guess. I honestly thought we were getting along. She was crafty with her tactics – at least, that’s one way to look at it. She even wrote out in front of me what I agreed I had said. Rookie mistake. I didn’t even think to lie at that point; I just wanted to get out. Regret and anger forced its way into the front of my mind and so I picked up the phone to protest against this rotten situation. Whoever answered the phone was somebody I had never spoke to and so I asked them about disputing this sanctioning. She was quick with a reply; firm and fair. I didn’t have much grounding. I shot myself in the foot and now I was angry that they let me pull the trigger. I asked her if compassion is ever put to use at the Jobcentre but she just carried on with the facts. Everything about this was just another lesson learnt: you get sloppy and assure false confidence, you’re going to stand in shit. If you don’t step in it, then I couldn’t really think of anything worse than not learning where you’ve cocked up. In a spree of adrenaline I ordered myself and went on a C.V spree. The blurry vision of seeing a job being on the horizon began to disappear by mid-afternoon. I racked my brain for anyway to get off this wretched thing, determined not to have to speak to another adviser again. Of course, it didn’t take long until I realised that there was a chance to get an old job back; summer was coming and bars will be looking for staff. I went down to speak to the manager, handed in my C.V just for safe measures and a week later I had a job.

I got lucky (so to speak). Unemployment is statistically falling and of course David Cameron has to mention something boring and typical: ‘More jobs means more financial security for people.’ Okay, unemployment is falling but what about wages? Apparently, they are falling too. Wonderful. And as Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves pointed out: ‘…today’s figures show that young people and the long-term unemployed are being left behind.’ So yes, as usual, things aren’t smooth and clear but the most important factor that anybody can get a grasp of is the social factors. Tom Clark highlights these problems in his new book Hard Times, which was quoted by controversial news source Press TV:

‘Clark contends that “long-term unemployment is another blight which hammers some communities more than others. It seems plausible that societies which neglected so many of their citizens during the good times might be particularly prone to throwing them to the dogs in hard times”. Working life, he argues, especially at the bottom end of the workforce, has become “laced with worry”.’

In the end, it comes down to anxiety and fear. Not being able to provide is a sickening reality for some and the further you go down the food chain, the closer you get to it. Which leads back to the point on wages slipping. What needs to be rising is the quality of living for the people that have to get volunteer jobs at Poundland because they’ve been on job seekers allowance for too long, not how many people we can fit into these crap paid jobs.

The Jobcentre is an ugly place. They have it that way to try and make you run screaming into the hands of an employer and tell the rest of the employees what a terrifying experience you had with those heartless, insentient beings they call advisers. Those advisers are doing their patriotic duty to give Cameron content for his tweets and at the end of the day just doing the same thing you’re doing, which is looking for a way to provide for yourself or whoever else you’re shacked up with. It’s true that people scrounge off the system but the point of the matter is that bottom of the line jobs need to start looking more appealing than the dole, not the other way round.

Reviews

Related Articles

POPULAR

The romantic relationship between Ronaldo’s son and Luis Suarez’s daughter was revealed

"Delfina Suarez", the daughter of "Luis Suarez" revealed her romantic relationship by publishing a story with a heart from "Cris Ronaldo Jr.", the son...

Were Jennifer Lawrence nude photos real?

Are Jennifer Lawrence nude photos true?The question that you may ask yourself is whether the images that were published years ago are trueThe answer...

UK Entry requirements

Entry requirements This page reflects the UK government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British Citizen’ passport, for the most common...

LATEST POSTS

Salman Khan reaches Mumbai to celebrate his 58th birthday

Salman Khan is celebrating his 58th birthday. He returned to Mumbai to spend his special day with family and close people. It's a big day...

McDonald’s opening hours on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in Cambridgeshire

Although McDonald's is not the first thing that comes to mind for most people on Christmas Day, some might be wondering if they can still pop...

MORE

YOU MAY LIKE

What will man look like in 800 years? (+pictures)

American researchers conducted research on human form in 3000 AD and published imaginary images of "future man". They collaborated with a 3D designer to create images of the "future human" that show the problems with...
Cathedral by Raymond Carver

Cathedral Novel by Raymond Carver

This blind man, an old friend of my wife’s, he was on his way to spend the night. His wife had died. So he was visiting the dead wife’s relatives in Connecticut. He called...
metaverse app, metaverse facebook, metaverse crypto, metaverse zuckerberg, metaverse game, metaverse login, zuckerberg stuck in metaverse, mark zuckerberg stuck in metaverse, live longer for 150 years in metaverse, shib metaverse, gundam metaverse, shiba metaverse, shiba inu coin, shiba inu metaverse, shiba inu, metaverse fashion week, shiba metaverse land, mark zuckerberg, mark zuckerberg metaverse, how to make money in the metaverse, zuckerberg metaverse, best metaverse stocks, metaverse logo, nvidia stock, buying real estate in the metaverse, how to invest in the metaverse, bitcoin, metaverse login, how to buy land in metaverse, metaverse headset, how to invest in metaverse, metaverse meaning, metaverse crypto, metaverse stock, metaverse facebook, metaverse coins, metaverse real estate, metaverse etf, metaverse nft, metaverse login, metaverse pro, facebook metaverse, sandbox metaverse, how to invest in metaverse, mark zuckerberg metaverse, best metaverse crypto, how to buy land in metaverse, roundhill ball metaverse etf, roblox metaverse, top metaverse coins, apple metaverse, pete davidson net worth, pete davidson kim kardashian, pete davidson instagram, pete davidson ariana grande, pete davidson father, pete davidson tattoos, pete davidson exes, pete davidson wife, pete davidson net worth, pete davidson kim kardashian, pete davidson movies and tv shows, pete davidson instagram, pete davidson height, pete davidson ariana grande, simon rex, kenedi anderson american idol, bebe rexha, billy ray cyrus, pete davidson roast 9/11, walker scobell, is kim kardashian pregnant by pete davidson, tish cyrus, david mamet, wynonna judd, roast of pete davidson, pete davidson bde, is kim kardashian pregnant with pete davidson, kanye pete davidson boxing, phoebe dynevor and pete davidson, north and pete davidson, daphne bridgerton, pete davidson father 9/11, kim kardashian pregnant with pete davidson, cam newton, pete davidson and north west, is pete davidson jewish, pete davidson north, kourtney kardashian, pete davidson dad

Why do world leaders refuse to give their DNA to Russia?

According to a recent article in the Telegraph, world leaders are reluctant to share their DNA with anyone, including the Russian government, for reasons such as background research or the possibility of making biological...
Messi will lift the 2022 World Cup with "Abaya Khaleeji".

Messi lifted the 2022 World Cup with “Abaya Khaleeji”.

Lionel Messi, the captain of the Argentina national team, while spending his final years of football, fulfilled his dream and won the World Cup. After a 3-3 tie in regular time and overtime, Argentina, led...

A DJ, a YouTuber, and a K-POP singer will go on SpaceX’s first mission...

SpaceX's first mission to Moon Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese businessman who reserved all 8 seats on the first SpaceX lunar mission, has officially revealed his crew. The group, which consists of 10 creatives from different...

Britney Spears ‘We Lost Our Miracle Baby,’

Britney Spears announced in an Instagram post that her "miracle baby" and her partner Sam Asghari have had an abortion."With the least sadness, it must be said that the baby lost its miracle early...

Actors who have left school at a young age

Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Lawrence: Jennifer Lawrence dropped out of school at age 14 and got into acting. Ryan Gosling Ryan Gosling: The actor had a lot of problems at school and his mother had to teach him...
Sony and Manchester City are building a metaverse, but they need to prove why we should visit

Sony and Manchester City are building a metaverse, but they need to prove why...

Sony builds incredible virtual worlds for its PlayStation games, and now the company is starting to dabble more seriously with building metaverse worlds, too. At CES 2023, the company showed a brief look at...
metaverse app, metaverse facebook, metaverse crypto, metaverse zuckerberg, metaverse game, metaverse login, zuckerberg stuck in metaverse, mark zuckerberg stuck in metaverse, live longer for 150 years in metaverse, shib metaverse, gundam metaverse, shiba metaverse, shiba inu coin, shiba inu metaverse, shiba inu, metaverse fashion week, shiba metaverse land, mark zuckerberg, mark zuckerberg metaverse, how to make money in the metaverse, zuckerberg metaverse, best metaverse stocks, metaverse logo, nvidia stock, buying real estate in the metaverse, how to invest in the metaverse, bitcoin, metaverse login, how to buy land in metaverse, metaverse headset, how to invest in metaverse, metaverse meaning, metaverse crypto, metaverse stock, metaverse facebook, metaverse coins, metaverse real estate, metaverse etf, metaverse nft, metaverse login, metaverse pro, facebook metaverse, sandbox metaverse, how to invest in metaverse, mark zuckerberg metaverse, best metaverse crypto, how to buy land in metaverse, roundhill ball metaverse etf, roblox metaverse, top metaverse coins, apple metaverse, pete davidson net worth, pete davidson kim kardashian, pete davidson instagram, pete davidson ariana grande, pete davidson father, pete davidson tattoos, pete davidson exes, pete davidson wife, pete davidson net worth, pete davidson kim kardashian, pete davidson movies and tv shows, pete davidson instagram, pete davidson height, pete davidson ariana grande, simon rex, kenedi anderson american idol, bebe rexha, billy ray cyrus, pete davidson roast 9/11, walker scobell, is kim kardashian pregnant by pete davidson, tish cyrus, david mamet, wynonna judd, roast of pete davidson, pete davidson bde, is kim kardashian pregnant with pete davidson, kanye pete davidson boxing, phoebe dynevor and pete davidson, north and pete davidson, daphne bridgerton, pete davidson father 9/11, kim kardashian pregnant with pete davidson, cam newton, pete davidson and north west, is pete davidson jewish, pete davidson north, kourtney kardashian, pete davidson dad

The Metaverse Is on the Way: Here’s What You Need to Know

Facebook, Microsoft and a host of other companies are jockeying to define the next iteration of the internet. You've probably heard the hype: the metaverse is going to change the way you live. A vision for...

Several thousand dollar gifts from the former leaders of Afghanistan to Biden

Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the leaders of the former government of Afghanistan, have given gifts of several thousand dollars to US President Joe Biden in the last year of their government. Joe Biden...
metaverse app, metaverse facebook, metaverse crypto, metaverse zuckerberg, metaverse game, metaverse login, zuckerberg stuck in metaverse, mark zuckerberg stuck in metaverse, live longer for 150 years in metaverse, shib metaverse, gundam metaverse, shiba metaverse, shiba inu coin, shiba inu metaverse, shiba inu, metaverse fashion week, shiba metaverse land, mark zuckerberg, mark zuckerberg metaverse, how to make money in the metaverse, zuckerberg metaverse, best metaverse stocks, metaverse logo, nvidia stock, buying real estate in the metaverse, how to invest in the metaverse, bitcoin, metaverse login, how to buy land in metaverse, metaverse headset, how to invest in metaverse, metaverse meaning, metaverse crypto, metaverse stock, metaverse facebook, metaverse coins, metaverse real estate, metaverse etf, metaverse nft, metaverse login, metaverse pro, facebook metaverse, sandbox metaverse, how to invest in metaverse, mark zuckerberg metaverse, best metaverse crypto, how to buy land in metaverse, roundhill ball metaverse etf, roblox metaverse, top metaverse coins, apple metaverse, pete davidson net worth, pete davidson kim kardashian, pete davidson instagram, pete davidson ariana grande, pete davidson father, pete davidson tattoos, pete davidson exes, pete davidson wife, pete davidson net worth, pete davidson kim kardashian, pete davidson movies and tv shows, pete davidson instagram, pete davidson height, pete davidson ariana grande, simon rex, kenedi anderson american idol, bebe rexha, billy ray cyrus, pete davidson roast 9/11, walker scobell, is kim kardashian pregnant by pete davidson, tish cyrus, david mamet, wynonna judd, roast of pete davidson, pete davidson bde, is kim kardashian pregnant with pete davidson, kanye pete davidson boxing, phoebe dynevor and pete davidson, north and pete davidson, daphne bridgerton, pete davidson father 9/11, kim kardashian pregnant with pete davidson, cam newton, pete davidson and north west, is pete davidson jewish, pete davidson north, kourtney kardashian, pete davidson dad

The Weirdest Places Ashes Have Been Scattered in South America

We woke reasonably late following the feast and free flowing wine the night before. After gathering ourselves and our packs, we headed down to our homestay family’s small dining room for breakfast. Refreshingly, what was...
metaverse app, metaverse facebook, metaverse crypto, metaverse zuckerberg, metaverse game, metaverse login, zuckerberg stuck in metaverse, mark zuckerberg stuck in metaverse, live longer for 150 years in metaverse, shib metaverse, gundam metaverse, shiba metaverse, shiba inu coin, shiba inu metaverse, shiba inu, metaverse fashion week, shiba metaverse land, mark zuckerberg, mark zuckerberg metaverse, how to make money in the metaverse, zuckerberg metaverse, best metaverse stocks, metaverse logo, nvidia stock, buying real estate in the metaverse, how to invest in the metaverse, bitcoin, metaverse login, how to buy land in metaverse, metaverse headset, how to invest in metaverse, metaverse meaning, metaverse crypto, metaverse stock, metaverse facebook, metaverse coins, metaverse real estate, metaverse etf, metaverse nft, metaverse login, metaverse pro, facebook metaverse, sandbox metaverse, how to invest in metaverse, mark zuckerberg metaverse, best metaverse crypto, how to buy land in metaverse, roundhill ball metaverse etf, roblox metaverse, top metaverse coins, apple metaverse, pete davidson net worth, pete davidson kim kardashian, pete davidson instagram, pete davidson ariana grande, pete davidson father, pete davidson tattoos, pete davidson exes, pete davidson wife, pete davidson net worth, pete davidson kim kardashian, pete davidson movies and tv shows, pete davidson instagram, pete davidson height, pete davidson ariana grande, simon rex, kenedi anderson american idol, bebe rexha, billy ray cyrus, pete davidson roast 9/11, walker scobell, is kim kardashian pregnant by pete davidson, tish cyrus, david mamet, wynonna judd, roast of pete davidson, pete davidson bde, is kim kardashian pregnant with pete davidson, kanye pete davidson boxing, phoebe dynevor and pete davidson, north and pete davidson, daphne bridgerton, pete davidson father 9/11, kim kardashian pregnant with pete davidson, cam newton, pete davidson and north west, is pete davidson jewish, pete davidson north, kourtney kardashian, pete davidson dad

Watch Awesome Kate Go Full Cooking Pro in England this Week

We woke reasonably late following the feast and free flowing wine the night before. After gathering ourselves and our packs, we headed down to our homestay family’s small dining room for breakfast. Refreshingly, what was...

25 Best Places to Visit in Spain and SWITZERLAND

Euro international : Few tourism destinations in the world offer such a dazzling array of places to see and tourist attractions to visit as Spain. This European country is also filled with striking natural...
Elon Musk Answers Trump

Elon Musk Answers Trump’s “Twitter Files” reply by saying, “End of story.”

Elon Musk Answers Trump! Elon Musk, the new CEO of Twitter. He doesn't seem to be a fan of how Mr. Trump Responded to his Tweet. Elon Musk Answers Trump The Constitution is greater than any...
The metaverse is coming. Here are 4 things businesses can expectmetaverse app,

The metaverse is coming. Here are 4 things businesses can expect

The metaverse brings “tremendous opportunity” – but lots of work is needed first, Accenture says.This includes redesigning today’s internet from a “disparate collection of sites and apps” to a continuous 3D universe.BMW, Disney, Gucci...
\