Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 16-3-2022: The FA Cup

16th March, 2022.

Right … 

I was due a phone call, yesterday: from a representative of the Job Centre, to “discuss my health journey on Universal Credit.”

Job Centre: or Department of Work and Pensions.   I’m not sure which runs the body that’s supposed to call.

Notice I say due.

The call never happened.

Oh, at least, I didn’t get the call while I was in: I did a little shopping, yesterday, and half expected it to come then.

I got home, and was in for the rest of the day.

So the Service Centre’s representative had a long time to make contact.

Just like my Work Coach, my Job Centre case worker: who phoned exactly when she was due to.

The rep?   Didn’t call while I was in.

It was frustrating enough that I phoned the DWP’s enquiry line*, to see what was happening.

At roughly 16:30.

What the Enquiries chap did?

Firstly, was to check my details and ask the inevitable security questions.

Secondly, was confirm my my landline.

Which I repeated a couple of times, so he could be sure of the number.

He was then able to tell me that they’d apparently called: and left a message on my answer phone service.

I’ve got issues, here.

Granted, I may have missed the call, when I went shopping: or they may have phoned when I was on the phone with my work coach or the Enquiries line.   The Enquiries chap also told me they could have dialled the wrong number.

It didn’t occur to me to ask Enquiries when they phoned: which could’ve been useful to know.

But … ?

He told me they left a message.

One problem with that?   I have a pay-as-you-go landline: I only pay for the calls I make, and nothing else.

I don’t pay for the answerphone service: as I can’t afford it.

So?   The Service Department may have left a message: but it’s not one I’m going to receive, or be able to access.

Another?   They didn’t leave a parallel message on my online, Job Centre, journal: which is how they let me know they’d be calling†.

That is sometimes the best way for the Job Centre to contact me.

My only course of action?

Was to do what I did.

Tell the Enquiries people I couldn’t and didn’t get the message, make sure they know what my landline number is, and make sure this was logged on the system, and — ha! — flagged up for the Service Centre.

And repeat all this to my Work Coach: so she could do the same, if possible.

And — ye gods! — make sure this was logged in my online, DWP/Job Centre journal.

I guess it’s now wait and see.

~≈☎️≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 2nd September, 2020.

2nd September, 2020.

Right … 

It’s official: I have another meeting, today.

With my temporary case worker* at the Job Centre: as my regular case worker is on holiday.

I messaged them, yesterday, to find out more about a Department of Work and Pensions scheme called the Flexible Support Fund.

That — in theory — I could use to by a laptop.

I can also see if putting in some sort of complaint about the Shaw Trust would be appropriate.

Or doable … 

We’ll just have to see.

~≈É≈~

The Daily Teaser — 19-8-2014

Right, I’m up early, again.

Yes, in case you’re wondering: I’ve another early start at the local Job Centre, doing my daily job search, there.

I have to admit, I like their public computers they use.

It’s a pair of HP PCs, running a much simplified version of Ubuntu.

Very simple: the only thing you’ll see on the Desktop are a web-browser (a version of Firefox), a word-processor and a spreadsheet (Open Office).

The system’s aren’t a bad user experience.   But does have it’s problems:

• You can’t change the mouse over to left handed use: a major crime as far as I’m concerned.
• You can’t easily save a web page as a .pdf from what I can see: a useful function I use for my records.
• Lastly, the Job Centre’s IT department doesn’t seem interested in updating the systems: the web-browser is an older one, that couldn’t be used with a couple of jobs (or their webpages) I’d recently put in for.

Hopefully, though … ?   These are things that can get worked on.

~≈Ù≈~

Men At Work Placement

OK, OK … 

It’s a Sunday evening!

But there’s not much on TV at the moment.   There’s not a lot on the radio, either.

And frankly … ?

Frankly, there’s something I’ve been meaning to get off my chest: about being out of work.

~≈◊≈~

Back At The Job Centre ...

This is literally going to be a quick post: courtesy of Brentwood Library.

As I'm in town!

At any rate, I've just signed on: the usual thing, that says I'm available to work should a job come my way: and should any jobs be available.

As part of my first time back, after being on the Work Program for two years, I'm supposed to have been seen by a personal adviser: who'll advise me on what happens next, and what help the Job Centre can offer me.

Guess what?

The chap was ill.

Story of my life, that ... !