How is Univeral Credit today compared to over 20 years ago?

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shamone_mofo@reddit

Job centre lost its purpose years ago . Their main goal now is to make the visit as unpleasant as possible. Its not gonna be long till they are having a taste of their own medicine as their jobs will be lost to AI and Automation .

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smackdealer1@reddit

Nothing would make me happier than seeing DWP workers hard done by. I hope they can't get another job ever again.

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DameKumquat@reddit

Last time I claimed (20 years ago, likely to be claiming again soon for me and kid), half the staff were there because they'd been claimants, were made to apply for the job, and got given it.

With the obvious result of terrible morale and advice.

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shamone_mofo@reddit

Bastards all of um..I remember the days they would bend over backwards to get you a job . Now they dont wanna do sweet F.A and look for excuses to suspend or sanction .

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shredditorburnit@reddit

Ooh, I can answer this one.

Ignoring the name change (JSA/UC), it's functionally the same.

You go to a meeting, get made to feel like a criminal for not having a job, then, if you're lucky and the government drone isn't in a bad mood, you get a small pittance that won't cover your basic essentials.

20 years ago I was on it for 3 weeks while looking for work, now I'm back on it because my health has pulled a right stunt on me and I'm doing well if I make it out the house. After a year in that state, I still haven't received a penny in additional support, mostly because the assessments have been farmed out to Serco, who are a collosally useless bunch of lying scum, who will lie on the forms they fill in, fail to meet their own deadlines and generally be a roadblock between disabled people and the help they need. If family were not picking up the slack and helping me out, I would have actually died in the last year while waiting for state support.

Until this happened I had been running my own business for over a decade. I have paid in.

Anyway, my basic advice is don't be sick and don't be poor, becuase the state will do it's best to let you die before it helps you.

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scriptkiddie1337@reddit

We had a very different experience. I just went in, said I had applied for X, Y, and Z when I hadn't, then the desk jockey told me he'd see me in two weeks

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SpectreSingh89@reddit (OP)

Wow. No changes then? A former colleague been through same process with her husband. He has back problem for many years, she worked full time (semi retired now) and the drones do ask "If u have back problem how'd u manage to sit in a plane?" And gives empty glass o water "can u lift this glass? See! Nothing is wrong with u yer lifting weights" 😂 musta been exaggerated but she was dead serious at that time.

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Bald_faux_fraud@reddit

I've heard the glass of water (not always empty) anecdote from different and unrelated people, so she's probably not exaggerating at all.

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Background-End2272@reddit

Job seekers allowance still exists, you can claim both job seekers allowance and universal credit - you can only get job seekers allowance for 6 months.

I got both last year when I was unemployed for 8 months. You can still have both sanctioned if you are not keeping your commitments. I personally had 0 Jsa Appointments during the period and only had universal credit.

If you're sanctioned or not - for me, seemed to be based on the advisor you get, one I had one not bothered as he was retiring, the next one chased me constantly and told me what jobs to apply too, if I didn't apply to those she wanted to know why and would ask me.

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IDKBear25@reddit

Do you think that female advisor was invasive?

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Scarred_fish@reddit

Sounds like she was the one doing her job properly.

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Calm-Treacle8677@reddit

There’s a limit though when it starts getting power trippy I reckon

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Scarred_fish@reddit

Oh I am sure there is, but making sure someone is applying for every job going is a fundimental part of the job.

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Background-End2272@reddit

I was applying for jobs, she was just quite rude. She acted like I wasn't doing enough when I was getting interviews, applying for loads. Just a frustrating experience to deal with when I was trying really hard.

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JustStraightUpLost@reddit

For the two months I was on universal credit I didn’t look for a single job. I only signed up because I had a job that was starting a little after 2 months and needed a little money to keep me afloat. I just made up random recruitment agencies and said I’d signed up to them, nobody batted an eyelid.

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IranianAlan@reddit

Search "Dole"

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FlatCapNorthumbrian@reddit

For anyone who works. If you can afford it and only get SSP if off I’ll, get yourself an insurance policy to cover your wages whilst on the sick. Some companies will pay out for up to two years on a claim.

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Witty_Entry9120@reddit

Thems were the days. Lending each other pens outside the job centre to fill in the little diary.

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Chemical-Lettuce2497@reddit

Lmao I used to go into the job centre, grab the little work search sheets, sit outside, fill it out and then go in for my appointment

Simpler times

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carnage2006@reddit

There's still JSA. (New style)

Universal credit replaced tax credits and housing benefit and a couple of others

But yes, you can get sanctioned if you don't follow your commitments etc

Much more intrusive than tax credits and as in wanting to see bank statements in random reviews.

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liebackandthinkofeng@reddit

There’s a whole section of DWP dedicated to investigating benefit claimants who may be wrongfully claiming/haven’t been transparent with their earnings or income. They employ compliance officers who interview the claimants. Yeah, they have to ask some annoying questions but when you can’t claim taxpayer money without having to have some accountability if you’re fleecing the system (whether that’s being done knowingly or not). If you’re found to have wrongfully claimed, they make you pay back the amount that you’ve wrongfully claimed

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