Going from bad to worse

[Matt]

This week has just got worse.

So Tuesday. Got to work an hour late after sleeping through my alarm. Got a written warning.....

So today, I wake up at 11.15 think what the actual f*ck?
Grab my clothes and shit run to work and arrive at 11.30

Now there is no excuse to be used here, nothing that would work.
Get a f*cking disaplinary!


I mean wtf? So job is pretty much lost as the manager is a complete and utter lady garden and has been looking for a reason to sack me from day 1.

Now looking at other jobs, can't find f*cking anything!
Looking at driving, labour, waiter, shops nothing
All about 16hours a week and useless to me. As I have £800 in bills and rent alone to pay each month and 16hrs will not cut it.



Anyway, part of me screamed your f*cked. Another part said look at benefits.

Now I hate benefits with a passion! But I can get up too £700 alone...
I hate them, and being on them would be the worst.

But for some reason it almost seems like the only way. I mean I might not have a job after Monday, so it might have to be done.




Can someone convince me benefits aren't that bad? I just can't stand the thought of being on benefits lol

[underground375]

Benefits are there to help you, I was on benefits for months as I couldn't find a job that covered the £1200 a mouth bills. The only reason why people like yourself feel that way about them is because your a working lad, most on benefits give the system a bad name and use the system so they don't have to work.

[C.A.R.]

Why were you late dude? Is there a medical problem?

Trouble is you need to have the right work ethic, I've been late in the past, nobody is perfect, but the following day you need to arrive early or offer to work through breaks etc.

The benefit system is there for those who generally can't work or can't find work, not those who are not very good at working. I know that sounds harsh, but it's true! If you get 'sacked' it will be 6 weeks before you can claim anything anyway.

[Piggy]

Do your best to keep the job you got mate.

Alternatively consider being self employed.

Tax bracket went up this year so you can now earn £9000 without paying tax, dont forget you can deduct a lot too. Plus NI is only £12 a month being self employed.

If you cant do what you are doing self employed, consider something like window cleaning...I did couple years back despite being a vehicle tech and fully Qualied driving instructor...never looked back.

Cost few hundred quid to set up...weather is ideal...few evenings canvassing and weekends practicing and you will be away.
PM if you want some advice/help. But I earn £30 an hour, taking it slow! So I work part time, coz I dont need to (and cant for medical reasons) work full time. I am my own boss, so it dont matter if I have a lie in, or get up late!

[Pompey306mark]

Mate since I lost my great job last year in January I have been on benefits for 9months.

2months on benefits
5months working
5months on benefits
2months working
2months benefits
Now 3 months working

All the jobs I have taken have been temp jobs and all did not work out, either me finding out dodgy things about the company, or just not needed after the temp contract.

I hated being on benefits, it's so boring and having to go to the job centre every 2 weeks was a pain. But it's better to be on them than not on them.
Just hope something comes up quick, I struggled to find work each time.

[Matt]

Well I was late as my head/body is quite f*cked ATM, but nothing which a doctor is concerned by atall so it's not written and is just my word of mouth.

This current job is good, but te manager is a lady garden. And it is just me and her in the office.

If I could get £1000 of benefit I wouldn't look back. And I'd use my free time to go back to collage.
But unfortunaly the benefit they offer will not cover anything.

They have already taken away my weekend overtime. And looking to cut me completely.
So I have no way of earning extra cash. Which is shit as I owe money to people for various things but can't bloody earn extra to cover it

[Piggy]

My idea still seems like a good one!

[Matt]

Yeah but being self employed is a lot of hassle.

Big start up cost - which I don't have
A decent trade - which I don't have
Access to computer for records - again don't have

[Pompey306mark]

How you getting that much on benefits, I only ever got £500 a month after the change of levels last April.

[Matt]

Income support, housing benefit, and council tax support.

Just totals over 700 with their calculator they did. Also my flat mate has benefits, she has housing benefit as she only does 12 hours a week at minimum wage and she's 17

[Piggy]

bucket, ladder, mop, blades, scrims, ladder, roof bars...shouldnt be more than £200 esp if ladders second hand.
I can help ya out mate, really is simple to do. You can build rounds pretty quick, esp with long evenings for canvassing.
I used to get a days work for 4hours canvassing.
Took me 3months, but I had 8 very strong rounds. £200 a day.

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PS dont need a computer to do records.
I only do is as back up. paper/folder for the win

[Matt]

Hmmmm maybe man, send me a pm with more detail? If shit gets bad ill have to crack on with it

[Toms306]

The thing with starting a self employed business is you need some business sense.....which it turns out I don't lol. I've struggled with the business side of my latest venture (the stickers and clothing), design and fabrication is the easy bit! But I was hoping I could get it to a point where I'm earning enough to move out, as I'm determined not to go on benefits, despite not being able to work through illness. If you can deal with the business side of it though, self employed has a lot of plus points.

I don't know how people can live off benefits long term though, money they've got for free, I'd feel like I'd stolen it! I did a short time on JSA a few years ago and hated it, took the first job that I was offered - less money than the dole and not at all suited to me, but I couldn't stand going to the job centre every week!

[Tom]

So in summary if you can get a job, take it.

[swampy]

How you getting that much on benefits, I only ever got £500 a month after the change of levels last April.

Agreed !

Just because the online calculator says you may get that much doesn't mean that you will!!

And as has being stated above if you are sacked or resign then you will not get any benefit of any type for ATLEAST six weeks!!

You need to go in there Monday and grovel, luck ass etc

[Piggy]

PM'd ya mate

[pugjohn306]

mate benefits is not all its made up to be trust me....i got medically discharged from the army after blowing my knees (i didnt actually lose my knees lol)anyway back to the point keep ya job grin a bear it mate trust me its easier to find work if your in work don't go on benefits i thought id only be on there for a little while being ex military should stand me good sted to get a job and guess what a year later and were am i screwed trust me going in to self employment but getting help from jsa to get it going.....STAY IN YOUR JOB MATE TRUST ME...

[THE_Liam]

Have you considered moving away from the IOW? Jobs are always scarce in places like that, more of a holiday place really, thats why moving to Cornwall when I was 18 didn't work out.

Come up north. 2 bed flat for £300 a month, plenty of jobs in Yorkshire if you don't mind call centre, factory or building sites.

[rtha6551]

Have you considered moving away from the IOW? Jobs are always scarce in places like that, more of a holiday place really, thats why moving to Cornwall when I was 18 didn't work out.

Come up north. 2 bed flat for £300 a month, plenty of jobs in Yorkshire if you don't mind call centre, factory or building sites.

This, plenty of jobs in those sectors available with decent scope for progression.

[lolsteve]

As much as I don't want to send decent people north, it would be a good starting place. The minimum wage is the same up there but the house/rent prices are much less meaning you'd be better off up there. In a house of 4 last year with a decent sized bedroom including king size bed, driveway for 4 cars and front+back gardens was £35 each a week + bills. In somewhere like Bristol the going rate is like double that

[rtha6551]

As much as I don't want to send decent people north

We're not that bad

[Mrs puglove]

This week has just got worse.

So Tuesday. Got to work an hour late after sleeping through my alarm. Got a written warning.....

So today, I wake up at 11.15 think what the actual f*ck?
Grab my clothes and shit run to work and arrive at 11.30

Now there is no excuse to be used here, nothing that would work.
Get a f*cking disaplinary!


I mean wtf? So job is pretty much lost as the manager is a complete and utter lady garden and has been looking for a reason to sack me from day 1.

Now looking at other jobs, can't find f*cking anything!
Looking at driving, labour, waiter, shops nothing
All about 16hours a week and useless to me. As I have £800 in bills and rent alone to pay each month and 16hrs will not cut it.



Anyway, part of me screamed your f*cked. Another part said look at benefits.

Now I hate benefits with a passion! But I can get up too £700 alone...
I hate them, and being on them would be the worst.

But for some reason it almost seems like the only way. I mean I might not have a job after Monday, so it might have to be done.




Can someone convince me benefits aren't that bad? I just can't stand the thought of being on benefits lol

You wouldnt get that much with the new benefit caps come in ...believe it may be 350 per single person or 500 for a couple??? (a month)

[ginge191]

Just a heads up; seasonal employment on the island is HUGE.
Get to the coast (hotels, bars etc) who maybe taking on if it gets bad!

[Niall]

Sorry but i have no sympathy unless there is a genuine medical reason as to why your not getting out of bed on time. I wake up absolutely wrecked the past 3 or 4 weeks but ive still been at work on time every day.

You really need to do all you can to avoid benefits. They are there for people who really really need them. Tbh i dont agree on the fact at all that your 17 year old house mate is on benefits when she was living at home with her parents before hand.
If i was you, beg and plead to your current manager. If its still a no go, you need to look at anything and everything. I dont believe this rubbish when people say there is just no jobs available. There is. Not in what you might want to do but there will be something and even if its scrubbing toilets all day every day, you would still be a more responsible, sensible person than if you took the route of a lot of people these days and thought f*ck it, I'm living off the pocket of the tax payers!

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Oh and just to add, if you come back to the main land and where you were before, give me a shout and i might be able to help you out with a job at my place providing you dont end up in the same situation again because that makes me look bad if ive put your name forward for a job.