It has been one of those weeks, you know the kind I mean. It started out bad on Monday. I had a Back To Work interview at the jobcentre. Well I had the interviewer from the dark side. It began by her telling me that I wasn’t telling the truth, after I explained what I had been doing to look for work. I don’t keep one of those diaries they want you to keep, I see it as an invasion of my privacy and breach of my human rights, after all they only advise you to keep one; you don’t have too.
Anyway, after this things got worse as she accused me again of being a liar. Then came the demand that I change the type of jobs I was looking for. In reality this is not a real problem as I will consider any job I can get, but it was the way in which she demanded that I do this. More demands followed with me being given details to jobs that I would have real difficulty in getting to on time. I rely on public transport, having never learned to drive.
As the interview came to an end I was informed that she did not think I had done enough to find work and that I was to be sanctioned, this means I would have no money until the Jobcentre decided to lift the sanction. When I asked how I would take care of my family, feed my children, I was told to ask for a loan.
As you can imagine my anger and shock at this sort of treatment. I held my tongue, though I must admit I came close to calling her the b word. Instead I said she was a nasty person. This strangely shocked her ad I saw this on her face. Then I asked to speak to her supervisor. She couldn’t find one yet had spoken to a manager, who had decided I would not be sanctioned this time, but I was under warning.
In reply I asked for information on how to make a written complaint. After being given the form I left feeling very much angered and depressed by all of this. I held in a written complaint yesterday, though whither this is a good idea I’m not sure, for these people seem to hold a little too much power over our lives. Someone though has to stand up for what is right. I don’t even think anything will be done about the treatment I received. I was hoping for a receipt for the complaint I held in but was informed that they don’t have any procedure for complaints being handed in. This doesn’t bode well.
Now I worry about how this all may affect how my claim is dealt with in the future. Will they look for or even invent reasons to deny me a means to feed my kids? Will it lead to more interviews for the dark side? I will have to wait and see. One thing though I don’t wish to let this simply drop. I know it is probably cause me trouble I don’t wish, but if I have to write to my MP over this I will.