Prior to signing my soul away on the Work Programme, I was made aware of an alternative; a scheme called Work Choice (or Work Choices - I think it's the same, if not this post is a waste of time!), locally run by an outfit called Pluss. I'm bringing this up now because of this.
It seems again the government has bungled another scheme. Even though, from what I can gather, this scheme is more or less the WP by another name, and even though it's intended for people with health issues, it can't get government funding. That useless twat Clegg, the depty PM, can't even get help for those that need it the most to compete (as we must, it seems) in the job market.
I was told that Work Choice was a scheme that runs for 6 months. If you don't find work at the end of it (and if it's anything like the WP you won't) then you go onto the WP - at least that would have been the case for me; hobson's choice. I was told they'd come out to meet me locally. This turned out not to be the case: they operate in the same manner as any local WP provider: through an office based 'nearby'.
Here's the Pluss webpage selling this scheme; now tell me how that's not the same spiel that WP providers dish out?
I hate to be cynical, I am a little drunk after a day's campaigning . . . but, but the firm's website looks desperately like Soft Cop, followed by Hard Cop to me.
ReplyDeleteAll these providers advertise the same thing, but beyond the miasma of bullshit it just amounts to jobsearch. That's the one solid activity that's easy to facilitate: stick someone in front of a pc. Doesn't matter what else you do, it's easy money. Doesn't matter how practical it is or whether the client is then abandoned to that process. Everything else they list just conforms to the same old laundry list of hot air that all these organisations offer. At best what that amounts to is they might be able to get you in with someone they know in the local area - at best. It won't be much because otherwise that place would advertise normally. It will probably only be part time or temporary, and it might only be unpaid workfare (a 'work trial').
DeleteNothing concrete is ever really promised or delivered. it's just marketing spiel resulting in big money for these people at our expense. We're just chattel now.
Read this account:
ReplyDeletehttp://unemploymentmovement.com/forum/welfare-to-work/2461-work-choice-and-other-such-programs
and you may conclude that you've had a narrow escape.
gissajob
Ironically the reason I didn't end up on it is because the Disability Advisor at the JC wouldn't refer me without speaking to me in person face to face. This was in spite of the Work Psychologist and my actual advisor saying they could vouch for me to her and that it's discretionary that I have to be seen face to face (which raises questions of its own). The DA siad she had to be sure that dwp money wasn't wasted! I was only enthusiastic about this scheme because i was lied to about how it would be delivered. Likely i'd have been seen in the JC itself, not in the way the Work Psychologist who told me about it assured me (twice) it would be. It was only on her recommendation that I ever agreed to it. At best I figured the provision would be the same. Lucky escape indeed. Yet another scam.
Delete