A friend of mine warned me about this however he is a belligerent aggressive guy and was sanctioned because of it. The security guys are there to protect staff from being threatened. Another friend went to the same place and never had any issues.

When I went to sign on albeit in 2012 I had no problems and found the staff and security friendly and helpful. If you give them attitude don't be surprised to get it back.

This was in Bromley so it may depend on where the Jobcenter is of course.

One more point

I think the issue is that the Jobcenter, like many other public services, is a bureaucracy some of us understand that and learn to navigate around the system. However many people are not capable of that or choose take a belligerent attitude (I know may rights etc).

Whatever system you have in place some innocent will always fall through the gaps.

Sanctions is a a contentious point. Probably too many people are sanctioned and some politicians think we should just do away with them. But what would you replace them with? I have not heard of a reasonable alternative? What do you do with someone who continually turns up late for appointments or not at all. What if they are rude and abusive to staff? What if they do not actively look for work?

I don't like penalising people especially around money but how else do you drive the message home that it is not free money and that they have responsibilities in order to qualify for it.

On the subject of free money the BBC has an article abut the experiment in Finland where 2000 long term unemployed were given a basic wage no strings attached. The trial has now finished, the report has not yet been published but the Finnish government has already said it's over which suggest the report will be negative.

The BBC followed 2 people:

- One found a job which was being subsidized by her basic income. She now doesn't know what will happen but is it right that employers use taxpayers money instead of paying a decent wage?

- The other was still out of work and had applied for 80 jobs over 2 years (I applied for 120 jobs in 6 weeks). That suggests he has no interest in finding a job.

Not scientific of course but it does suggest if you just give people money they will not push themselves to find a job or will be exploited by employers so you do need a stick as well as a carrot.

One more point

I worked in a Unemployment Benefit Office in Holbeach Road in Catford in the early 1980's. Very different to now I think.

There was a half-screen between us and the claimants and a young woman decided she was so upset she climbed over in a very short skirt...unfortunately her nether regions were unencumbered with undergarments.

The Unemployment Benefit was calculated per day so we had a Lord signing on for the days he never sat in the House of Lords, actors, print workers (who were earning shedloads but only worked over the weekend). Our security bloke was in his 60's and smoked 2 packets of fags a day.

The bloke selling the papers from a stand in Rushey Green used to pop in, sign on and then go back to work (he only got his stamp paid).

One of the blokes who was associated with Peter Pan's Pool pulled a shotgun on another person in the hall.

Happy days.

Edited by johnno42000 (08 Feb 2019 3.45pm)

'Lies to the masses as are like fly's to mollasses...they want more and more and more'

Call me pedantic if you like, but I would be happier if the topic of this thread was 'Jobcentre'.

Center is the American spelling.

I actually thought it should be two words, but it seems that now even the Civil Service need to have brand names.

Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see