I'd just passed this information on to one of my registered candidates who was reluctant to claim Job Seekers Allowance, so I'd thought I'd share the information.

I'm no expert on the benefits system but I was listening to the Jeremy Vine show on radio 2 last week and there seemed to be a few people who couldn't claim benefit after 6 months of unemployment. They'd decided to do the noble thing and survive on their savings. As this money dwindled after 6 months, it appeared that they'd left it too late to make a claim. I'm not 100% sure if this fact but it did make me wonder and as I had a candidate who was reluctant to claim I thought I'd share my recent short term experience of Job Seekers Allowance.

Job Seekers Allowance is £64.30 which is not a lot to survive on but is better than nothing and eventually your saving may run out. You also get national insurance payments made whilst unemployed so it will not affect your state pension NI contributions. You also may get a reduction in council tax whilst claiming Job Seekers Allowance. You register over the phone, which was a long call only because they have standard system for everyone, the call taker was polite and patient as I located the information. They even called me back when they experienced a computer problem. Then they book you a meeting at the local job centre. First half of this meeting is claim checking and the second half is job search advice. My adviser was helpful, appreciated my recruitment experience and understood I'd be applying my skills to myself. I think that as long as you can show you are genuinely searching as hard as you can to look for work, you will be treated with respect. You then have to sign on at the office every 2 weeks, where you will need to show evidence of your job search. They were always positive and pleasant with me. They can give you advice on your CV & any job searching tips. There is also a reimbursement scheme if you have to travel a distance to interview. The local job centre was attended by a cross section of people most looked employable. Once I decided I no longer needed to claim Job Seekers Allowance when I set up Green Shoots Recruitment, both the telephone operator and the advisor at the Job Centre were very positive and wished me the best of luck, when I signed off.

The Job Centre also put me in touch with a free local New Business Advisor, whose help & advice has been invaluable, when I decided to set up Green Shoots Recruitment. I felt awful for candidates I'd registered in the past who were relying on me finding work for them. For Clients I recruited for to lose someone who totally understood their industry, they been used to phoning and brief me with a vacancy instantly, knowing I'd forward candidates who actually matched their requirements. Making it a successful, professional and friendly recruitment service. I felt that both candidates and clients would miss my 15 years recruitment experience.

The way I see it most people are using the benefits system for what it is intended, a bit of support, when you most need it. By the way, as long you've worked for a while, you can get 6 months Job Seekers Allowance without them knowing about any saving (if you are lucky enough have any).

I found the whole process Ok and not the horror story I was expecting.

Based on my knowledge I think we will start to see an increase in job vacancies as we progress through the Autumn.

Ann Downs

www.greensr.co.uk