Life - Signing on

After returning from holiday and securing a house although I had some savings it very quickly became apparent to me that I would need to try an source some other money until I was getting a regular wage. I know how to budget and worked out I could live off about £400 a month, but this would mean that my savings without working would obviously disappear pretty rapidly.

I knew there was always the possibility that I would have to sign on after leaving uni but it was something I kind of pushed to one side and just focused on getting a job. After being unsuccessful in a couple of job interviews I decided maybe 'signing on' being 'on the dole' whatever you want to call it may be something I needed to do to support myself for a while.

It's a much longer process than I realised. There is the longest form EVER on the internet to complete and then you get a text from the job centre letting you know a time to come in for a meeting. There is a long list of things you have to bring to the interview including normal things like proof of ID but then also things like a bank statement - I was even asked for proof I was no longer in education but had no idea how I was meant to prove that!

Going to the job centre to start with scared me a little. It's not really a place I wanted to be. I know there is a massive stigma surrounding the idea of signing on however I didn't feel too concerned about the whole process as I knew my parents have always worked and paid taxes, I was actively looking for work and wanting to work and would soon (I  hoped) be paying my own taxes.

I was there for an hour in total as you have to see two different people. The first confirms who you are and asks if any of your circumstances have changed since you filled in the form. That bit is all pretty quick. The next person in my case - I've heard they all do slightly different things - talked to me about the kind of work I was after and created a profile for me. You have to let potential employers know basic things like how you get around and what you use as your ID. It's all a bit weird as far as I'm concerned. That bit took a good half an hour and was pretty boring. Trying to explain to a stranger what your skills are when put on the spot was a bit difficult but I managed just about.

After this I was made to create a universal job match account. This basically allows you to log in and see jobs advertised easily in one place. I actually quite like the site and it's how I have applied for a lot of jobs.

The main reason I wanted to write about this is because of the way people think of people 'on the dole'. I'm just a normal 21 year old girl who has moved out of home has rent and bills to pay like everyone else. I'd love to be able to pay my own way but that's just not how it worked. Signing on really isn't an awful experience and if it's what you need to do to live then don't ever feel ashamed.          

Comments