UP19 Form - Insight please.....

LegacyUser

Regular Boards poster here, haven't logged in...this might be long.

I received a UP19 form from SW in the post today. I have absolutely no idea what this is for. I've been unemployed 11 months now, with a brief period of work in the middle - but it was so brief they simply continued my original claim and didn't start a new one when I signed back on.

They've given me an appointment to go the SW office in the next couple of weeks, with this form. The letter doesn't say what it's supposed to be for or anything. The form itself has questions such as:

Do you have a CV (YES!)
What kind of qualifications do you have (numerous)
Are you free to take up work (YES!)
Have you registered with FAS (YES!)
What have you done to find work since you began signing for JSA/JSB (Speechless!)
Why do you think you have not succeeded in getting work. (I have no answer for this that would be polite)

And a whole table to fill in the details of "where you've recently applied to for work".

Since letters like this make me boiling mad, I have printed out every single application and rejection letter I have received since I signed on again earlier this year. I have listed every single qualification that I have and I have also printed out any email, be it ever so slight, that made any contact with anyone regarding work. In short, I'm going to hit them with so much paperwork that they'll be sorry they asked.

BUT - my questions are....does anyone have previous experience of this form, and if you do, could you please tell me what the point of all this is? And secondly, how on earth am I supposed to answer a question like "why do you think you have not succeeded in getting work"?? The answers to that question are numerous and obvious - because there are not enough jobs/because I'm a civil engineer and there are no jobs in my field/because when I apply for anything else I'm told I'm "over-qualified" or "don't have the right experience (be it for management right down to stacking shelves)"/because all the letters in the world that the SW send out are not going to magically create enough jobs.....

How do I answer it in such a way that is polite and not stating the blindingly obvious?? What exactly are they looking for with all this?

LegacyUser

I work in a back office in Social Protection and filter through new Jobseeker claims each day and today was the first time I noticed this UP19 form inserted with some of the claims so I suspect this is a new element of the Departments/Governments/IMF labour market 'activation' blitz. They want you to prove that you are available for and actively seeking employment. I reckon all jobseekers will probably get this form every 6 months or so from now on.

I sniggered looking at the form, the questions are silly and tone comes across as if it is your fault that you're unemployed (Why do you think you have not succeeded in getting work?) :roll: The majority of us working in the department know the economy is in toilet and there are f-all jobs but there are some in the department living in a bubble convinced 440,000 are not looking for work.

Fill out the form with short and concise answers. Fill in the back of the form to list 6/7 jobs you've applied for and attach some documentary proof. That's it. If you're called in for an interview just say it as it is, arm youself with job applications/PFOs/cover letters/emails/training certs and say you're looking for work and are open to acceptable training opportunities. Most inspectors/facilitators are grand and are happy once you co-operate and engage with process.

mrsbyrne

One of the main requirements of JSB/JSA is that you are "looking for" work. Hard as this may be for you to believe, some claimants are not "looking for" work. If they cannot prove, as you can, that they are job seeking, they may be disqualified from their payment. you are asked to complete this form in order that the Dept. might establish whether or not you are looking for work.

Lugh Ildanach

Makingmemad wrote: »

Regular Boards poster here, haven't logged in...this might be long.

I received a UP19 form from SW in the post today. I have absolutely no idea what this is for. I've been unemployed 11 months now, with a brief period of work in the middle - but it was so brief they simply continued my original claim and didn't start a new one when I signed back on.

They've given me an appointment to go the SW office in the next couple of weeks, with this form. The letter doesn't say what it's supposed to be for or anything. The form itself has questions such as:

Do you have a CV (YES!)
What kind of qualifications do you have (numerous)
Are you free to take up work (YES!)
Have you registered with FAS (YES!)
What have you done to find work since you began signing for JSA/JSB (Speechless!)
Why do you think you have not succeeded in getting work. (I have no answer for this that would be polite)

And a whole table to fill in the details of "where you've recently applied to for work".

Since letters like this make me boiling mad, I have printed out every single application and rejection letter I have received since I signed on again earlier this year. I have listed every single qualification that I have and I have also printed out any email, be it ever so slight, that made any contact with anyone regarding work. In short, I'm going to hit them with so much paperwork that they'll be sorry they asked.

BUT - my questions are....does anyone have previous experience of this form, and if you do, could you please tell me what the point of all this is? And secondly, how on earth am I supposed to answer a question like "why do you think you have not succeeded in getting work"?? The answers to that question are numerous and obvious - because there are not enough jobs/because I'm a civil engineer and there are no jobs in my field/because when I apply for anything else I'm told I'm "over-qualified" or "don't have the right experience (be it for management right down to stacking shelves)"/because all the letters in the world that the SW send out are not going to magically create enough jobs.....

How do I answer it in such a way that is polite and not stating the blindingly obvious?? What exactly are they looking for with all this?

Keep it short and to the point, don't go on a rant against the system, it will do you no favours.

If there are no jobs available in your sector you will be expected to show that you have gradually expanded your search to other sectors. If the documentation that you have demonstrates that you have done this, then you should have no problems. Provide as much documentation as possible, people are being cut off for failing to provide enough evidence.

Saying that all your experience is in one field and that you are therefore under-qualified for work in other sectors is reasonable enough. I wouldn't emphasise that you are over-qualified, that would tend to indicate a certain amount of arrogance and could be seen as a sign that you are not genuine about your efforts to secure work in alternative sectors.

If you keep it polite and courteous, without resorting to sarcasm, then you should be fine. If you start getting funny with them, expect the same attitude back. The last thing you want is getting your dole cut and having to appeal it.

LegacyUser

I won't be getting anything other than extremely polite with them. Which is why I'm looking for some pointers on how to answer that question without sounding either extremely rude or extremely arrogant.

I have plenty of evidence of everything, to be honest. Evidence is not a problem, there's a lot of emails there. I do actually find it hard to believe that there are people out there that might be ok with being on the dole - I hate it with a passion.

I'm quoting the answers I'm getting from other jobs - I suppose what they mostly say is that I "don't have the right experience". There's no getting around it to be honest, I don't really know what to do, but that's another story.

I've no problem with them following up on those who are job hunting - in fact it's a good thing. It's just the whole way it's done is very "you're cheating the system and we're going to catch you out". Which does annoy me. (Thanks for your response Uncivil Servant - I just saw it there. It's true, the form does come across in a "it's your fault you don't have work, and you're not bothering to try" sort of manner, which is appalling given that most people feel bad enough about their situation as it is)

The only place I would fall down I'd imagine, is availing of FAS services.I haven't, because they don't have anything that's of any use to me, to be quite honest. I've met them (and am due to meet them again) and they have held up their hands and said, well you know where our website is, call us if you see anything of interest. That's about it. What I have done though, is paid for a private course myself, and gained a qualification from it, along with registering for a professional exam this summer, and applying to do several Masters from Sept. I have all the documentation to prove this.None of this can be done through FAS, or the SW system however.

So I suppose I just bring all the paperwork I can lay my hands on with me, and try to find an appropriate way to answer the several completely ridiculous questions that are on this...??

zom

I've just got the same to fill in 14 days. Incredibly stupid and I have to keep my nerves in control not to fill it genuinely. As I work Part-Time some of the questions are completely nonsense. Sincere congratulations to individuals who take money for making and sending such bull5ite - you probably feel like you are some better than people on the dole, aren't you?