Social welfare, zero-hour contract and looking for work

completedit

I am a recent graduate who finds himself looking for work in the field for which I studied for. At the moment, I'm currently working a zero-hour contract and there's no restrictions on hours or a lack of work. However, 9 months and a bit after finishing my studies and I have yet to find anything in the area I want to get into. A few near and not so near misses over the past few months which have taken their toll. It's a struggle and it feels like I'm wasting my life away. It's a good job and one that I even find interesting at times, but it was meant to get me through college, not be a long-term thing.
I probably sound lazy; Days are long and in general I probably do have enough time to work my normal working hours while searching for work but with Covid and various personal events, I am just fed up. I'm becoming despondent and I have this feeling that I am now defined by this job, not what my interest or educational background is in. The result is diminished self-worth in what already is a competitive job market.

I'm wondering if I can continue to work my job but scale back my hours and then subsidize my pay with the social welfare? I'm not even sure what this will achieve but my rationale is that it will improve my morale and give me a better chance at securing a job in what I actually want to do. I feel like a bit of a mug if I'm honest; like I'm working away like a drone. I'm just scared I'll wake up, the dust will settle on Covid, and I find myself quite old with very little 'career' experience.

Mrs OBumble

No. You will not get social welfare if there is work available and you choose not to take it.