Christmas bonus for welfare recipients not only restored but increased

engiweirdo wrote:

I have just completed a Mechanical Engineering degree and am actively seeking work in that field. My education was state funded too so burger flipping poses a few questions tbh:

fxotoole wrote:

This Xmas bonus will be spent on Xmas pressies, and will flow back into the economy via VAT and also create temporary jobs for students and the unemployed in pop-up Xmas shops and seasonal work.

janmaree wrote: »

I've just finished reading this entire thread and allowing for it being "After Hours" where seemingly anything goes, I am horrified to realise that I am so deeply hated and despised by so many people who generalise so mercilessly. I am now in my 60s after working full-time for most of my adult life. I paid all my taxes, contributions, levies, insurances etc., I paid my own doctor and dentist charges, perhaps stupidly but that's me. My workload was so extreme that I took few holidays and haven't had one of any kind for nearly two decades. I cared for my father until he needed specialist nursing care, for many years while I worked full-time from his home and later, on carers allowance after the recession did away with my job. Carer's allowance is simply a Godsend but JSA awaits you when the caring ends. JSA at my age is a life-saver when the age discrimination legislation has no dentures and your technology skills become less relevant with each month and in a nutshell, nobody wants you but you keep on looking, knowing no one is looking for you. Years ago, it would have been socially acceptable and expected for someone of my age to be retired, nowadays it's a stretch of years ahead of redundancy in all possible forms. The first day I had to sign on, I felt so G-damned defeated that I wept when I got home. I was the first in my entire family (far and wide) to go on the dole and the only other time I ever felt so broken hearted was the day my Mum died.

I do work part-time and give it my absolute all because I know in my heart that there won't be any more opportunities for the likes of me. And like many carers, I wrecked my back lifting my Dad but "see the doctor" doesn't work for me because I just don't have it so every job application I make, I say a silent prayer that if I DO get lucky and somebody WILL give me a chance to pitch in, they don't have stairs because they're a pain in the nether region for me! I don't mind if the haters still hate me and call me all those names like lazy and moocher and scrounger and free-loader and on and on and on............. someone may just stop for a moment and think about "there but for the grace of God, go I". Thanks for listening.

Yer Da sells Avon wrote: »

I was in a similar situation when I finished college in May. I wasn't looking for anything specific, but I desperately needed something, anything. The rent needed to be paid and the small amount of savings I had were dwindling quickly, so I applied for everything from retail/supermarket work to factory/warehouse work to delivery driving to general office/admin stuff. 99% of them didn't even acknowledge my application. My age (mid-thirties) and the fact that I had spent the previous three years in college probably stood against me for a lot of those jobs. I got (very) lucky eventually, and was offered a job that I had actually wanted, rather than one that I was just 'willing to take', but it took more than three (increasingly soul-destroying) months.

There might be loads of jobs out there - I applied for loads anyway - but that doesn't mean you're going to find one overnight. It's not a helpful thing to tell people either. I know it doesn't come easily to a lot of people on here (more than anywhere else on the internet, tbh), but try having a bit of fucking empathy for people less fortunate than yourselves.