Daily Signing Dressed Up As New Programme For UC Claimants

According to this article, the DWP is piloting a new programme requiring daily signing after 13 weeks claiming UC in 4 areas of the UK.

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/dwp-change-cause-universal-credit-8165881

Daily signing is hardly a new initiative, nor is it particularly effective in getting people back to work.

I wonder how they would cope with a man who has been unemployed for 27 years whose work history is eight months with his longest job was for five months as a litter picker. A man who more or less went from school to the dole queue. A man who is in his mid 40s with no experience, No driving licence, No work reference's, No skill's for the modern work place. A man who is so out of touch with the modern world. Even the Restart scheme are like a rabbit caught in the headlights, they just don't know what to do with someone like me. No experience, No job.

I remember my WC kept on threatening daily signing.

It must be like 'Ground Hog Day' at the DWP... As they keep recycling the same old ideas!

No mention of what the 'Two week intensive' period for claimant's will do? Standing in the corner with a sign around their neck. While the Work Roach', shouts abuse at them! Not to mention, the extra work load for these Roaches ...
Still at least these people will be 'economically -active', as their extra bus fares. Will drive the economy .....

The article I linked to is dreadful for not really giving much detail on this rehashed nonsense - I can't find anything else online about what this "new" scheme is called or when/if it will go nationwide.

Not just bus fares Pintel, the extra footfall in JCPs will keep the chair wipers in work for a bit longer.

So you still have the 'Wiper-Snipers' at your JCP. I haven't seen one at mine since the New year #Ignatius. Unless the fella has gone all 'Commando' and camouflaged himself hiding behind the sofa's ...
But as you said, hardly any details of this operation????

My JCP is maybe more manky then yours, hence continued employment of wiper snipers.

Yesterday's wiper was clad head to toe in designer gear. Assuming none of it was knock-off, it may be that it's not a badly paid gig. I'm almost tempted to apply to be one.

Yeah, this ostensible new daily signing regime is weird. I can't see how the DWP could afford to roll it out nationally. It's more of the hostile environment stuff - they can't really push us down the JCP stairs/bang our heads against the desk to force us into zero hours jobs so instead they'll have us reporting for duty everyday like we're on police bail. Still, at least it doesn't involve siphoning of bazillions to the Welfare to Work brigade. Imagine the look on the WCs face when we're turning up day after day.

" ... Imagine the look on the WCs face when we're turning up day after day."

That would be one of the few positives here. Knowing that the Roaches , have to grind through the same process day after day, bunging up the system ....

How do you guys plan on avoiding these daily appointments?

I am thinking it should even easier to get a sick note, as most GP would agree with you that daily scheme wouldn't be good for your mental health.

My friend got sick and tired of daily sign ons in 2015, she started "demanding" more help from her work coach every day. She asked for some better interview clothes and a new laptop as her old one stopped working. She also wanted a new phone as well.. and a paid trip to Doncaster as there was a cool event there she wanted to attend. I think it was a comic convention, and she wanted to hand out CVs to some big names or something. I think the only request they actually helped her with was getting a library card (of all things). Took about 13 days before her work coach signed her off daily sign ons, they probably had enough of her making them feel useless.

Jara wrote:How do you guys plan on avoiding these daily appointments?

I am thinking it should even easier to get a sick note, as most GP would agree with you that daily scheme wouldn't be good for your mental health.

My friend got sick and tired of daily sign ons in 2015, she started "demanding" more help from her work coach every day. She asked for some better interview clothes and a new laptop as her old one stopped working. She also wanted a new phone as well.. and a paid trip to Doncaster as there was a cool event there she wanted to attend. I think it was a comic convention, and she wanted to hand out CVs to some big names or something. I think the only request they actually helped her with was getting a library card (of all things). Took about 13 days before her work coach signed her off daily sign ons, they probably had enough of her making them feel useless.

That woeful newspaper article suggests it is just for new UC claimants so hopefully anyone on JSA can avoid it, at least until their claim is migrated to UC, I'm not sure about anyone who has been on UC for longer than 13 weeks. I might have a look on the Reddit DWP boards and gov UK later to see if I can find out more.

Your friend had the right approach to daily signing - make the WC view you as akin to an irritating itch that just won't go away.

The DWP announced that from January anyone working less than 16 hours x NMW as a single person or 24 hours x NMW for a couple will be made to see a work coach. From September that will extend to anyone not working for 35 hours x NMW. Does daily signing for the first 13 weeks of a claim include or exclude people with jobs who claim UC in order to make ends meet?

I couldn't find more about this on the DWP of gov.uk so unfortunately still none the wiser of the finer details.

The PCS union site has a bit more on this daily signing initiative.

https://www.pcs.org.uk/news-events/news/pcs-condemns-dwps-latest-attacks-universal-credit-claimants

Reddit's DWP board has a post listing all of the JCPs piloting the new daily signing nonsense.