Yes, it has been a while since I wrote an update… I have been busy trying to get on with my life. I have been working hard on determining my vocational future; these so-called “work coaches” are truly unqualified to give any sort of advice when it comes to anything work-related. In fact, the system boasts unabashedly that the “work coach aren’t careers advisers” as pleased as punch – as though they have said something so wisely profound. These officials of a putrid system are all too comfortably happy. I take great pleasure in making the life of my “work coach” a little uncomfortable by insisting upon doing what is best in my interest and not hers. My “work coach” is a nice looking lady who takes great care in her appearance, she’s a lot better to look at and to listen to than the last one whom I fired for incompetence and gross misconduct. Well, the tone of my “work coach’s” voice is a lot more pleasant to listen to, she could be delivering bad news and it would sound good. Whereas my sacked former “work coach” could pass a Chewbacca’s mother! Jesus! That woman… Heaven help me! I am still suffering from the fallout of her nonsense and I am battling against what the Universal Credit system has done to me. DESTRUCTION In a nutshell, I received a sanction in December 2016 for starting work on my online portfolio. I had to bow out of the New Enterprise Allowance Scheme, and as a result, I had to resume looking for work. My former miscreant “work coach” whom I’ve dubbed “Tricky Vicky”, used to threaten me with having to look for work should I not become self-employed through the New Enterprise Allowance Scheme. I took umbrage to those threats simply because I do not find the prospect of work a threat. I would love to be in a good job! My profession is a Graphic & Multimedia Designer, so, in order to make my job applications worthwhile, I had to have an online portfolio that prospective employers can see. When I had to bow out of the New Enterprise Allowance Scheme I went straight into the development of my online portfolio. My former pathologically foolish “work coach” took offense to my developing of my online portfolio, and to cut a long story short, I got sanctioned. My former weasel-like “work coach” has a problem with the fact that I have to engage preparing for my role. Thanks to my former idiotic “work coach” my career as a Graphic & Multimedia Designer is ruined. How? Well, what is happening is this: I am being made to apply for work to make up 100% of my “Work Search Activity”. This is pretty much illegal. My “Work Search Activity” is supposed to amount to 35 hours per week and it should be a mixture of preparation e.g. letter composition, research, etc, and the creation of an online portfolio is within the criteria. However, all the “work coach” wants to see in my “Universal Jobmatch” account is pure job applications. My current Stepford Wife “work coach” frowns upon me recording anything less than pure job applications. If you have been following my updates you will know what I am referring to by the term “Stepford Wife”. What? You haven’t been following??? Shame on you! Ha ha! In a nutshell, a “Stepford Wife” is a female “work coach” that can give the impression of being friendly and vaguely on your side but from time to time will utter DWP Jobcentre Plus gibberish mindlessly – like a robot! My current “work coach” isn’t that much better than the idiot one that I fired, rather than being encouraged to use my skills in my profession I am being led into positions that I am over qualified for and not enthusiastic with. The “work coach” is supposed to create a tailor-made job search plan but are too lazy. It’s ironic, the unemployed get treated as being lazy and job shy whereas the “work coach” tries not to strain an ass cheek whilst sitting comfortably being all judgemental. My former mentally deficient “work coach” had, and probably still has it in mind that my skills in Graphic & Multimedia Design are transferable into Customer Services. Yes, she’s a lunatic! MY TRIBUNALS Yes, I received two engineered sanctions for November and December of 2016. I had to instigate yet another tribunal – two-in-one. How many tribunals now? I can’t remember… I have lost count. The main thing is that I am winning them, and on my own! With the latest, I won the December sanction and lost the one for November (2016). The judge was weird in her behavior… I don’t what her problem was, but she felt it necessary to talk down to me like I have lost more than a few brain cells. Looking back, I don’t know how I remained composed. Mind you, I did submit over 200-odd pages worth of testimony! Oh, yes! I wanted to make sure that I had my say while at the same time providing irrefutable evidence so that I can win my tribunals before I stepped in the court (of sorts). No such luck! I think I produced way too much material, but I was seething with anger and I still am! I am freaking furious like you would not believe! Now I am in the process of appealing the decision for the November sanction. I am hoping to get the victory that was denied to me for no logical reason at all! And I am looking to take things further still! FASHION Oh, my goodness! It seems like the evil methodology that is the Universal Credit system is quite the fashionable thing to talk about in politics! Flip me sideways! I have been trying to draw attention to the madness of the Universal Credit system for almost a year with no interest from any politician that had a conscious! Some Labour politicians did not seem to grasp the concept of “opposition”, “The Conservative benefits reforms are harsh but fair...” Huh??? This particular politician thought I needed to hear that and to give me some rather idiotic inane career advice like some self-important headmistress, “We have our dream job...” What do f**k do you know about my dreams??? You’ve only met me for less than 5 f**king minutes! “You might want to be a singer, for example, but you may not be able to sing a note…” What an absolute c**t! To me, this nonsense talk came across as racial profiling… In her mind it’s: black man, over the hill, doesn’t want to work and is using lofty unobtainable ambitions to avoid looking for work. What an asshole! You just can’t come to such conclusions based on face value alone! But this is what the “work coaches” are about. Lazy as f**k! The Universal Credit system is also based upon… PARANOIA This government is about governing and protecting their own interests. In fact, a lot of politicians in general about that protecting their own interests – hiding their offshore bank accounts, etc. This sham of a government thinks that ordinary people are just like them, stupid, lazy and work shy… that people want money for nothing! Therefore this nasty government is doing its best to crackdown on people who they think are like them, sneaky dirty untrustworthy bastards. Living the life of Riley whilst suckling on the nipple of Mother Welfare. May has made it very clear that she’s all dried up! That P45 moment was classic! Nice one, Lee Nelson’s character! On the 2nd of October (2017), I received a call on my mobile (that I struggled to keep running with the sanctions in November and December 2016); I answered the call that came in from a private number. I thought it may have been news about my tribunal appeal… It turned out that I had a job interview! I was very, very surprised and pleased as interviews are rare! I topped up my discounted Oyster, kept the receipt (just in case DWP/Jobcentre Plus/Universal Credit wanted proof) and attended the interview. I also had an appointment with my “work coach” the same day! I thought the interview took precedent and that I would try like crazy to keep my appointment with my “work coach” as the bus journey wasn’t too much of a stretch! Interviews normally take about 20 minutes… Anyway, I got caught up in traffic on the way back from the interview, which I thought went rather well, and I was going to be a little late to make my appointment. I got a call from my “work coach” and told her that I was coming back from an interview. I was then told to call the dreaded Universal Credit Service Centre and tell them of my interview and to make a new appointment. The woman I spoke to at the Service Centre seemed quite pleased for me, she told me to show my “work coach” my Oyster card receipt as proof. Do you think it would be that simple??? Hell no! I attended my reappointment and my usual “work coach” was away, I saw a male who seemed quite reasonable for a “work coach”. He recommended that I take a scan/photocopy of my receipt and give it to my usual “work coach”. He did suggest that I leave the original receipt with him to give to my regular “work coach” but I thought the better of it, things can get lost! I went home, scanned the receipt and sent it to my “work coach” via email. I receive an email back saying that I ought to get proof that I had attended an interview! I don’t know about you, but when you are going through a period of unemployment and you are fortunate enough to get an actual interview, the last thing you want to do is draw attention to the fact that you are unemployed. There is a stigma that comes from saying that you are existing on Welfare Assistance, I don’t tell people that I am unemployed… I prefer to say that I am self-employed to avoid the shame. So, I had to send an email to the employer asking for proof that I had attended the interview to satisfy the “decision maker(s)” that I had been to an interview. Isn’t that freaking stupid??? These people are freaking nuts, to say the least! Fingers crossed that I will get that job! It is right up my street: Web & Graphic Designer with Social Media Marketing! I just hope that I didn’t put the potential employer off inadvertently through the Universal Credit Service Centre “decision maker(s)”. These people are way too paranoid, stupid and extremely spiteful with it. I need to get out of that system as fast as possible! Thanks for reading!