In response to ‘Jobcentres aren’t working, says FSB’ (15 September)

Sandra Shepherd
Sadly, job centres are preventing jobseekers from accepting short-term temporary opportunities via agencies that could result in permanent roles as the paperwork involved to enable the jobseeker to ‘sign back on’ if the assignment comes to an end results in such a lengthy wait for benefit. The jobseeker should be able to declare the payment from temporary work after the event, enabling any payments received to be deducted retrospectively.

Iain Elder
How many years must these posts fall on deaf ears?? A total revamp with a recruiter steering this is the only answer.

John Watts
As a senior management recruiter I deal with lots of people who have had to go to Jobcentre just to register so that they get properly credited on their NHI records. They all comment adversely on the quality and attitude of the staff. Some have advised applicants on issues as the staff have been either unable or unwilling to help. An experienced recruiter whose business is no longer viable went to sign on to see if he could get a job elsewhere. He went through the sign-on process and was asked to wait to see a ‘job adviser’. The job adviser then asked him for all the information that he had just given to the other interviewer. He was told that the centre operated two systems and that they did not talk to each other! The adviser then proceeded to advise him on how to get a job. His comment, with 15 years of recruitment experience, was ‘no wonder people do not get jobs!’. The piece de resistance was the warning that he should not take a temporary job as he would have to start the whole process again. Jobcentre plus? Jokecentre plus would be more appropriate. Jobseekers deserve much better than this.