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Had a mate, Scotch Mattie ,worked on the Rigs as a Painter Earned Bundles ,Drank the Lot . Laid off ,Late Eighties ...
Signed on, after a year or so started do a bit of house painting here and there ...
Anyway I'm in the Boozer one night He comes in Says Fook me I was up the Ladder today some cxxnt standing down the Bottom Taking photos of Me
I said Could be the Social Mattie , He replies I have got it covered ,the Bloke said he will say he is my Mate if anything comes of it ...
Anyway couple weeks pass ,Sure Enough He is called in to the Tooting Social Office , Few of us sitting in the Boozer that Evening ,He comes in
Not looking too happy , I said What happened ? He replied Well, It was all going Fine with the Mates House caper, Then they Produced Photos of Me at
15 other houses I nearly wet Meself
Picked his Pint up Downed it ,and Said, FOOK EM !!!
They never Prosecuted Him was Forced to Sign off ,Signed back on few Weeks Later ............
He passed away a few years later early Sixties ,LIVER FINNISH . He did not give a fook ,Lovely fella ,very amuzing .. RIP
Was different era we lived in then ...
Signed on, after a year or so started do a bit of house painting here and there ...
Anyway I'm in the Boozer one night He comes in Says Fook me I was up the Ladder today some cxxnt standing down the Bottom Taking photos of Me
I said Could be the Social Mattie , He replies I have got it covered ,the Bloke said he will say he is my Mate if anything comes of it ...
Anyway couple weeks pass ,Sure Enough He is called in to the Tooting Social Office , Few of us sitting in the Boozer that Evening ,He comes in
Not looking too happy , I said What happened ? He replied Well, It was all going Fine with the Mates House caper, Then they Produced Photos of Me at
15 other houses
I nearly wet Meself Picked his Pint up Downed it ,and Said, FOOK EM !!!
They never Prosecuted Him was Forced to Sign off ,Signed back on few Weeks Later ............
He passed away a few years later early Sixties ,LIVER FINNISH . He did not give a fook ,Lovely fella ,very amuzing .. RIP
Was different era we lived in then ...
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I think he worked something Like two months on One off on the Rigs ,I cant remember , He needed 4 months Money for the Month off
I remember living the dole dream in the early 90s - parent's house, no rent, just cashing my giro and going to the bookies- and after a couple of years I was considered long term and so had to go on a course for inveterate dolies, learning 'jobseeking skills'
It was meant to be 9-3 but the guy who seemed to be running it would let us go about 1:50.
On the last day though the other 'leader' gave a speech to inspire everyone to 'Get That Job!' etc . He was droning on interminably and a guy sat next to me kept looking at his watch. Finally the 'jobseeker' said 'FFS mate, I'm gonna be late for work!'
It was meant to be 9-3 but the guy who seemed to be running it would let us go about 1:50.
On the last day though the other 'leader' gave a speech to inspire everyone to 'Get That Job!' etc . He was droning on interminably and a guy sat next to me kept looking at his watch. Finally the 'jobseeker' said 'FFS mate, I'm gonna be late for work!'
The Giro was a beautifully designed object tbf
I had to sign on for a couple of months in 2009 and was dismayed to find there were no more giros; just money into your bank account. Took all the romance out of the dole imo
I had to sign on for a couple of months in 2009 and was dismayed to find there were no more giros; just money into your bank account. Took all the romance out of the dole imo
Old mate of mine's dad's favourite joke was:
"They've got a union down at the Labour Exchange now. If you get offered a job they@ll fight your case for you."
"They've got a union down at the Labour Exchange now. If you get offered a job they@ll fight your case for you."
Agree with Tobe the Brown Envelope arriving ,and Hard cash at the PO 
One day I went to collect and Mr Patel was under pressure from the women of the estate . The family allowance hadn't arrived . I offered my assistance and Patel accepted . I went back that afternoon to draw both dole and the money I had lent him . The fellow stood behind me in the queue nearly passed out when Raj gave me the best part of £800 .
The Labour government before Maggie used to have an addition to dole money called ''earnings related''
This would really boost your dole money because it was based on your past wages. I think it was paid for the first 12-18 months of unemployment?
Anyone who'd been earning decent wages would see the earnings related part come to quite a bit more than their basic dole. You could live on it.
This was one of the first things the Tories scrapped.
This would really boost your dole money because it was based on your past wages. I think it was paid for the first 12-18 months of unemployment?
Anyone who'd been earning decent wages would see the earnings related part come to quite a bit more than their basic dole. You could live on it.
This was one of the first things the Tories scrapped.
i did a bit of fruit picking in the mid 80s during summer holidays. one day i was in a field with about 50 other people, slowly picking strawberries when i looked around and every single other person was legging it from the field towards some woods. i thought 'wtf is going on?' then i saw two police officers at the bottom of the field. i immediately thought everyone else must be signing on and so it proved, it was a proper pmsl moment . plod were there on an unrelated matter but the others werent to know.
i know someone who got caught because he turned up to sign on wearing the id card of the company he was moonlighting for, he aint the sharpest
. plod were there on an unrelated matter but the others werent to know. i know someone who got caught because he turned up to sign on wearing the id card of the company he was moonlighting for, he aint the sharpest
I signed on years ago before it became fashionable.
Went down the dole with my mate who showed me the ropes. When we got there he saw an old school pal, my mate asked him how long he'd been on the dole.
''about 7 years'' came the reply - respect!
That was really something in those days.
Went down the dole with my mate who showed me the ropes. When we got there he saw an old school pal, my mate asked him how long he'd been on the dole.
''about 7 years'' came the reply - respect!
That was really something in those days.
once the government attempted to clamp down the work shy near me decided to go on the sick. they simply got a doctors note and filled in the forms and didnt need to bother signing on again, a bigger payout too if i remember rightly. some went years before the authorities even got in touch again to see if they were still too ill to work. a fair bit harder to do these days i'd say.
The distinction between being employed and unemployed was clear years ago either you had a job or you didn't. These days especially with Universal Credit a large portion of those with a job will be receiving benefits to top up their income to be enough to live off. So in effect about half the country are now on the Dole.
Another claimer I knew was a builder who'd been put out of business by a non-payer. Couldn't settle his bills for the job.
The customer had gone back to Pakistan or he'd have broken his legs.
He'd got a wife and kids so he signed on.
He came round to see me one day to do a job for him.
He took me to the site and he'd got a team of men working for him changing windows and plastering.
''By the way'' he said ''it's cash and I don't want a receipt because I'm signing on.''
He was a class act.
The customer had gone back to Pakistan or he'd have broken his legs.
He'd got a wife and kids so he signed on.
He came round to see me one day to do a job for him.
He took me to the site and he'd got a team of men working for him changing windows and plastering.
''By the way'' he said ''it's cash and I don't want a receipt because I'm signing on.''
He was a class act.
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