New Deal training fraud
Keith Parkins | 02.10.2009 14:20 | Repression | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements
If political parties are looking for painless cuts in public spending, New Deal fraudulent training courses should be their top priority.
Reading an account of a former inmate of A4E, I thought this would be all too familiar to those who have spent a prison sentence at CDG (Careers Development Group).
http://newdealscandal.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/emma-harrison-doesnt-want-to-acknowledge-the-severe-shortcomings-of-a4e
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/11/386689.html?c=on
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=%22Careers+Development+Group%22+CDG+site%3Awww.indymedia.org.uk&btnG=Search&meta=
I was forced to serve a sentence at CDG two years ago. My experience was that of fraud. Public money being spent on services not provided.
Bullying by CDG staff was widespread. Repeated threats of sanctions, ie benefits stopped for 6 months if you do not do as we say. No facilities for job search, out-of-date newspapers, no local newspapers, complete lack of any trade journals, ancient computers, unlawful monitoring of computer access, blocked Internet access, one telephone for probably 50 or more people, overcrowded, total disregard of data protection and safeguarding of personal data, thieving prevalent, tutors who had not a clue what they were talking about and were lacking in communication skills (shouting and swearing at inmates is not communication), inmates treated as though they were children, poor health and safety, dirty toilets.
Whilst at CDG I was helping inmates use the computers, fill out application forms, draw up CVs, because the staff were so useless.
Skimming was taking place, the first £4 of any travel expense claim was being retained by CDG. This is unlawful. Anyone who has been ripped off in this way should file a claim with their Job Centre.
http://newdealscandal.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/new-deal-you-are-likely-owed-50-pounds/
One of the websites blocked by CDG is Indymedia UK, as the last thing they want is for their inmates to know that others are experiencing the same fraud and abuse and are calling for these bogus training companies to be closed down. Prior to it being blocked, they made it an 'offence' for anyone to look at critical content on Indymedia UK.
A4E has gone one step further and tried (unsuccessfully) to close down websites hosting critical comment.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/07/435064.html?c=on
Spam, spam and more spam ...
http://newdealscandal.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/a4e-spams-numerous-blogs/
After my repeatedly complaining to the Job Centre, I was without warning physically frogmarched out of the CDG building and had false charges laid against me by the liar CDG centre manager.
I am now back on New Deal, another box-ticking waste of time, waste of public funds exercise. Thursday a meeting with Job Centre manager, to be told, CDG is mandatory you will have to go back. If you refuse, we will stop your benefit. No consideration that public money is being wasted, no consideration whether any benefit is to be gained, that one is actually worse of than a trip to the local library. The same mentality that ran the Nazi death camps. If nothing else, party to fraud on the public purse. Job Centre manager was more than ten minutes late for scheduled appointment, but no explanation, no apology. Banging ones head against a brick wall comes to mind.
Asked what benefit I would gain from attending CDG, the Job Centre manager could not say. Neither could the New Deal adviser who was present. Asked what was the success rate, how many people got jobs after attending CDG, they answer was they did not know! But if I was to refuse to attend, my benefits would be stopped.
I have spoken to many who have been to the CDG prison camp in the recent past, including some who have been there three times and being told they will have to go back for yet a fourth time! All have told me without exception the same tale. Bullying still widespread, lack of facilities, a complete waste of time, appalling waste of public money. For anyone who has any professional education or experience, it is even worse as these fraudulent courses are a de-skilling exercise.
No private company would continue wasting money on sending its employees on training courses for which there was no tangible benefit, but when it comes to Job Centre staff it would appear that it is ok to waste millions of pounds of taxpayers' money on scam training courses. A lucrative gravy train for those profiteers who are running these scams training courses, in essence money for old rope, no questions asked.
All political parties are looking for ways to make deep cuts in public spending. One of the first cuts should be the public money being squandered on these scam training courses being run by CDG, A4E, Working Links etc as there is absolutely no benefit to the unemployed, let alone the public. The only beneficiaries are the bloodsucking bastards who are running these courses, who are benefiting from the fact that others are unemployed.
Why is there no fraud investigation? Everyone knows fraud is taking place, the Job Centres know, and yet they are still sending people to what are little more than prison camps for the unemployed.
Contrary to the neo-Labour spin, New Deal is doing nothing to help the unemployed. It is a fraudulent exercise to transfer public money, ie taxpayers' money, to the private sector under the guise of helping the unemployed.
Anyone who is on New Deal should be complaining about this appalling waste of public money. Taxpayers should be incensed that their taxes are being wasted on fraudulent training courses.
It is not just New Deal that is not working. Job Centre Plus is not working either.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/08/436367.html?c=on
If a training course was worth attending, there would be a waiting list. It speaks volumes that it requires these courses to be made mandatory with the loss of benefit if you refuse to attend.
Humiliating and degrading treatment, breach of Human Rights Act?
Government data shows New Deal to be a failure. New Deal inmates know why it is a failure. Why is no one listening? Why no investigation by the National Audit Office? Why no investigation by the Public Accounts Committee? Or has public service in this country become so tainted and corrupted that no one gives a damn?
Websites
http://newdealscandal.wordpress.com/
http://overheardatthejobcentre.wordpress.com/
http://unemployedrabbit.wordpress.com/
http://www.ipswichunemployedaction.co.uk/
http://newdealscandal.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/emma-harrison-doesnt-want-to-acknowledge-the-severe-shortcomings-of-a4e http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/11/386689.html?c=on http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=%22Careers+Development+Group%22+CDG+site%3Awww.indymedia.org.uk&btnG=Search&meta= I was forced to serve a sentence at CDG two years ago. My experience was that of fraud. Public money being spent on services not provided.
Bullying by CDG staff was widespread. Repeated threats of sanctions, ie benefits stopped for 6 months if you do not do as we say. No facilities for job search, out-of-date newspapers, no local newspapers, complete lack of any trade journals, ancient computers, unlawful monitoring of computer access, blocked Internet access, one telephone for probably 50 or more people, overcrowded, total disregard of data protection and safeguarding of personal data, thieving prevalent, tutors who had not a clue what they were talking about and were lacking in communication skills (shouting and swearing at inmates is not communication), inmates treated as though they were children, poor health and safety, dirty toilets.
Whilst at CDG I was helping inmates use the computers, fill out application forms, draw up CVs, because the staff were so useless.
Skimming was taking place, the first £4 of any travel expense claim was being retained by CDG. This is unlawful. Anyone who has been ripped off in this way should file a claim with their Job Centre.
http://newdealscandal.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/new-deal-you-are-likely-owed-50-pounds/ One of the websites blocked by CDG is Indymedia UK, as the last thing they want is for their inmates to know that others are experiencing the same fraud and abuse and are calling for these bogus training companies to be closed down. Prior to it being blocked, they made it an 'offence' for anyone to look at critical content on Indymedia UK.
A4E has gone one step further and tried (unsuccessfully) to close down websites hosting critical comment.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/07/435064.html?c=on Spam, spam and more spam ...
http://newdealscandal.wordpress.com/2009/09/25/a4e-spams-numerous-blogs/ After my repeatedly complaining to the Job Centre, I was without warning physically frogmarched out of the CDG building and had false charges laid against me by the liar CDG centre manager.
I am now back on New Deal, another box-ticking waste of time, waste of public funds exercise. Thursday a meeting with Job Centre manager, to be told, CDG is mandatory you will have to go back. If you refuse, we will stop your benefit. No consideration that public money is being wasted, no consideration whether any benefit is to be gained, that one is actually worse of than a trip to the local library. The same mentality that ran the Nazi death camps. If nothing else, party to fraud on the public purse. Job Centre manager was more than ten minutes late for scheduled appointment, but no explanation, no apology. Banging ones head against a brick wall comes to mind.
Asked what benefit I would gain from attending CDG, the Job Centre manager could not say. Neither could the New Deal adviser who was present. Asked what was the success rate, how many people got jobs after attending CDG, they answer was they did not know! But if I was to refuse to attend, my benefits would be stopped.
I have spoken to many who have been to the CDG prison camp in the recent past, including some who have been there three times and being told they will have to go back for yet a fourth time! All have told me without exception the same tale. Bullying still widespread, lack of facilities, a complete waste of time, appalling waste of public money. For anyone who has any professional education or experience, it is even worse as these fraudulent courses are a de-skilling exercise.
No private company would continue wasting money on sending its employees on training courses for which there was no tangible benefit, but when it comes to Job Centre staff it would appear that it is ok to waste millions of pounds of taxpayers' money on scam training courses. A lucrative gravy train for those profiteers who are running these scams training courses, in essence money for old rope, no questions asked.
All political parties are looking for ways to make deep cuts in public spending. One of the first cuts should be the public money being squandered on these scam training courses being run by CDG, A4E, Working Links etc as there is absolutely no benefit to the unemployed, let alone the public. The only beneficiaries are the bloodsucking bastards who are running these courses, who are benefiting from the fact that others are unemployed.
Why is there no fraud investigation? Everyone knows fraud is taking place, the Job Centres know, and yet they are still sending people to what are little more than prison camps for the unemployed.
Contrary to the neo-Labour spin, New Deal is doing nothing to help the unemployed. It is a fraudulent exercise to transfer public money, ie taxpayers' money, to the private sector under the guise of helping the unemployed.
Anyone who is on New Deal should be complaining about this appalling waste of public money. Taxpayers should be incensed that their taxes are being wasted on fraudulent training courses.
It is not just New Deal that is not working. Job Centre Plus is not working either.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/08/436367.html?c=on If a training course was worth attending, there would be a waiting list. It speaks volumes that it requires these courses to be made mandatory with the loss of benefit if you refuse to attend.
Humiliating and degrading treatment, breach of Human Rights Act?
Government data shows New Deal to be a failure. New Deal inmates know why it is a failure. Why is no one listening? Why no investigation by the National Audit Office? Why no investigation by the Public Accounts Committee? Or has public service in this country become so tainted and corrupted that no one gives a damn?
Websites
http://newdealscandal.wordpress.com/ http://overheardatthejobcentre.wordpress.com/ http://unemployedrabbit.wordpress.com/ http://www.ipswichunemployedaction.co.uk/
Keith Parkins
Homepage:
http://newdealscandal.wordpress.com/
Comments
Hide the following 12 comments
You take the benefits? - accept the shite
02.10.2009 15:01
I too am trapped here for 40 - 48 hrs a week, I can't do what I want, I have to wear clothes to fit in, but at the end of the day I get paid so I put up with it. And whats more 40% of what I earn is paid to you - talk about shite!
Workhouse Manager
reactionary cunt
02.10.2009 16:25
RobA
The Workhouse Manager pays 40% in tax?
02.10.2009 17:51
Perhaps you might be interested to know the standards that A4E are expected to achieve:
(Freedom of Information request ref FOI 755 to the DWP)
Mr I Matthew
By Email
DATE: 22nd May 2009.
Dear Mr Matthew
Freedom of Information Act - Request for Information
Our Reference: FOI 755
I am writing to confirm that I am now in a position to reply to your request for information about the Departments for Work and Pensions (DWP) contracts with our training providers. You requested this on 30 April 2009.
In your email you requested information about what checking procedures the Department has in place to monitor training agencies such as Action for Employment (A4e) when delivering New Deal.
The Department undertakes a number of checks on our providers, including A4e, both before contracts are awarded, and during the life of the contract.
As part of the tender evaluation process, we ask potential contractors to tell us how they will fully meet the varied needs of all customers, and tenders are assessed against predetermined criteria by experienced and professional procurement staff.
You also requested information regarding checks on the level of training provided by contractors.
Training provided by DWP contractors is required to meet quality and delivery standards as set out in the contract specification. Providers will be subject to monitoring by DWP procurement staff, in addition to any Independent inspection and audit carried out by Ofsted/Estyn.
As a minimum provider monitoring will include:
• A Post Contract Award Briefing at which DWP will clarify requirements and ensure providers understand their obligations and how the contract will be monitored,
• A Provider Assessment Visit within the first 6 weeks of the contract,
• Monthly reviews using management information collected on the providers
performance against agreed targets and any issues raised locally, and
• Provider Performance Review, a meeting with the provider within the first 6 months of the contract.
Information for this review is drawn from a number of sources including management information, issues raised by Jobcentre Plus district staff, quality assessment questionnaires completed by the provider and feedback from customers. At these meetings contractual performance, provision quality and contractual compliance issues are discussed and plans to address issues agreed.
We will also draw on the experience of customers to provide an overall assessment of performance.
If you are not satisfied with my handling of your request please tell me why within two calendar months of the date of this letter. I will then arrange for someone to conduct an internal review of your request and the handling of it. The review will be conducted by another officer, usually of a more senior grade to me. This person will have taken no part in the original handling of your request. You will be advised you of the reviewing officer’s decision in writing.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner to look into the way your request has been handled. Please note that generally the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have first exhausted DWP’s own complaints procedure. The Commissioner can be contacted at:
FoI Complaints Resolution
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Fax: 01625 524 510
Email:
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
Yours sincerely
Deborah Gardner
FOI Communications Manager
According to a second Freedom of Information Request (Home Office, Dr. Geraint Bevan on 24 March 2009) The Home Office has not met with A4e at all. Since the Home Office is in charge of prisons, you might thing A4E are not a prison contractor. But they are. Just look at their Overseas operations to discover that.
According to DWP FOI 1324 (19 January 2009) The charges for A4e Services are exempt under section 34 of the Freedom of Information Act. This is because it might harm their reputation.
Unemployed Without Benefits
Workarse
02.10.2009 17:52
You're a twat
Workshyscrounger
who cares - just get a job
02.10.2009 20:24
Im a tax payer and i am. I think they are a complete waste of time and distract people from looking for jobs. These courses seem to teach people that applying for 1 job a day or week is adequate.
I arrived at one hostel in australia listening to whiners saying they couldn't find work. THey said it was impossible, they been looking for weeks. It turns out they just sat talking about it, drinking tea and pecking at it. They just thought signing up with an agency was adequate. The rest of their time was spent moaning about it and pecking at vacanies in the paper.
The same day I arrived, I went out and walked down the street popping into shops and asked people for jobs. Found one within 30minutes. Then i packed that in and did the same again, found a top job in a furniture restorers. Those retards were still sat moaning weeks later.
Someone looking for work should be applying to 30 jobs a day at a minimum. 9 to 6 with 1 hour lunch. And get on the phone - you should be making at least 50 calls a day. Failing that, you should be out on your feet pounding the pavement. Anything else is just being lazy
kaiser soze
In (tensive) Activity Period
02.10.2009 20:38
You are missing the point, the cost of these courses are over and above the costs of benefits. The same money the tax payer pays for a doley they now also pay you, the New Deal private subcontractors, shareholders and employees.
You are a Kapo, of course you are going to both abuse the doleys forced to attend your day-prison, you ridiculously complain about your 40% of your taxes going to subsidise your 100% of your salary. Tax payers who don't earn your salary on this tax-payer con may disagree. Your salary is at least £37400 so you personally are at least 11 more times of a useless drain on the tax payer than the doleys you criticise and supervise. Guess what, you'll be on the dole too soon and we'll remember which Kapo was decent and which were shits.
New Deal will save tax-money for anyone who goes on a course and consequentially gets a job that they wouldn't have, but that doesn't happen significantly as Keith stated these places are more of a hinderance than a help to anyone genuinely seeking work, and I've seen a few them albeit often briefly. It is like paying to keep adults in a childs nursery class without any shiny toys. Worse than that, it increaces the tax burden yet further because people are driven to take unpaid placements doing jobs such as filing and stacking shelves, only to be repeatedly replaced at the last minute. This reduces genuine tax-contributing employment.
@Keith
If you know the extra cash without the grief and you know someone who has a business, they can sign you off each week. You don't find posh folk in IAP but that works for everyone, even if you don't know an employer you cut a deal with one.
If you are no fixed abode you can travel between dole areas and so get switched from one New Deal course to another. If you travel quickly and regularly enough you can effectively postpone it forever, but you have to be prepared for daily signing and delays in payment.
People who don't get full benefits and don't intend working earn a bit more so some of the poorest folk like it. Most folk dislike it and theres always one or two who loathe it and ready to blow, but I sat through most of my last one. You can get stuff from it depending on the other day-prisoners there. On my last IAP someone did a decent direct action just to prove it that they could, after the army came to recruit.
Danny
Comment from Workhouse Manager is typical of the moronic garbage that is destroy
03.10.2009 13:02
Had Workhouse Manager read and comprehended, he would see that it is in the interest of all taxpayers that these New Deal training courses are shut down as they are a fraud on the public purse, ie taxpayers, in addition to the fact that they are of no benefit to the unemployed. Furthermore, if he wished to see them in employment, then he would be keen to see that they had genuine help to improve their skills and employment prospects. That is of course assuming he wishes to see his taxes wisely spent.
Those who claim Jobseekers allowance, where but for the grace of God goes he, are not those milking the system, but poverty pimps such as A4E, Working Links and CDG.
Had he but lifted his nose from the grindstone, he would see that the workhouse was filling up because we are in the worst recession since the 1920s, and more people are being thrown out of work every day.
The cause of this recession was greedy bankers, who he has had to bail out with his taxes.
Did those at Vestas making wind turbines ask to be made unemployed? No, they actually occupied the factory to try and safeguard their jobs. Did neo-Labour think Vestas was worth saving? No, but they are happy to hand vast sums of taxpayers' money to poverty pimps like a4e, Working Links and CDG.
But rest assured, should the recession end and we enter into the fairy tale world of full employment and his workhouse closes down, there is bound to be a place found for him as a New Deal inmate.
Keith
Four jobs a day
03.10.2009 13:03
This was not possible two years ago, and would certainly not be possible today.
So what do the inmates do? They either refuse and only apply for those jobs where they stand a realistic chance of obtaining a job or else play a numbers game and write down any old job they find in the newspaper.
To be be compliant with Jobseekers legal requirements, you have to take two steps every week and these steps are defined in the relevant Statutory Instruments. And do what ever you have agreed in your Jobseekers Agreement (Jsag). This was discussed with and agreed with Job Centre at the time. Contrary to what the liars at CDG claimed, this direction of four jobs a day with sanctions for non-compliance, had not come from the Job Centre.
I raised this at my meeting with new Job Centre manager on Thursday. She denied inmates at CDG were required to apply for four jobs a day. I said check the documentary evidence. CDG even have forms that have to be filled out every day.
As at Pertemps (another scam New Deal training course provider), at CDG, access to websites that contain information you may need to gain employment are blocked.
After a wasted day at CDG, I would then have to travel home to visit my local library to try and make up for the wasted day, as at least the local library had resources, including computer access.
New Deal far from helping find employment impedes that task.
Keith
Inmates are very happy
03.10.2009 13:04
Two years ago, following complaints from inmates, liars at CDG told Job Centre that clients were very happy. Not the view of the inmates.
Far from being happy, inmates found being at CDG to be degrading, humiliating and very demoralising and depressing.
At a meeting with Job Centre manager on Thursday it was claimed that no one was dissatisfied with their time at CDG and no one had complained. This arrant nonsense was repeated by New Deal adviser who was also present.
My own random sample this summer of people at the Job Centre who had been to CDG gave a different story – boredom, sat around doing nothing, pointless, did nothing to help them find work, bullying, a waste of time. Those who had filed complaints were told they were the only ones to have complained! They also found that when they did complain, no one was interested, no action was taken.
New Deal is a scandal. A secondary scandal is the cover up that is taking place.
Keith
lie to get a job
05.10.2009 11:44
Yes, you can lie to get a job, but to do so is to commit fraud. If caught, you can be fired on the spot with no recourse to unfair dismissal. Thus not a very good idea.
The tutor who lied to get a job, and it is common knowledge who he is, is still employed by CDG. But then dishonesty is probably seen as a desirable trait if you work at CDG!
Keith
Abuse widespread
05.10.2009 11:45
Keith
Day Prison for poor people
06.10.2009 00:05
Another similar 'warden' on a later course gave me two top quality sleeping bags for nothing because he had them spare and he knew I was sleeping out in shite, probably saved my life that year.
To the folk reading this who don't know what we're talking about, try to imagine if Charles Dickens had written 'The Office', but for 13 weeks each 76 weeks. It's fully funded by the tax payer and yet the paying public never get to see it. I think it is worth taking a video camera in with you Keith, or these places often have webcams you can use and they are just furniture to everyone. Most host a Lonely Planet type guide to different government offices, employees and sub-contractors.
There is a lot worse happening in the Job Centre now though, as bad as the introduction of the New Deal, but you'll find out soon enough yourself, I'll wait for your articles on that.
Danny