Redundancy & benefits

Are for you not allowed to offer yourself for voluntary work and have those hours taken off your 35hrs job searching ? I used to have a lady come to me when I managed a Charity Shop and she went to a job club for one day and to me for 2 days I'm not sure if this option is still available,but personally I think the system is stupid at our age when we are moving up to retirement age and so many youngsters are desparate for employment of some kind.

Glamanan I have just checked AGE UK local to me and just phoned for advice- I am going to ring Monday to see someone because apparently they able to give further advice with regard to jobs / benefits for people my age- and I noticed on their site they do voluntary work too - so hopefully I can get in this organisation. Thanks for your reply and hoping your weekend going well

I had a huge shock yesterday when I got into work. The Office Managing Partner took me into a meeting room where I was greeted by a lady I have never met from HR and informed that I am being made redundant. I cried I was so shocked. Apparently in this digital age my role as filing clerk, stationery ordering and the person who deals with all the archived materials is no longer neccessary. I feel so totally undervalued. My last day will be 2 days before my 60th birthday. I have been there 12 years and 10 months. I will get statutory redundancy pay for the 12 years. I am at a loss. Whos going to employ a 60 year old with dodgy knees? I dont know where to start.

Sorry to hear this, Lindylou and Annieshere, I've been in this situation so do understand.

You could try spending time researching local companies and contacting them "on spec". Some companies, especially smaller ones can respond well to a pro active approach.

There are procedures that must be followed with regard to redundancy. Firstly, you should be given a letter warning of possible redundancy. You should also be given the opportunity to argue your case as to why you should not be made redundant, and you are entitled to have someone with you for support. Your employer should also make every effort to find you an alternative position within the company.

The ACAS website is a good place to look for accurate information.

I am so sorry to hear that news - very difficult to find employment when you are older. I have not had the problem myself but DD has - made redundant in her 50s after about15 years with the same company - it went under - after that she found it very difficult and also that there was little real help from the Job Centre either with finding a job or benefits. Like Phoenix she found being proactive and contacting companies herself worked better. I am hoping that the current one continues to be a success as she seems happy there but nothing is certain these days.

I hope both of you manage to find yourself work which you really enjoy doing and nice people as your colleagues.

Friends of mine have been in this position and found it so demoralising. I can't see how it's possible to spend 5 hours a day looking for work, after the first couple of weeks when you register yourself with agencies, sort out your CV, etc. We used to have people turning up at my place of work on a daily basis asking about vacancies. We advertised all of them, so couldn't help. All best wishes to both of you.

Having worked in Jobcentres for many years I know that unless they have doubts about a person "actively seeking work" there is no way that they have the resource to check what people write about their efforts. The law states that a person takes "reasonable steps" to look effectively in the places where the work they are looking for can reasonably be expected to be found. I'm not sure if the staff understand that. I have heard of them directing clients to make a certain number of job applications in a week. That is not reasonable.

Don't give up, I got made redundant at 57 and after 5 months found a great job that I really love. Less traveling and a much nicer boss. I've now been asked to stay on for 2 days a week even though I could have retired in March.

I found when signing on, that as long as I could show the job centre that I was looking for work ie. C.V.'s sent, replies received, they were OK, its impossible to spend 35 hours a week looking, there aren't enough jobs out there.
In my working life I've been made redundant 3 times and my husband twice. I think its just the way things are now no jobs for life anymore.

35 hours is clearly nonsense for anyone at any age. I think you should just do what you can, take in letter, applications, replies and evidence, and if this does not satisfy them ask THEM for advice as to where else you might apply and what else you might do. They are after all there to help people find work and not to act s police. I think you will find that they would be equally at a loss as to how to fill in 35 hours!

Sadly I think this will all apply to me in the next couple of months. I have worked for the same company for nearly 14 years but they have been acquired by a huge corporate company who are ruthless. Being the only person in the European division doing all the admin, pay, accounting etc I know that all the roles I currently do are being taken in house and have been told they don't know what role I will have - aka they've no need for me. I'm the same age as you Anneishere so no pension for another 18 months. I have been out of work once before when our business closed but I found a job fairly quickly but was 15 years younger back then. The thought of trying to spend 35 hours a week looking for work is ridiculous - perhaps back in the days before the internet and applying for jobs online it would have been possible to tramp the streets several hours a day! I hope you find something soon.