Unemployment Movement

Anyone advise on how much of your life in terms of hours per week you must give to the `PIMPS` on the work programme?

I think I'm correct in saying that there is no fixed amount of time. This is where you have to be a bit wary! I was originally told that I would be required to attend twice a week for "jobsearch" plus a fortnightly review with "advisor". I kicked up a fuss! I said there is nothing I can do here that I can't do at home without the distractions of being in your premises. We had an interesting "discussion" but I refused to yield then got promptly kicked upstairs where the procedure was repeated with 2 other more senior employees. I eventually agreed to once a week jobsearch but this has never really happened - instead I got another personal advisor (yippee - I have 2 of them!). Actually the second one is quite decent and even the first one seems now to have realised that I will not be shoved around. My appointments are now around once every 4 weeks or so though there has been suggestions that I attend a course or two (respectfully declined). Now this may not last forever (I expect some sort of "accelerator" type action may raise its ugly head)but it's tolerable.
I wouldn't do anything unless they actually mandate you to. Even then make sure they follow the correct procedure as laid out in the DWP guidelines - failure to do so will mena that any sanction doubt raised is unlikely to succeeed.
Good Luck.

I was told that I 'had' to attend a minimum of at least one 8 hour day per week just for jobsearches. But like Gissajob, I just told them very firmly that I failed to see the point when I have all the same facilities at home only better and with no distractions.

They don't like it, and the 3 'advisors' that I have had to date, have all given me the same identikit speech on how I cannot possibly manage such a simple task without their help, and not only that, but imply that it's weird to want to do so. But you have just have to stick to your guns, and then you only need to attend mandated sessions, such as a monthly review for example.

The only downside that I have experienced from this is that they have tried to sign me up for more of their so called courses, which again, I can usually argue my way out of, if I can prove that it would be of no benefit to me.

Hi Blink,and welcome.
You say
Well my own situation is that I have received a letter "mandating" my attendence on a one day course. This was never discussed with me and so I had no opportunity to argue my way out of it! Furthermore it was not on my Action Plan at last meeting - so if it's there now it has "appeared" without my knowledge or consent.
The lesson would appear to be to demand a copy of your action plan at the end of each interview so that you have a record of what has been agreed. I will be doing this in the future and I will also be declining to sign the action plan as a protest. Apparently this is not sanctionable (see consent.me).
Oh yes - all I know about the course is that it's called "INSPIRE" (yes all in capitals!). Do you think these people have ever heard of irony?

Thanks for the info, I will certainly be refusing to sign anything in light of this now, I have a review next week so it will be interesting to see how that goes down.

At my last appointment, although my advisor filled in the employment plan on the computer, they didn't print out anything for me to sign - not my copy or theirs. So when I go next time, I'm going to ask for a copy and see if anything was added between appointments.

I've always been given a copy myself whether I want it or not. But it is a good idea to have one anyway, a couple of times now I have been told of things that I have apparently consented to do, so it does come in handy for when proving otherwise.