I bumped into a friend who I had not seen for a while. A lovely bubbly girl, full of life, or at least she was the last time I saw her. She had changed – drawn, hagged, dulled spirit, a pale shadow of her former self. What had happened to her I thought. She told me her story.

Like many unfortunates who find themselves without work, she found herself on New Deal and forced to attend a CDG (Careers Development Group) detention camp. There she said bullying was widespread, constant threats and intimidation from the staff, treated like shit, lack of facilities, no papers, in terms of job search she said she was worse off attending, false allegations were made against inmates to throw them off the course. If this was not bad enough, she was forced to go and work for a company for no pay, with no job at the end. She said she was not the only one, a long stream of people were being sent to work for no pay, for which CDG was being paid. The company was not near where she lived, in another town, and very difficult to get to by public transport and one day when she had no money for fares, she was forced to walk home at night. Her experience at CDG drove her to the point of suicide and has seriously damaged her health.

Since her sentence at CDG she has had nothing but problems from the Job Centre. He benefits have been repeatedly stopped for no good grounds, that she knows that her money has stopped, is when it literally stops. A nightmare and more stress to sort out the problems. The Job Centre is trying to force her into work for which she is totally unsuitable. Here previous experience was working in a bank for 22 years.

One day, when she had no money, a very nasty individual from the Job Centre who takes great delight in bastardising the unemployed offered to visit her at her home Friday night or over the weekend!

She is now suffering poor health. Two consultant have said she is not fit for work. But as she put it: 'two consultants say I am not well, but a clerk at the job centre knows better.'

Her story is unfortunately not unique. She named names at the Job Centre, names that I have now had repeated to me by several other people.

Forcing her to work for nothing is slave labour and a breach of UN Conventions. Sending her to somewhere where she has no hope of a job is a breach of CDG contractual obligations, thus fraud.

She said inmates at CDG were often sent home early afternoon because CDG could not cope or the staff wanted to go down the pub. Again fraud as a breach of contractual obligations.

Asked had CDG drawn up an individual training package for her based upon her past experience and identified needs and skills, she said no. Yet again a breach of contractual obligations by CDG.

Her travel expenses should have been paid. Each week CDG lined their own pockets by deducting £4 from her travel expenses. CDG has no lawful authority to make these deductions and I advised her to file a claim with the Job Centre.

She said she was worse off being at CDG.

She is a plucky individual and even though she is now suffering poor health she is willing to put up a fight, she is not a quitter.

Why is CDG allowed to get away with what is blatant fraud? Why are the Job Centres and individual staff members complicit in this fraud? It is not just CDG, the same story can be told of A4E, Working Links, YMCA Training.

Background and useful websites

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/10/439070.html?c=on
 http://newdealscandal.wordpress.com/
 http://overheardatthejobcentre.wordpress.com/
 http://unemployedrabbit.wordpress.com/
 http://www.ipswichunemployedaction.co.uk/