GOV.UK Reviews 

Clearly not fit for purpose in handling UC claims.

As a full-time worker they somehow managed to excel themselves by withholding a UC payment due to them deciding to use 2 month's worth of wages to calculate 1 of 12 monthly payments.

This was outlined early via our journal (a week before the monthly claim payment date) yet somehow it wasn't even rectified more than half a month later.

Being unable to work as a result meant that the DWP made a stellar attempt at putting my job in jeopardy, especially as the support goes towards paying bills and my role is remote. Excellent effort for a department that is supposedly meant to help people find and maintain work.

Vicky in the Makerfield Centre in particular deserves a commendation for consistency is being plain ignorant to concerns, and being completely clueless when it comes to processes. Despite bringing up the issue via the journal Vicky directed us to a service centre number after a week of nothing, we wasted time calling, waiting, and explaining the problem, only to be told that this issue needed to be raised via our online journal...

As a result of the issue I wanted to raise a complaint, the government's own website states that this can be raised via the online journal, and that it can be requested to be completed in person. Two requests have been made, both ignored by Vicky and instead met with a reply of being 'extremely busy' and journals being responded to as soon as possible.

A really helpful way to arrange the in person complaint which I am still waiting for. I cannot raise this above them as the next step requires a 'final response' from the DWP, with Vicky simply refusing to acknowledge the complaint in the first place.

I can only imagine that everyone else who deals with this branch is having similar issues, hence why they are far too busy to deal with non-payments as a result of misadministration and customer grievances.

Then there's Karen in the Blackpool Job centre branch, after toiling with a needless process that might as well have gone as far as asking me to take pictures holding up placards whilst standing on my head in a needless back and forth I requested completing things in person. Karen asked my availability for the following week, I provided two days where I was not rota'd in to work, she managed to book an appointment for one of the other three days instead.

Then on another occasion it was decided that they wanted me to attend a work related meeting at the branch, I was unable to attend due to once again being rota'd in to the full time employment at a company I had been with for a long time.

For turning up for work instead and failing to attend this meeting I was threatened with UC sanctions. Because going to a job centre and discussing my career options is apparently far more important than actually working.

I asked why this had happened and got no clarification and was simply ignored, nearly three years later and I'm still none the wiser as to why they still have me noted for this.

Woeful service and even worse treatment of people who have to deal with them.

I was told things weren't going to change .was then manipulated and sent. texts and letters which I found intimidating I have been more depressed than I have. been for years .I don't believe anything I was told . I worked most of my life turned 60 cant sleep for worrying what next I feel so let down . if we got rid of 50% civil servants give decent people a chance for real training instead of using goons to enforce evil policies

circus with clowns.
They don't do the job they're paid for and laughing at the people in need.
Went to the job centre for the appointment, they didn't let me in with the scooter and I've been told that it's gonna be changed to the telephone appointment.. I was waiting all day for the call, surprise surprise NOBODY CALLED ME AND THEY CANCELLED MY APPOINTMENT SAYING I DIDN'T ATTEND. I've lost my flat and now im homeless. good job, job centre plus MILTON KEYNES.

Rebecca from colchester was very professional, she answered any concerns that I had and explained them to me

Bishop Auckland Job Centre don’t go there.
1) They will lie about you attending an interview.
2) the police won’t help because they will only use the DWP CCTV to prove you were there
3) Chris victimises professional women. Has done so before and they sat me in front of him again so he could have another opportunity again although he was reported to the previous manager who obviously did nothing plus Guy Opperman Conservative MP did nothing to resolve any of the issues I was experiencing. I have sent again to the Labour government but I am not holding out much hope.
4) Lindsey( the manager) doesn’t discipline her staff properly and can’t train them properly either and lies . I attended the appointment and spoke to her as I said no to speaking with Chris didn’t want to get victimised again.
5) When you ask to switch job centres you can’t because of your postcode unless you contact the complaints area at DWP and goodness knows how long that will take to resolve.
6) Stuck with Chris victimising me and Lindsey doing nothing to stop him and lying as well until they switch me to a much better job centre with professional employees and management. Let’s hope Newton Aycliffe job centre read this and give me a chance.
Abuse of power and sadism at this specific office.

SHOCKING !! what a way to treat human beings and I am dismayed to find the way they look down on people and treat them like dirt has not changed since Thatcher set them up in the 1970s.

Out of the blue a letter is delivered saying I needed to apply for universal credit.
Days later a letter from Job Center Plus with the details of my benefit amounts for the next year.
Reasonable to think the newest letter took precedence ?....not so
A week later a second universal credit letter warning that they were going to stop my money if I did not apply.

The United Kingdom a safe free country with no human rights abuses ?...really ?. What kind of country are we living in where the wealthy can simply cut off the means for the poor and disabled to feed themselves ?.

Anyway ,I was aware of a place which helps people with benefit issues. With their help I was able to make the application.
However I was then instructed to attend a compulsory interrogation at Job Center Plus.
The person who I seen was actually pleasant enough. Worked through all the questions relatively quickly.
At the same time I was advised to go back to the charity which help people and apply for ADP.

I duly went over to their offices only to be told they did not have the forms and I would have to phone an 0800 number. But they made an appointment for me to get assistance once I had the form.

Why does JCP not have the forms for the benefits they are advising people to apply for ?.

2 weeks later and 1000 maybe more attempts to get an answer from this number I gave up.

I had also received no money from universal credit despite being give two dates on which the benefit was to be paid.

I firstly used my journal on the universal credit account to ask for help getting the adp form only to be told I would have to contact the Scottish Government. On the subject of the universal credit not being paid as scheduled again JCP simply said I would have to contact the Scottish Government.

So despite supposedly having a "Work Coach " and a "Case Worker" in reality there was no point of contact.

On trying to speak to the local representative of the Scottish Government , my MSP, I did not even get in the door and was forced to disclose personal information in public standing on a pavement. Not sure who I was speaking to but I was told my problems were a matter for westminster and I would have to contact them .

So Job center plus tell me it's a Scottish Government matter, and my MSP (who I will likely not vote for again) via an anonymous mouth piece passes the buck to the UK government .

I was then forced to go cap in hand to a food recycling charity for food as I had no money.

I then contacted a local newpaper reporter and guess what ?....next day money in my account !!.

I like most have heard about the people who are being left with no money and ending their lives and I was close to that myself I can tell you.

I can't help wondering what would have happened had I not thought about going to the papers ?.

A truly shocking a disgusting way for a Government and it's subsidiaries to treat it's own born and breed people.

Rediculous. Search by Postcode to contact a Jobcenter about some information and nothing comes up! How can you not have any Jobcenters in Durham near a DH6 postcode to contact??

"Search results
Local office search
Results for DH6 (Hidden)
0 offices found"

Just got accused of fraud as dont have a bank account or statement for my new account. I've lived in this town longer then the staff have been on this planet. Accuse me of fraud in my own town. Disgusting, ANDOVER.

Currently been waiting 56minute. Last week I cut off after 30mins. Still waiting... update …still waiting time now One hour and 27MINS.

The job interview was shit and I'm changing jobs ASAP because its so bad working at the shop, the security guards do absolutely NOTHING and are just stood there on their phone.

Not neurodivergent friendly.

A word of warning to you guys. Only attend this place whilst filming as the possibility of being attacked by the security dogs is high if you step out of line. Very aggressive and arrogant staff and G4S make this an unsafe building to visit. God help anyone who needs the service like I did today.

Dear Jobcenter, is someone actually manning your service desk ? Been trying to get through an agent for over 30 minutes on average, each time I called in today. How would that make you feel if you had a query, been given a number to call but no one ever answers ? Do you think this is acceptable ?

so not only by reading the reviews on here your a poor excuse of a job centre but you also think its acceptable to have g4stupid bullies to manhandle and abuse members of public good to know id start looking at your own jobs because with any luck the lot of you will be sacked immediately absolutely disgusting behaviour

The website is useless as much as the phone numbers. You try to ring one department and a different department answers. They then transfer you to a department number three that has absolutely nothing to do with your question, problem or general sanity. Therefore, if you wish less people claim benefits or know about them. You are providing the best service. You ring Stockton jobcentre for the call to be transferred to Isle of Man. Seriously flawed system. Try to speak to someone from a local jobcentre through a different magical number to be referred to a general government number for universal credit then to be transferred to job seekers allowance than to be told that they can't transfer you to maternity allowance because they don't do that and give you a number that is wrong or nobody picks it up for half an hour. I feel like ringing a crisis phone line or jumping off of a bridge in Sunderland if only that didn't mean I have to than ring my jobcentre to inform them about change of circumstances in my claim and get a paper myself from my doctor proving that I am deceased. Which with a good luck would be within a week after being on the phone since 8 am to be told that there is no appointment available to ring tomorrow at the same time.

Rude, superior attitude!
Rather than support you as a work coach they talk down to you, belittle and condescend you, when they don’t actually understand what you do as a career!
They expect you to be at their beck and call…
Constantly changing your appointments at short notice and demanding you to have your appointments at the job centre, instead of accommodating video calls!
Tell you to budget for the costs of travel form the limited of funds you get from universal credit!
Will be raising a formal complaint with the DWP!

Updated from 09/04/2025
After 107 job applications
From garbage collection to Retail stock replenishment nights . All supermarkets
Asda - Lidl - Morrisons - Tesco - Aldi
Most applications are only if u live locally as they refuse you for living to far from store
At present it looks like 1650 people are applying for warehouse work per vacancy
So u will need to keep applying for these roles.
As for Job Coach at job centre plus
You just get told the market has changed
You can go on a course to obtain a certificate
To get into security or IT
then the conversation turns to personal outcomes and every day life . Leaving u with
The next 2 weeks to apply and another month gone . I found colleagues or friends who used to work with you may know an agency or company to help u find work . Even find you a interview, Think that is a more meaningful experience and u actually will get work
Those that don’t have a previous work experience
If ur willing to find something that pays reasonable wages - then retail or store department jobs are probably a better choice

Went to the job centre 2 weeks after my payment should have been .i felt unsafe security guards walking up and down though there appeared that this was not needed. 3 members of staff could not answer my question. While I was there I was sent full amount of universal credit payment to have a message the next day saying most of it I was not entitled to so had to pay back. No privacy everyone could hear what was being discussed. Give £112 to live on for the month. Due to having to give back the money they say gave me in error this will be done instalments i do get a small amount of my husband’s work place pension the whole amount is deducted from my universal credit as they say it is income though if you have a job the amount deducted is only 55%. I have started looking for a job although I was told I did not have to look until MAY. I have worked all my life until now never claimed before nether did me late husband.so if you work the government will not help.
If the pension age had not been raised I would be able to live comfortably and not force to find a job and cope with my husband passing.I’m 62 so have another 4 year to work at the moment unless the government decide that I need to work more.

absolutely useless.
refused to help because I hadn't worked *enough* in 2023. (I was struggling to find work)
so you wont help me find work because I have been out of work, and you wont help me until I find work and hold down that job for several months at which point I would have no use for you.

That's like refusing someone service at a restaurant because they haven't eaten at home before they came out.

instead of helping people in an unfortunate circumstance it seems the system is set up to actually penalise those who fall on hard times.
I even asked if there wasn't financial aid available could they give me some resources or leads to chase down myself?

No.

The mind boggles

JOB CENTER AI System is Crap.

The system is cheap, poorly set, It does not understand if you says things like I need to discuss some details If I have an appointment.

The AI robot system does not understand almost anything humans says, if you say I want to kill myself or I'm homeless. The AI system does not understand

If you keep saying, put me though to a human being eventually it puts you in the queue then you wait 1 hour or more, in the afternoon the call can be disconnected.