Job Centre Plus

job centre plus

The Jobcentre Plus network of local offices is part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Offices offer services covering the whole employment field, from the employers advertising jobs, unemployed people looking for work, part-time employees looking to get more work, students and school leavers looking to enter the job market, and disabled people or others who may need further assistance in finding work.

Most have schemes to help people find work, develop skills, or gain experience working with local communities by organising work initiatives and volunteering.

To use JobCentre Plus services contact your local office. A first step will be an appointment will be with a Personal Advisor who will explore your past work experience, reasons for being unemployed, skills you have, and your financial situation. They will develop a Back to Work plan with you, and may organise benefits you are entitled to while you are seeking work, set you up with interviews in appropriate jobs, help you fill out a CV and see what training or experience you could most use.

In return, you are likely to have to meet certain criteria such as applying for lots of jobs and prove that you have done so, and attend regular progress meetings.  If you do not apply for work or miss an appointment without good reasons, your benefit may be stopped, until the matter is resolved.