OK, let me get this straight...

[Not_Giving_Up]

I am required to do thirty hours of job searching a week in order to maintain my food stamps. According to the Worksource office, this means that I have to make 15 job contacts a week, and they will give me two hours of credit for each one. I've filed for unemployment, that only requires 3 contacts a week. Every Friday, I have to go to the Worksource office and turn in my form on which I've kept a log of my job contacts.

Here's the best part - If I don't have a job within a month, they will make me volunteer (work for free) at a place of their choosing, in order to maintain my food stamps. They say this lets potential employers see what you can do. Food stamps are the only aid that I am receiving. This does not put gas in my car, and my spouse is also going to be under the same requirements, as he is out of work as well...he just hasn't gone for his orientation. What if I don't have gas money to get to my volunteer place...my kids just starve?

Is this nationwide now, or is Texas just special?

Don't get me wrong...I was looking for a job quite actively before this. There is no public transportation where I live, and I'm wondering who's going to gas up my car for volunteering if I don't find a job within a month.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. As far as I know

This is how unemployment has always worked here in KS and MO. I agree it is a dumb idea.

[Not_Giving_Up]

5. This has nothing to do with unemployment

It's strictly for the food stamps. Unemployment requires me to make three contacts a week, and I can draw for up to six months (providing that my last employer doesn't fight it).

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Welfare reform

You can blame all the folks who sat on welfare for years and made no attempt to get jobs, etc.

[Not_Giving_Up]

15. I know

GRRRRRR

[demnan]

2. I don't know about the food stamps

but when does your unemployment kick in?

I never had anyone threaten me with community service in Virginia. I wish you and your SO well. It is horrible that you are both out of work at the same time.

[Not_Giving_Up]

4. I don't know yet

I applied online the day I was fired, filed over the phone the other day. I have gotten no letter to let me know that I'm actually going to receive anything.

I've been in a pinch before, but this is new.

[xultar]

3. It is effing back asswards

:grr:

[Not_Giving_Up]

6. Tell me about it

It basically forces people to take the crappiest job on the planet, just because it's available, in order to avoid working for free. I'm not super picky, but I do exercise discretion. This is how people end up working at Wal-Mart.

[xultar]

18. Yup. Now we know.

[jswordy]

7. It's part of the nationwide effort to get folks off the rolls.

Started under President Bill Clinton, I might add.

Each state gets to make its own rules about how tough it will be on unemployed residents. Some are tougher than others.

[Not_Giving_Up]

8. It wasn't like this two years ago

I was out of work, and in order to maintain my food stamps, I had to sit through some training classes at the Worksource. When they finally figured out that I was drawing unemployment, they told me that I wasn't required to go through all of that anymore, that I just had to do what unemployment required me to do.

I nearly fell out of my chair yesterday.

[crispini]

9. Define 'contacts'

I'm just curious. If it's just sending out a resume, that's not too bad. But I agree, the volunteer thing is kind of onerous. How are you supposed to FIND a job if you HAVE a "job"? How many hours are required?

[Not_Giving_Up]

12. I don't have a problem with making 15 contacts a week

I was doing that anyway. Sending resumes, applying for jobs. It's the volunteer thing that gets me.

[lenidog]

14. Probably you have to have the place that you apply to sign

some kinda form or list. They used to do that in PA, I don't know if they still do that.

[lenidog]

10. A friend of mine recently lost his job due to merger

so he is on unemployment and because it is so low food stamps. Basically they have asked him for no physical proof that he is seeking a job. Now that could be because he is signed up for the PA Career link which is a online site where he can look for jobs and send his resume directly to the employers through them. He can keep track of all the positions he applies for so they probably can do the same.

[Not_Giving_Up]

13. I registered at the Texas equivalent website

I still have to go through all of this mess.

[lenidog]

17. Don't know what to tell you

because he hasn't had to do anything but either call up or use the internet every two weeks and tell the state he still hasn't got a job to get his unemployment

[Not_Giving_Up]

16. I have to log off for a while...I found 19 possible jobs

on the Worksource page, but to get info on them, I have to call the Worksource. Why don't they put the info on the web? I can understand keeping the company name confidential, but why not some way to apply online? This is retarded! Back in a bit.

[GOPisEvil]

19. Receipt of UIB is a participation exemption.

1822.1 E&T Exemptions

...

Code N - Receiving unemployment insurance benefits (UIB) or has applied but not been notified of eligibility.

http://dadsview.dads.state.tx.us/handbooks/TexasWorks/PartA/A1800/tw-a1820.asp

Straight out of the handbook. A copy of the handbook should be on file in each office for your review. Basically, you are exempt from the Food Stamps Employment and Traning program.

[Not_Giving_Up]

20. That's what I thought

The last time we were on food stamps, I was exempt from going to weekly Worksource workshops (the requirement then). They say that I am NOT ineligible now though, that things have changed. I can't afford to lose my food stamps, they're all I have right now!

I called to check status of my unemployment. Turns out the entire approval process is 3-4 weeks long (never was before!), they said my previous employer just responded yesterday to their request for information. So, I have 1-2 more weeks to go before I even find out if I'm getting unemployment. Jiminy fucking crickets!