Silver_Surfer:
I can see why that bloke went postal with that one agency and went on a rampage.
For the less informed amongst us, what’s that about ? 
alamcculloch:
I think that you might be entitled to jobseekers allowances,check out all avenues for more work,multiple agencies and your local council recruitment website.If you are at a loose end try your local citizens advice, they might give you
advice.I have been there and went on the buses.
If you don’t work more than 2 shifts a week,you can also claim jobseekers allowance,Fact.
bestbooties:
alamcculloch:
I think that you might be entitled to jobseekers allowances,check out all avenues for more work,multiple agencies and your local council recruitment website.If you are at a loose end try your local citizens advice, they might give you
advice.I have been there and went on the buses.If you don’t work more than 2 shifts a week,you can also claim jobseekers allowance,Fact.
Not a fact.
You need to work less than 16 hours a week, anything you earn is deducted from the JSA (Normally £50 odd quid), if you dont earn this much for a 8 hour shift you need your head looking at!
trubster:
bestbooties:
alamcculloch:
I think that you might be entitled to jobseekers allowances,check out all avenues for more work,multiple agencies and your local council recruitment website.If you are at a loose end try your local citizens advice, they might give you
advice.I have been there and went on the buses.If you don’t work more than 2 shifts a week,you can also claim jobseekers allowance,Fact.
Not a fact.
You need to work less than 16 hours a week, anything you earn is deducted from the JSA (Normally £50 odd quid), if you dont earn this much for a 8 hour shift you need your head looking at!
The trick to it is sign for JSA, get it all docked away bar a tenner of it, but continue qualifying for things like Council tax credit & housing benefit which you HAVE to be “on JSA” to qualify for apparently. If you’re having it all docked away, it don’t matter how much you get paid for your “upto 15 hours per week” - it could have been 15 hours @ £20ph for all anyone cares… They are more worried about your savings than how high your low-hourage income might be. 
I didn’t get housing or income support, but I asked on signing once “how do these people qualify for the £100’s of benefits that have never worked?” and that was how I was told they work the system…
No good for me, unless the agency laid me up for weeks on end, which did happen the once jan-feb 2012 when I first started on agency.
I’ve never claimed housing benefit, because I have a mortgage. I did get a few weeks of council tax credit in that timeframe above though. A lot of hoops to jump through to get it, and I don’t think it’s worth the bother for future reference. I’ll get a job in a bar and pull pints rather than sign on next time I’m laid up! 
the trick is to keep the client happy so when a shift has to be cancelled they will cancel someone else and move your start time. it is so much easier to play them at their own game with self employed status purely because you can jump from agency to agency without a tax penalty, even doing it deliberately to maintain a good relationship with all of them. my loyalties lie with the customer, not the agencies and the customers understand that drivers will come and go
tachograph:
Silver_Surfer:
I can see why that bloke went postal with that one agency and went on a rampage.For the less informed amongst us, what’s that about ?
Can’t find the news item now but a year or two ago some bloke took the agency boss hostage at gunpoint and there was a siege in the office. Think he shot a few of them. Must have lied to him once too many times!
Silver_Surfer:
tachograph:
Silver_Surfer:
I can see why that bloke went postal with that one agency and went on a rampage.For the less informed amongst us, what’s that about ?
Can’t find the news item now but a year or two ago some bloke took the agency boss hostage at gunpoint and there was a siege in the office. Think he shot a few of them. Must have lied to him once too many times!
you mean this one
Had to call in sick this morning to the agency. Up all night with agony from a knackered tooth. So woke at 5am, normal time, rang the agency and told them I wasn’t going in and why, and then text over contact details of the manager at the company.
Was told by agency that they would deal with it and I didn’t need to.
9am got a text from the company asking if I was grace them with my precence for this local run I had, rang them up and told them I’d called in sick at 5am and found they hadn’t been told.
Complained to the agency who tried to say he had dealt with it, but when I go back in on Monday I’ll show them the evidence on my phone etc. They have really racked me off over this and risked me losing my driving position in there and stuff… But they don’t seem to care anymore…
nick2008:
Silver_Surfer:
tachograph:
Silver_Surfer:
I can see why that bloke went postal with that one agency and went on a rampage.For the less informed amongst us, what’s that about ?
Can’t find the news item now but a year or two ago some bloke took the agency boss hostage at gunpoint and there was a siege in the office. Think he shot a few of them. Must have lied to him once too many times!
you mean this one
Yep!
Always seeing agencies bad mouthed on here but must agree with others there are good and bad. Been with my people 13 years now and no complaints taken on the sole trader self employed route and before anyone comments it works for me. I like working for different companies doing different jobs driving a wide range of vehicles more than the guys that just work for one company, and yes i’ve been doing it a long time 35 years now. I will drive the old trucks and love the challenge of the new ones. Can even still rope and sheet. Been flat out for most of the year with just the rare slump but it happens. Fully booked for next week and long may it continue.
With agencies sign up to a few and really sell yourself.
Even though i have HGV2 i also have HIAB & ADR.
And as long as i’m earning i’m happy.
If you work hard, are good with the punters companies will ask for you again!