Their online system (now replaced by the 'Government Gateway') is even more depressing... I've applied for many jobs that I'm fully qualified for, and never had a single word of reply from any of them. I guess that's down to the recruiters (whether that's agencies or the end companies themselves) but it appears to be a complete waste of resources and job seekers' time. I've found the staff that I've actually seen there fairly helpful and willing to help (even though they have little scope) but really they're just there to tick boxes. What DOES annoy me is that they are very strict about missing appointments (for any reason) but I've often turned and found the person I'm booked in to see ISN'T THERE!

Since signing on last October I found it a 'wonderful' experience at the Job Centre Plus and look forward to my fortnightly visits - NOT!!! Initially when first signing on, there was an issue with my Job Seeker Allowance payments. As I was never told by my advisor about this on my visits, when I didn't receive payment into my bank account 2 weeks after my first visit I called their head office where I was informed that I hadn't made enough national insurance contributions. I have been working since I was 17 years old (34 years old now) and since late last year this is the longest period I have ever been unemployed. When I was working, I had plenty tax and NI 'contributions' taken from my pay before I'd even received my pay slip. So on my next visit to the Job Centre I demanded to know exactly what the problem was, where they explained that I needed to send my 2 P60 forms to the Job Centre Plus Head Office, as there were issues regarding those 2 tax years(2008-09 & 2009-10). So I posted my original P60 forms to their JCP Head Office in Glasgow by 2nd class recorded delivery as requested, which were then delivered and signed for 2 days later (11 Nov 2011). Some time after I was called by a guy from their Glasgow Head Office handling my file confirming I am indeed entitled to Job Seekers Allowance and the back logged payments will be due in my account within a few days. Great!! As the issue of my JSA payments was now resolved I was expecting my original P60 forms to be returned back to me. January this year, I called the Glasgow Head Office again to find out. Only to be told by the same guy handling my file that he had never received my P60 forms sent. Turns out he used an in-house HMRC database to check my 'contributions' using my NI number. So it wasn't even required for me to send my P60s in the first place!! I am hopeful I will be successful in securing a permanent job soon and when I do, I hope I NEVER have to deal with the 'wonderful' Job Centre Plus again! That place and the people that work in it are a waste of resources and thought!! And I'll take great pleasure in raising a major complaint. As my P60s I can never get re-issued and if the HMRC were to ever contact me asking me to provide these forms. They are not going to accept photocopies. Plus its worrying to know that someone signed for it, but was never sent to the person handling my file. For all I know someone could be using my NI number, my name and address(from my original payslips, some of which I had also sent)fraudulently.

I was told that they would contact me regarding the date i have to next sign on. I phoned twice and was told my personal advisor would get back to me, so far no reply. My personal advisor has not idea about the changes in the rules regarding lone parents. I keep getting conflicting advice from everyone at my local jobcentre plus office which happens to be Clapham Common in London. They are also rude, when i query any information they are rude and impatient with customers. Incomplete information on my file caused by their staff is making my life a nightmare, i am scared to complain in cause they make my life worse. I am 51 years old and they treat me like if i were a child, i can't stand this any longer and i am feeling more suicidal due to this extra stress which is affecting my already vulnerable state of mind.

Poor service, unbelievably rude and unhelpful staff, and little real help towards finding a job. I had the temerity to make a complaint and found the manager dealing with it to be the most obnoxious person in the place. A perfect Orwellian nightmare, the only real purpose of this place is to provide employment for its own hopeless staff.

I would like to say avoid at all costs but, of course, if you are unfortunate enough to be unemployed you don't have any choice but to put up with what these appalling people decide to throw at you...

Note to Mr. Cameron: Please close down this ridiculous, process driven, self-serving backwater of a public service and use the money to help people that really do want to work find proper employment.

Terrible experience i had when i went to register as a jobsicker after been redundant . Not a friendly place !!!! Wandsworth branch , next to the shopping centre .
Patronizing lady on the second floor with purple mascara on her eye lushes, small , dark hair. She spoke and directed me like i am a foreigner , and like i don't understand english...i am british by the way !

then on the third floor i had to wait for my turn to be called to register. While waited on the sofa...i withnesed terrible attitude from a black gentle man ,sitting on the right side . He was one of the advisors. He turned down one old man...and said that he was 4 min late (9.24 ), so ha had to come back at 4.30 ! then he had no one any way ...he was just free , sitting there and chating very loud ,like he is very important person ! didnt stop talking as long as i was waiting to be called. Other staff members were just siting and chatting ( 2 black old ladies)...even though, i noticed that the security man(tall english man in his 50th) told them to be a bit quite.The hole athmosfere was like a mess....you wont even see the difference who was the jobsicker and who was the staff . i hope i wont need to return there....and i will find a job asap !

Job Centre's or Job Centre Plus as it's called nowadays have gone to the dogs and are completely useless, the people that work in them now are largely made up of not very competent staff who are not really interested in whether their clients get a suitable job or not, all they care about is getting rid of people off the figures as quick as they can so they look better and appear as if they are finding jobs for people.

I lost my job last year and had been in employed in the same place for 10 years, before that when I had to sign on for a while and look for a job, the Job Centers weren't that brilliant even then but the one redeeming feature they had was that they acted as a go between you and the employer and they made that initial call which is important, because sometimes and often, when you lose your job it can take a while to get back in gear and get full confidence back so I often found that them making that first call helped.

Nowadays, they don't even do that, you select a vacancy from the touch screen, print it out and apply yourself, either by way of sending your CV via the employers email or you ring them yourself, so what's the point in the Job Centre Plus when you can do all that yourself without even going into the place?.

I therefore conclude that the only reason these Job Centre Plus's exist now is for the sole purpose of covertly harassing clients into getting off the unemployment figures and if they have to eventually, they will find an excuse to stop peoples benefits so that they are still taken off the figures, either way they will call it their job "done" and the Government as Governments have often done in the past can then use these figures to boast about how unemployment has "gone down" under them .

Much of the way Job Centre Plus's subtley harass their unemployed clients IS because of Government pressure on them to make the figures look good, they have always done this but now it's even worse than ever, so Job Centre Plus is not where I would recommend anyone to look for a job, much better off looking online or in papers, when I do eventually get back to work it will be no thanks to Job Centre Plus, in fact, without their interference in getting me applying for unsuitable things and wasting my time I would have been able to find a new suitable job much faster, they are more of a hindrance than a help to me and to many others.

No stars really but option not available. I went to JCP full of hope and came away depressed and disappointed. No effort was made to 'help' me find work or to advise me on how to search for work. Follow up 'jump through the hoop' visits to ensure I get some money are worse - I am asked if I am available for work and told to sign the form. My efforts to find work are at best glanced at and I am offered no encouragement. Next time I may just ask if I can have one of the cushy numbers that seem to be available at JCP itself. The staff seem only concerned about keeping themsselves in an easy job.