Hi all, I need help here. I am 17 years old and so I cannot claim Jobseekers Allowance. I have tried with Income Support but I cannot claim this as I officially live at home (although I do not, with gfs parents)
Change your official address? I'm not sure what jobs you're applying for, but you may have to lower your standards and expectations for jobs/payment if you haven't already. Go to every store, restaurant, and construction company in the area and fill out applications. See if you can mow some lawns, shovel snow nearby, or babysit for some quick cash. Sell any stuff you have on Craigslist if you're really desperate for a quick buck.
Would it be possible to take out some loans or get financial aid and go to university or trade school? If you can go to school for anything, that could be the best way to ride it out and pick up some marketable skills and make more when the economy picks back up. I know the US has pretty cheap 2-year community colleges/trade schools (approx. $1000-$1500 for a full semester) and lots of opportunities for financial aid through the schools and government, so if the UK has anything like that it could be an option.
It sucks to have loans, but for what community college costs in the US, if you study a high demand trade like nursing or auto mechanics, it wouldn't be much of a burden to pay them off. Most schools also have work study programs too, so you can work on campus for extra cash. There's a good chance you could get enough financial aid too that you wouldn't even have to take out loans depending on your situation. I'm not sure about the UK situation, but it's something to look into.
Short term you could look at getting certified in something you already have some sort of skill at. If you can swim, you can do a lifeguarding course in 2 weekends for about $200, and often employers will pay for it. Check local rec centers in your area with indoor pools, see if they're hiring, and see if you can get a job offer if you complete the course. There are probably lots of other jobs with relatively cheap and short certification processes, so I would try and look for those jobs and see what you might be good at. You could also teach lessons for a sport, musical instrument, or academic tutoring somewhere if you're good at it. You could get employed by a company, or if you have transportation, you could advertise yourself on Craigslist for private lessons.
You'd be facing less competition with these jobs than with unskilled jobs too. I remember I took a Water Safety Instructor course with the Red Cross. There were actually people in there who had never really swam competitively, so you'd actually be fine if you only know the basics. Once it was completed, I tripled my hourly pay from what I had been making in retail instantly. The first paycheck (which didn't have many hours on it yet, since I started near the end of the payperiod) completely paid for the course.
Best of luck to you.
I am way too lazy to think of something clever. My Backloggery
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Topic: Income Help! No job, ect... (UK Resident)
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