Aargh, Okay, we're really going down into the bad place now. If Dante had gone on his epic journey in modern times, then signing on at a JobCentre would definitely have been one of the Circles. Okay, so maybe things aren't that bad, but the whole experience is such an awkward, vaguely embarrassing experience that leaves no one in a happy place. Of course, people are just doing their job, but the sheer stigma attached to going into a JobCentre to sign on can squash the confidence of even the strongest of confidences. Fact. It's not even that terrible of a thing to be doing; you're just proving you've been looking for work, and getting money from the government which you paid taxes for whilst you had a job, to help you survive. That's not a bad thing. Yet somehow, thanks to a lot of right-wing-skewed media, signing on has become a monstrous activity to partake in, akin to smoking or insulting Kate Middleton. So, every time you sign on, your heart sinks a little more, and you get used to trying to make the appointment as quick, painless, and invisible as possible.
