I received a letter from Ingeus, stating that I was on their 'inactive list'. Though superficially looking like a sensible result, I hesitate, as Ingeus is profoundly untrustworthy. I suspect April (1 year) will trigger some putrid spasm in the Ingeus system. Again, does anyone have any idea as to what category actually means? To recap I, pension only credits (poc), was referred to Ingeus in April 2012; but by Sept 2012, DWP stated they would not sanction poc if they did not partake in Ingeus activities. Very grateful for any information.

A wild guess... anything to do with a redundancy payment and/or exit agreement from the previous period of employment? But even so... three years?

Thanks for this. My initial reaction was one of absolute incredulity. My second (angry) response was to drop one letter out of Ingeus Every Day Counts to produce something incredibly rude and incredibly appropriate to Ingeus. My third reaction is ... I'm utterly bemused as to which phase I'm in. Technically, I'm on week 47 or 48, so Skills Plus? The only Skills interaction so far has been my correcting three of their documents for spelling and grammatical mistakes!

I regret I have no idea. To date, in the beginning last April, I had two appointments a week apart, with one adviser, then six once-a-monthly appointments over eight months (the adviser cancelled two appointments), a new adviser four weeks ago. I was apparently slated to go to a sub-agency circa mid-March. I mentioned I was only on pension credits and as of Sept 2012, a volunteer only. Now I am 'on the inactive list'. Please pick through that lot at your leisure.

Is Ingeus finally dying? Back on Page 109, 13 December 2012, I was puzzled by the entire Wandsworth Ingeus office off on training for two days. No need to bother you all with my trails and tribulations since, but I have been assigned a new adviser, and many of the old faces have strangely disappeared. The milk of human kindness has turned to yoghurt as far as Ingeus is concerned, but I couldn't help noticing that this new adviser was actually over-worked, with two missed timeslots with subsequent reschedules and travel expense refunds, as we spoke (five minutes late). My current adviser has put me on 'the inactive list' and I await in due course to find out what new glories that entails. Anyone any ideas what this means? Thanks

Just to let you know that Ingeus are generating letters with a wrong number for their Operations Support Centre. The number stated - 0300 456 8060 goes through to Remploy Warrington. The Reploy person said their line has been inundated with wrong calls by Ingeus.

And DWP are not supposed to sanction, but can I trust them not to sanction automatically and then have to argue to rescind their automatic erroneous decision? Arghhhh.....

Thanks for this insight. Just to clarify, in April 2012, I was mandated to partake in the WP. The change on mandating Credits Only claimants occurred on 3 September 2012. Credits only claimants are now placed voluntarily. Hence I am caught in a change of status situation. I do not wish to volunteer, but have yet to convince Ingeus. I'm not too happy about having to do so by default action. Thanks for this information.

Oh, by the way, I take it that someone's already tumbled that 'Ingeus' means 'huge' in Latin. Shame that Ingeus are not know by the fuller title 'Ingens struem cacas' 'huge pil of ****': it would be a much fairer descriptor.

Has anybody else had any experience of the DWP's change in policy regarding the sanctioning of Credits Only WP claimants? As of last September, DWP advisers in my local Job Centre Plus were informed that "All customers on JSA credits only can go to [attend? partake?] the WP on a voluntary basis[;] however if they FTA or DNA no sanction [is] to be applied." (sic - the finer points of English grammar rarely seem to extend to internal emails). After my DWP adviser cheerfully supplied me with a printout of the email, I presented this 'get out of jail' card to my new Ingeus 'adviser'. I reviewed with him the reasons of why I wished to part company with Ingeus, and why I thought Ingeus was badly placed to assist me. Initially, ie. during our meeting, the Ingeus 'adviser' said he would wind up my record with a 'change of circumstances' note, but I have since been bombarded with a Contacting Employers course and a further adviser meeting, both arranged unilaterally by the 'adviser' and both branded as mandatory. I'm awaiting some external third party advice on all this, but just wondered if anyone has ever come across this.

Dear All, After 8 months with Ingeus, in which time I have had an adviser who has seen me six times and been as stimulating, helpful and insightful as a garden slug, I am now being moved to a new adviser. In my last meeting with Ms Slug, she said the Ingeus programme was modular, that I was being transferred to a new adviser, and that they may put me on a Work Placement "though she didn't think it was suitable in my case". She then printed off a list of providers of 'vocational routeways' in West London. From my personal perspective the word 'vocational' is gloriously ironic as none of the providers cater for my skills, my previous vocational and career pathways, or qualifications, let alone my interests. So we are basically talking about inter-agency contractual deals for slave consignments. I do not relish the idea of being 'taught' how to stock shelves after a professional career of twenty years and paraprofessional work of about seven. I wondered if anyone has any information about what happens if one is assigned to a sub pimp agency? Are people sent individually or are they lumped together in cohorts? Anyone know the nature of the terms of these deals? Particularly my 'value', and whether it would be worthwhile Ingeus's bother to pimp me. I'd be willing to contribute more of my details if they would help people to assess the situation. Like most long-term unemployed, my situation is of a complexity that simply confuses and infuriates Ms Slug and the other Igneus advisers (they attempt to cut the perceived Gordian knot but there is no worthy Alexander among the lot of them). Any information before the 24th would be encouraging. Thanks in anticipation.

Alas, they are genuinely out being trained in sunny Hammersmith. As a once a month, light touch (not on benefits, washed up professional, bit of a grumpy pain) communications failed...

I sent this message to the Wandsworth Guardian this morning: You may wish to inquire more about the mysterious closure today and yesterday of the Ingeus Office on the 2nd floor, Jessica House, Wandsworth. Ingeus run back to work programmes for the long term unemployed, out-sourced to them by DWP. Anyway, Ingeus clients (and I am one) were arriving to their appointments, only to find the entire office closed up. No notice of why or what was going on. Indeed, I was reminded by text only yesterday that I was due to see my Ingeus advisor at 10am. There were clients on the doorstep who were extremely worried about the situation, concerned about their benefits being stopped. A couple of us went to the A4E office next door - they had no information (and why should they) but someone said something about the entire Ingeus team going 'for training' yesterday. The Ingeus office phone number is dead - no answerphone message or any other communication. The London Ingeus twitter feed has not tweeted since 16 October; no news on the main Ingeus site. The Job Centre Plus is currently in turmoil, having moved from Southside offices to Jessica House; there no answer to the main number. Any information, even if it is only Ingeus's 'obituary' would be very welcome. Do any posters have any more information?