I think the pole must have been placed before the surrounding houses were built. It's a mid-terrace and the land behind the back garden used to be woodland. Most of the trees have been cut down now and it can only be described as wasteland at this point. I can't see how they'll get the machinery in as there is no chance of a road going vehicle approaching the property from the rear.

My parents don't receive any payments.

Hi All My parents have a BT telegraph pole in their back garden. It was there when they bought the place in the early 80s and may have been there since the original build in the 50s. Apart from being a bit of an eyesore it hasn't caused any real problems. Now they have received a letter informing them the pole has been recorded as faulty and in an unsafe condition and will be renewed 'in or close to it's current location' within 6 weeks. The unsafe condition part has me slightly puzzled. Only my parents or their neighbours can get close enough to this pole to note any deterioration and neither has contacted anyone about the pole. It appears as solid as it ever did and does not even seem to wobble in high winds. The cynic in me suspects it may have something to do with upgrading to fibre for BT infinity. I'm concerned as it's difficult to see how they will achieve this without causing substantial damage. The pole sits on the boundary between my parents house and the neighbours so it will likely affect them too. I'm planning to speak to them and show them the letter as I don't want them to think that my parents have instigated this. Obviously we would prefer the new pole to be sited elsewhere. I know they're not keen to move these things normally but as they've stated this one needs replaced anyway perhaps that will help. It wouldn't need to move far to be beyond the property line. My parents aren't aware of a wayleave on the property. About 20 years ago they were having some work done on the house and contacted BT to remove a large bracket attached to the rear wall which they did without complaint and without attempting to charge for the work. I'm planning to photograph the garden extensively to show it's condition prior to work commencing. I would be very grateful for any advice as to what our rights are. We are in Glasgow in case Scots law applys differently to situations like this.

My friend is of the opinion that this may not be blanket policy due to the fact that some personal information was taken from him before the operator refused to continue the application. He stated name, address, date of birth, NI number, telephone number, details of savings etc. At this point he was asked why he was not applying online, to which he replied that he currently has no internet access. The operator then refused to process the application and stated that my friend would be advised where free internet use would be available. My friend cited security concerns such as having to enter personal details in a public place and most likely being unable to clear browser history etc to prevent those details from being seen by others. My friend was told that there was nothing to worry about. He remains, as you might expect, unconvinced. So if they're not processing telephone applications for anyone at all why not just say so up front instead of asking for these details?

Hi All Sorry if this has been asked before. A friend has just attempted to claim JSA over the phone as he currently does not have internet access. This has been refused point blank. DWP say they will advise where internet access is available FOC. My friend is not keen on this for security reasons which I can well understand. I know from personal experience that telephone applications were acceptable up until recently. Is it possible to insist on a telephone claim? Does making a claim online mean creating a government gateway account? Thanks in advance

I feel much more confident about the first meeting now. I had considered just signing off JSA and not turning up at Ingeus. I imagine the advisor will become adversarial when they don't get their own way and try to place me in unpaid work as soon as possible by way of retaliation. I'm not prepared to carry out any unpaid work so I wonder how long I can go before being sanctioned. Once again many thanks everyone.

Hi All Thankyou very much for the advice. I won't be signing any documents at Ingeus. Do I have to inform the advisor if I intend to record the meeting? I'm very glad that this forum exists. It's a superb resource for those in need of help and advice. Thanks again

Hi All I have been unemployed for a year now and have been referred to Ingeus. I would be grateful to anyone who can advise me what to expect from them in the early stages and what my own rights are. What documents will they try to make me sign and do I have to sign them? Can they compel me to do unpaid work/mandatory work experience or does that only apply to those unemployed longer than two years. I hope I don't come across as a layabout. I'm actively looking for full-time paid employment and if Ingeus can provide me with access to employers/vacancies unavailable through other channels then great. It's just that I have serious doubts about this due to past experience with another so called 'provider' in 2011 who didn't actually provide me with anything and then took credit (and payment, I assume) when I eventually found a job on my own. During my time under the wing of that illustrious organisation I was sent for MWA or whatever they were calling it back then. The location and 6 am start time made the use of public transport impossible so I travelled by (borrowed) car. It actually cost me £10 to £15 per week in fuel as the allowance given didn't cover it. The company used me for unloading lorries and other general labour for a month before moving on to the next poor sod. Why bother paying anyone when there is unlimited free labour available? I've no intention of subjecting myself to this or any other form of humiliation that may have been dreamed up since my last experience. I'm more than proficient at searching and applying for jobs and have folders full of paperwork to back this up. I know that the only reason I am still unemployed is that I'm competing with so many other applicants for every job. Anyway, enough whinging from me. Can anyone tell me what to expect? Thanks in advance