Hi auric
Its called the Benefits and Jobs Center now. would you believe you go, they give you a number and then a short interview. I have been told that it will take three weeks for a further interview. I will not loose benefits, but three weeks. They say they are very busy and I can well believe that, with the current crisis.
Anyway thanks for your words of encouragement. My wife and myself have always been careful about not overstretching, so I don't have any money worries, at the present time. However this is a pretty degrading thing to happen. Your right in what you say, it is about loss. Its like a form of grief. I suppose if you hate your job, maybe its a form of release but I loved my job(not always but nearly all the time).
Anyway, the CV's are in the post and I have one application in for a job in the paper. But bottom line I am going to miss my work and those customers I called friends.
regards D Louth