I do really wish the columnist's friend had made some kind of effort, beyond a letter, to improve what she saw as a state failure. Sadly, at 27, after university and time spent in the armed forces I have stopped expecting duty to manifest itself in "the executive classes", although I live in hope.

Ross McCallum, Aberdeen, UK

Actually JJ, claiming NI contributions only does not exempt the claimant from the requirement to seek employment. It is the law that says so, not the whim of a civil servant.

Peter, Birmingham, UK

Melanie.....".in the dark days of middle-class recession to come ".....if you have internet access www.direct.gov.uk .....should cover most questions and is a good starting point.

sue, bristol, uk

for one thing you can claim NI credits only without claiming Jobseekers Allowance, you say that you want to claim credits only as opposed to claiming JSA and you just get your stamp paid but no benefit.
And Jobcentre Plus was not and never will be designed to help people at this level of experience

JJ, London,

If I needed to look for a job it wouldn't even cross my mind to go to a Job Centre. I'd look in papers, magazines, job websites, local recruitment companies, and I'd find one. If I was missing NI contributions then I'd repay them once I was back in work, if I was that bothered about a state pension.

Simon, Wigan, UK

I signed on earlier this year after 6 mths looking for increasingly rare 'senior level' jobs in my sector. Staff at Smethwick job centre were kind, understanding, discreet and as helpful as they could be. Knowing I would not find a similar job via them they also supported me in looking elsewhere :-)

Lyndsey, Smethwick, UK

I was made suddenly unemployed a few years ago. My experience with Job Centre Plus was positive. The person helping me was sympathetic and as helpful as she could have been. OK, my job wasn't manual labour - which is what they are really set up to help with but the experience was OK.

Steve Williams, Nicosia, Cyprus

I agree with Rob. JobCentre plus is only really of use to blue collar workers - thats not a put down but a realistic comment. I have suffered two redundancies in two years (I am now back in employment through my own efforts) and the 2nd time I didn't register with JobCentre Plus.

Chris Jay, Whitchurch, UK

I hope the humbling experince will make her more tolerant of those without her contacts. She's realised that life on the dole is not the cushy number the dinner party set believes. As for "cheats" note that part time earnings reduce your benefit pound for pound, and over 16 hrs/wk makes you employed

dave, Southampton, U K

One doesn't have to be an ex-director to feel JobCenter incompetence. I have a college diploma in computer networking, and when I confirmed I want to further my IT skills they suggested I do a course in word processing or an ECDL. Beats me.

Morgan, Bristol, United Kingdom

For any middle manager, or above, then I would advise you grit your teeth to go though the necessaries at the Job Centre - but rely on your own efforts thorugh other sources in finding a new role.

Rob P, Sheffield, UK

At least she had contacts to network. Finding three suitable jobs and applying for them every week isn't necessarily easy for anyone. Try doing it without a computer so you have to handwrite your applications and without a phone because on £60/wk you can't afford the rental or the call cost.

Sue, Birmingham, UK

Jobcentre Plus - the only plus is that you'll soon be depressed enough to claim incapacity benefit.

Bruce, Manchester, UK

I was made redundant on 23 Dec and am going along to the Job Centre tomorrow (I discovered that is where I have to go from this article). After reading the article I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, having never really been unemployed since I was 16, I am 49 now. Oh well.....

David Stapley, Sidcup, England

Any 'senior executive' who finds herself suddenly out of work (a) has not been cultivating head office/main board contacts (b) has forgotten the constant need for networking and (c) is so naive about JC+ that she clearly has been on another planet. The government will never get you a job, silly!

Colinc, Shrewsbury,

It has ever been so. During the last recession I attended a Management Job Club, which was good and was set at the right level but it was axed after a year because it was considered unfair to those who had no management qualifications or experience. Good luck to all those people affected by this

Phill H, Limoux, France

Years ago they made you wait in the street and you had to take any job. I told them to get stuffed and found a new job and after that, anytime I was unemployed I took care of myself. All those people working in job-centres are long-term ex unemployed forced to work there. Isn't socialism great!

Frederick, London, UK

our experience here is that if you are over a certain age and seniority, forget entirely about approaching recruitment agencies of whatever stripe. Nothing useful will be gained and a great deal of heartache will ensue. Take a walk in your area of job sites during break times -contacts are there.

A Stewart, Wellington, New Zealand

Having been forced out of retirement by Mr Brown's raids on pensions and savings I've tried the local job centre. They are geared up to providing low cost, benefit supplemented muscle. No real jobs there - those you need to find yourself.

Iain Shorts, Watford, UK

One wonders how many people Ms. Reid's friend dispatched to the Job Centre over the course of her illustrious career in Operations; and if she thinks her experiences have been rough, she should try applying for Incapacity Benefit.

Martin Kelly, Glasgow,

The whole system judged and reported on based on one experience?

Graham, Bristol,

"Government was thinking of asking universities to step in to provide facilities and to counsel" .
Great idea, school to work at Universities, never worked in the real world, what kind of advice would they offer.??
Yes I know you got a degree, you should have stayed here and not work.

james, brighton, uk

Most companies would function just as well without an 'Operations Director". She was made redundant because, like most companies, hers was top heavy. Bizarre that she expected state support to fill in her NI contributions for a brief interlude in her over-paid career. Surely she had back-up savings?

Steven Thomas, Sydney, Australia

The real scandal is that this lady will have paid massive amounts of tax and NI over many years, for which she gets virtually zero return from the State, financial or otherwise, when she loses her job. Contrast her experience with that of the armies of freeloaders currently abusing the system.

Martin, London,

This woman paid her taxes (at 40%) and is as entitled as the rest of you folks. I have never read so many comments from people with chips on their shoulders. If you are all so clever, get a job at her level.

Tony, Worthing, UK

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about this is that the old boy network operated to find a director of a failed company a new position. If establishment figures like your friend had to experience the state machinery more often, maybe they would insist it worked better.

Jamie Gilmour, Bolton, UK

My goodness! I hope she didn't have to miss a payment on her Mercedes.

C. Heathcote, Tonbridge,

Welcome to the real world, albeit that Melanie Reid's friend had a brief flirtation with it. From what I've experienced and witnessed over a period of many years, people with titles like 'Operations Director' are much overpaid in comparison to those working just as hard further down the chain.

Stephen, Glasgow,

I think Elizabeth from Slough misses the point. The tale of "Gill" was highlighting the plight of those people being championed by Elizabeth.

Ladies, you are all singing from the same hymn sheet. Join forces and everyone can win.

Tony Atkins, Cairns, Australia

it's not just senior management, professionals become disabled and will be expected to find a job, people who have always been self- employed as professionals and have never looked for a job in their lives, say, for example a barrister, can't be fired but can have a stroke.

peter c, Devizes, Wessex

The job centre doesnt work for anyone. They dont even mediate with employers anymore. I have been refused numerous inteviews ever since on account of being 50 years old, the Jobcentres response to this was 'that cant happen on account of being illegal' , time they had a look at the real world.

Steve, London, UK

18 years as a "Director of a FTSE plc" and she's worried about missing out on a minuscule fraction of the State pension ? Oh Melanie, I wish I lived on your planet. The State safety net is there, but it catches you just before you hit the ground, not just after you fall.

Piers, Bristol, UK

If you want state hand outs, you need to be available for work - ANY work. This has been demanded by the better off in society to make life difficult for 'scroungers'. We're meant to feel sorry for a character who becomes 'a broken woman' when described as a mere area manager? Barf indeed.

ken, oban,

my heart bleeds for 'Gill'. I run an internet company in Romania and spend 6 months there every year, you don't know the meaning of hardship till you look in the faces of the underclass over here, African levels of poverty and hardship in an EU country, be grateful you have food in your belly.

Costin Zodima, London, UK

My husband had a horrendous experience 14 years ago. After 25 years in the British Army, he was advised to go to the local jobcentre. He was treated as an outcast, accused of being a "fascist" for his time (7 tours) in Northern Ireland. We emigrated shortly afterwards, and he has never returned.

Linda Duncan-Adam, West Des Moines, USA

I am sure they deliberately go out of their way to make it so difficult to navigate so people can't be bothered to sign on. It artificially lowers the jobless total very significantly. I can't be bothered to surf for dud jobs at the Jobcentre to claim, when I do it more effectively at home.

George, Hinckley, UK

“Operations director for a Footsie plc,” is more of a boast than a description.
"As a businesswoman" - Eh? Set up a business then! Problem solved.
Too many senior managers/directors see themselves as 'business people' rather than the functionaries they actually are. Issuing orders is so easy...

Darren, Flintshire,

An old book, "Computer Power and Human Reason" predicts this kind of thing. Use of Information Technology sets systems in concrete and encourages precisely the kind of institutional inflexibility this article describes. Not only that, but those working the machines no longer need brains.

Robin Laundon, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Thanks for that vote of confidence. I have worked in a Job Centre environment for 17 years in difficult conditions. We can't solve the problems of the world, we don't know the answer to every question so maybe a bit of give and take from both sides of the desk would do everyone a bit of good?

Brian Logan, London,

This article describes my own experiences entireley, both with Jobcentre Plus (by the way, what does the "Plus" stand for?) and Recruitment Agencies. Both are entirely useless. My tip to fellow jobseekers: don't wait for anybody to help you.

Paulina Smid, London, UK

"Funny, isn't it, when that's what governments are for? "

Perhaps no government is going to be good in this area ever again: the old labour exchange was intended for pools of (largely) manual workers, to be matched to employers who could use indistiguishable production units. Not any more.

James M, York,

My heart bleeds. Possibly we need some special offices for the previously well paid but apparently now dispensable so their moment of reality can be as pleasant as possible.
The system needs all these reforms but I doubt she'll offer to help fix the system. Better get back to phoning and networking

Richard, London, England

Big deal, ' twas ever thus but many people who fell foul of 'the system' didn't have the advantage of a friendly columnist for The Times to write about it. Where have you been for the last goodness knows how many years?

Elizabeth, Slough, United Kingdom