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Things have changed at the Jobcentre since the early 90's
I only ever signed on for a period after late 2009, but from what I know, in the early 90s you only had to look for work that was not below your qualifications.
Since then, the rules changed, and you must be looking for any kind of work which you can do, even if below your qualifications.
After about 1 year, the Jobcentre offers you courses for free to get you back into employment, but they don't give a loan for training.
I was going to sign off in mid 2010 when I became part-time self-employed, but the Jobcentre wouldn't let me sign off, as there would not have been enough income for me to live off.
For one whole year now I've been in full time self-employment, having managed to sign off in June last year. To everyone's disappointment, I made no use of the qualifications achieved for free at Pitman Training, but went back to my old traits of painting and decorating.
There was a time when, many years ago, I would literally count bundles of money at the end of a work contract, could throw big notes across the table at my mum, and still have thousands for myself.
That was in Europe! I even could afford luxury holidays, like renting a house all for myself for a month at the sea, but blast... those days are gone!
Now I work for peanuts... people haven't got the money here in England to pay a proper price.