Jobcentre advisor contacting prospective employer? can I refuse?

PKRandolph · 2 February 2016 at 6:29PM

I am a professional with over 10 years experience as a project manager. Most of my work is contract and the last contract recently finished without me being able to find another job. I have had to recently claim JSA.
I have been offered an interview outside of my area requiring train travel expense I do not have and so enquired at the job centre about travel assistance. I have been told I must see an advisor and that they will call my prospective employer to confirm I have been offered an interview.
I feel this will damage my credibility with the employer and that having a job centre call them for a professional role will limit my chances of being successful (based on my experience working with this sector)

I have email proof of the interview to show the advisor - but need to know my rights. Can I refuse to let them contact the company? If so what legislation/ provision can I quote?
Hoping someone can advise
Thanks

PK

Money_maker · 2 February 2016 at 6:32PM

How would you be able to get to work for the first month if you got the job?

Can you beg, borrow or steal the train fare as it does make you look like a completely unprofessional applicant.

tomtontom · 2 February 2016 at 6:45PM

You don't have to give them the name of the employer, but travel assistance is discretionary so they don't have to help you.

As above, if you don't wish for the JCP to help then you'll need to borrow funds from elsewhere.

patman99 · 2 February 2016 at 7:41PM

They are wanting to ceck as proof that you really do have an interview and have not just faked-up the paperwork in an atempt to get the Job centre to pay for a day out.

There are a number of people out there who are more than willing to falsify paperwork in order to gain a financial advantage such as a train fare.

Will it show you to be an unproffesional candidate?. No. it will show that the JC are doing their job in protecting the Taxpayer's money.
All the JC will ask is 'does x have an interview with you on such a date at such a time'.

If the JC contact is brought up at interview, then you can cover yourself with 'this interview is on my signing day and the JC just wanted to make sure the interview time/date was correct in order that they could make me a postal signer as I would not be able to attend the interview and get to the JC to sign on on the same day'.

PKRandolph · 2 February 2016 at 8:10PM

Thanks all for the quick replies. I suppose what I am asking is - is the email proof enough? I understand the need to stop fraud but I do think it would give the wrong impression to this type of employer (whatever I may think of that being the case) . I dont have sufficient funds to cover all expenses attending interviews as I barely get enough to cover everything . I have covered my own expenses attending interviews up till now . If the deal is we will cover it but need more than an email as proof I'll have to sell some more personal family items . I just wondered whether it was under law . Thanks all

tomtontom · 2 February 2016 at 8:12PM

PKRandolph wrote: »

Thanks all for the quick replies. I suppose what I am asking is - is the email proof enough? I understand the need to stop fraud but I do think it would give the wrong impression to this type of employer (whatever I may think of that being the case) . I dont have sufficient funds to cover all expenses attending interviews as I barely get enough to cover everything . I have covered my own expenses attending interviews up till now . If the deal is we will cover it but need more than an email as proof I'll have to sell some more personal family items . I just wondered whether it was under law . Thanks all

As the funding is discretionary it is up to the advisor what they consider to be sufficient proof. There is no law on the subject.

Candyapple · 2 February 2016 at 9:14PM

Do you not have a credit card? Overdraft? Ask friends/family to cover the cost and you'll repay them in instalments out of your benefits/when you get the job?

Is there no coach service or bus that goes that way instead?

yvonne13_2 · 2 February 2016 at 9:33PM

patman99 wrote: »

They are wanting to ceck as proof that you really do have an interview and have not just faked-up the paperwork in an atempt to get the Job centre to pay for a day out.

There are a number of people out there who are more than willing to falsify paperwork in order to gain a financial advantage such as a train fare.

Will it show you to be an unproffesional candidate?. No. it will show that the JC are doing their job in protecting the Taxpayer's money.
All the JC will ask is 'does x have an interview with you on such a date at such a time'.

If the JC contact is brought up at interview, then you can cover yourself with 'this interview is on my signing day and the JC just wanted to make sure the interview time/date was correct in order that they could make me a postal signer as I would not be able to attend the interview and get to the JC to sign on on the same day'.

I doubt that very much. They need to ring the employer to check if they will be supporting any of his travel arrangments.

yvonne13_2 · 2 February 2016 at 9:39PM

PKRandolph wrote: »

Thanks all for the quick replies. I suppose what I am asking is - is the email proof enough? I understand the need to stop fraud but I do think it would give the wrong impression to this type of employer (whatever I may think of that being the case) . I dont have sufficient funds to cover all expenses attending interviews as I barely get enough to cover everything . I have covered my own expenses attending interviews up till now . If the deal is we will cover it but need more than an email as proof I'll have to sell some more personal family items . I just wondered whether it was under law . Thanks all

Then you'll have to budget and get the megabus if you can't manage paying for the train.

Mersey_2 · 3 February 2016 at 1:43AM

Email proof should be sufficient. Just explain what you said above, ie their intervention could harm your credibility before they prospective new employer/HR have even met you.

Either that or ask them to wait 'til after the outcome of the interview.

A local 'decision maker' can usually be appealed to (but that's largely over disputing sanctions and so on). The Flexible Support Fund is discretionary, so each JCP may use it for different things eg travel, haircuts, new suit and so on. There is no 'travel to interview scheme' any longer as it was abolished around 5 years ago.

dori2o · 3 February 2016 at 5:16AM

Is it the fact that you are asking for help with travelthat will damage your 'credability',or simply the fact that you are signing on?

I can't believe that any employer would consider that being a jsa claimant is a reason to deny them employment.

Being on JSA isn't a mark of a person being a failure or being unable to perform their role as well as anyone else,and Ipersonally would seriously questionany employer/industry/person who believed that it was.

Jobcentre advisor contacting prospective employer? can I refuse?

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