JSA Online claim - did not work

babs2008

shawtj2 wrote: »

I feel as if I am scrounging when I claim. . I reckon most people are really working hard to get a job.
....
I do not like going there to sign on as I feel awful claiming off the state.

I feel exactly the same. I feel almost ashamed in doing it sometimes. But I need the money to at least get by and get me to job interviews too!

I also used their scheme for help toward interview costs. NEVER AGAIN. They made me feel like a right muppet, and gave totally the wrong first impression to the employer.

Basically, prior to the interview I was instructed to take the interviewer's contact details to the jobcentre. Little did I know that they would call them straight away, not explain themselves properly and make me look like a fool just to ensure I wasn't lying about having an interview - apparently the email confirmation wasn't enough. I felt so unprofessional and pretty mortified. (sorry, rant over - I know I wasn't entitled to the help, but I was just upset at the time.)

I'm sure other jobcentres may be more helpful.

tobiascurious

Lord_Dante wrote: »

I'd suggest calling the number and pressing the option for new claims not existing claims. The existing claims give you the number for your local processing site, most of which are out of date. Doing the claim online is utter crap. You basically provide the information someone put its onto the system and then tries to call you to complete the rest of the forms. If you go through the call in one go it's quicker and easier. The amount of online claims that disappear or nothing happens to them is immense.

Oh no

I submitted an online claim for contribution-based JSA in November, and have been waiting patiently ever since for a phone call.

For the first few weeks the claim appeared on "Government Gateway" as pending, but it has disappeared from there

Have I lost out on 2 months of JSA?

babs2008

tobiascurious wrote: »

Oh no

I submitted an online claim for contribution-based JSA in November, and have been waiting patiently ever since for a phone call.

For the first few weeks the claim appeared on "Government Gateway" as pending, but it has disappeared from there

Have I lost out on 2 months of JSA?

Did you not think of getting in touch????

When I did mine online I was told how long it would take them to get in touch - think it was within 24 or 48 hours. If I'd had not heard anything by then I would have called them, as I was really struggling at the time.

Hopefully they may have records of your online claim. Did you print out the pages when you filled it in initially?

They'll probably wonder why you haven't been in touch.

tobiascurious

babs2008 wrote: »

Did you not think of getting in touch????

When I did mine online I was told how long it would take them to get in touch - think it was within 24 or 48 hours. If I'd had not heard anything by then I would have called them, as I was really struggling at the time.

Hopefully they may have records of your online claim. Did you print out the pages when you filled it in initially?

They'll probably wonder why you haven't been in touch.

The jobcentre wouldn't talk to me in person and the call centre had a long queue

I'd read something about delays being a number of weeks

I didn't print out the pages but I've got a reference number

What a shambles

busy_mom_2

I work in a jobcentre and I agree with you all, the powers above doesn't allow us to do anything other than refer people to the contact centre because of the new process, I would be here all night if I tried to explain why. The volume of people we are dealing with is understandably high so please bear with us. We have no other means sometimes of helpling and we find it more frustrating than you. The same for any dealys in payments, once your claim is actually taken it is sent to a seperate centre and we have no say as and when it will be done, we have no secret powers or numbers to ring to help. The processing centre are notourious for saying they havent rec'd post when we know it has gone, the real reason is they have more work than staff and there are major delays. Poor jobcentre staff then get all the abuse because they can't get through on the phones to the relevant people. please dont blame us, i'm not saying we are perfect but the system doesn't help

tobiascurious

busy_mom wrote: »

I work in a jobcentre and I agree with you all, the powers above doesn't allow us to do anything other than refer people to the contact centre because of the new process, I would be here all night if I tried to explain why. The volume of people we are dealing with is understandably high so please bear with us. We have no other means sometimes of helpling and we find it more frustrating than you. The same for any dealys in payments, once your claim is actually taken it is sent to a seperate centre and we have no say as and when it will be done, we have no secret powers or numbers to ring to help. The processing centre are notourious for saying they havent rec'd post when we know it has gone, the real reason is they have more work than staff and there are major delays. Poor jobcentre staff then get all the abuse because they can't get through on the phones to the relevant people. please dont blame us, i'm not saying we are perfect but the system doesn't help

Thanks for explaining. There's no excuse for people getting angry with staff who are doing their best.

Do you think my claim has just got lost in cyberspace? Shall I keep waiting, or shall I ring up, and if so which number?!

busy_mom_2

If you mean you haven't actually had the appointment at the jobcentre to complete the new claim then keep calling the 0800 no, it may take a while to get through so sit down with a cuppa and keep trying, they will take your claim over the phone and as long as you have some reference number they SHOULD backdate your claim. As a rule you should be seen within 3 working days but at the moment we at our office are booking around 7 days, we are bringing in staff from other offices then calling interviews and bringing them forward so if your interiew seems a long way off call your local office they may see you earlier. we are targeted on taking claims within the 3 days so offices are doing all we can otherwise we have the boffins from above asking the silly question of why we not meeting this. :rolleyes:

Good luck, a fully experienced adviser will now what help is out there so if you feel you haven't been giving enough info ring back after your new claim and ask for another adviser appointment. when you sign on the poor interventionist will probably only have 5 mins so check you review so obviously no time to answer additional question.

Probably gone on a bit, so sorry if long winded:beer:

busy_mom_2

sorry no. for new claims is 0800 055 66 88

tobiascurious

busy_mom wrote: »

If you mean you haven't actually had the appointment at the jobcentre to complete the new claim

that's right, no phone call, no appointment

I'll try them tomorrow

Thanks again

busy_mom_2

good luck, it is free no so sit with a brew and stay on the line, you will be in queue but stay put!