Found Work - Now what?

ruby_eskimo

I have been unemployed for 6 months but finally on Friday I was offered a job. I do have another interview to go to on Thursday for a different job that I'm still going to go to just in case the first offer falls through for some reason (though I doubt it would). I am supposed to be going to the job centre tomorrow (Monday) because I am supposed to start on the New Deal plan (managed to avoid it just in time!) so I'm going to ask them about signing off etc. However I want to go in prepared. My main question is;

I had heard that they can cover your travel costs for the first couple of months that you start your new job, is this true? If so it would greatly help me out!

Thanks in advance for any info you know about what happens when you need to sign off.

Damzel_In_Distress

Ive never heard anything about covering your travel costs for the first few months..I am on IS and see my adviser on a very regular basis and i am constantly applying for jobs :mad:

As far as i am aware there is a back to work grant of some sort for people who have been on long term IS but that is it..they dont pay you to go to work once youve already got a job-that would just be silly.... IMO

I think there is some sort of thing they do with help with covering travel costs to get to interviews..but why on earth would they pay you to go to your own job for the first few months ?? :rolleyes:

kitschkitty

You may be eligible for a back to work bonus http://www.askcab.co.uk/money_site/mBTWB.asp (apparently they can be between £5 and £1000)!
Last time my OH signed off to start work his advisor told him he wouldn't get anything, but we got a letter (and a payment) of £100.

Damzel_In_Distress

kitschkitty wrote: »

You may be eligible for a back to work bonus http://www.askcab.co.uk/money_site/mBTWB.asp (apparently they can be between £5 and £1000)!
Last time my OH signed off to start work his advisor told him he wouldn't get anything, but we got a letter (and a payment) of £100.

Yes thats what i ment by the back to work grant..this was only available for long term claiments i think...and its nothing like £1000!! where on earth did you hear that?? unless theyve changed the rule since i was at my lone parent advisors office last month :rolleyes:

ruby_eskimo

Damzel_In_Distress wrote: »

Ive never heard anything about covering your travel costs for the first few months..I am on IS and see my adviser on a very regular basis and i am constantly applying for jobs :mad:

As far as i am aware there is a back to work grant of some sort for people who have been on long term IS but that is it..they dont pay you to go to work once youve already got a job-that would just be silly.... IMO

I think there is some sort of thing they do with help with covering travel costs to get to interviews..but why on earth would they pay you to go to your own job for the first few months ?? :rolleyes:

I went in today and was told that they will give you a travel card for half off your travel expenses to get to work for 2 months. But also you can do a Work Trial in that you take a job and still claim benefits for up to 3 or 4 weeks to decide if it's right for you. Then you can either take the job and sign off or forget about the job and your benefits won't be interrupted. (Sounds a bit stupid to me but anyway)

And because I wasn't ready to sign off straight away as my job wont start for another 3 weeks, I had to sign onto New Deal today. It makes no sense because she said I still have to be actively looking for work even though I technically have a job. Also I now have to go and see her every week to discuss my action plan...to be honest they could have just kept me signing on every other week till I start and then they won't have to see me ever again (hopefully). It was a total waste of 2 hours of mine and her time but she didn't see that, she was deadly serious about the whole thing.

kitschkitty

Damzel_In_Distress wrote: »

Yes thats what i ment by the back to work grant..this was only available for long term claiments i think...and its nothing like £1000!! where on earth did you hear that?? unless theyve changed the rule since i was at my lone parent advisors office last month :rolleyes:

it's in the link and repeated in other documents via google!

jacklink

on my last job i got 45 quid for my petrol until i got my first pay - i didnt have to pay it back.
i also know of someone who got a bike bought by dwp so he could cycle to work. you can only ask

busy_mom_2

Back to work bonus is £100 for single people or couple with out children and £250 for people with children. You have to be in receipt of benefit for 26 weeks without a break so if you have your benefit disallowed for even 1 day you will loose this. as for new deal I am presuming you are aged between 18 - 24 as you have entered new deal at 6 mnths. you do have to attend the interviews and if I had £1 for everyone who i saw who said I have a job to start in a few weeks I would be debt free. Take along proof of your job offer to your next new deal interview and your adviser will explain what will be expected of you. There may be the 3 mnth half price travel scheme you can claim and ask about Adviser discrection fund to assist you with buying what you need to start work with.
Your adviser is bound for you to comply with new deal untill you sign off as even though you have a job offer whilst you are waiting to start work you may find a better or temp job.

mvengemvenge

ruby_eskimo wrote: »

I have been unemployed for 6 months but finally on Friday I was offered a job. I do have another interview to go to on Thursday for a different job that I'm still going to go to just in case the first offer falls through for some reason (though I doubt it would). I am supposed to be going to the job centre tomorrow (Monday) because I am supposed to start on the New Deal plan (managed to avoid it just in time!) so I'm going to ask them about signing off etc. However I want to go in prepared. My main question is;

I had heard that they can cover your travel costs for the first couple of months that you start your new job, is this true? If so it would greatly help me out!

Thanks in advance for any info you know about what happens when you need to sign off.

Jobfinders Grant is £100. Bact To Work Bonus was something different, and no longer exists in it's old form.

What you may, repeat MAY be talking about is ADF (Adviser Discretionary Fund), which can be up to £300 if an adviser thinks it will make the difference between someone getting a job and not. It can be more if a very good business case can be made. However, as it says, it is discretionary, it is not a right.

livelyred

Im a single parent and had to find employment 16hrs or more i have just been offered a post in the NHS which i have been applying for jobs for bout 3 mths now,well i got told from the job centre that you get a grant of £250 a one off payment for single loan parents when you start your job also the ist mth rent they will carry on paying so you dont have to pay the ist mth.I got no money towards my interview but i did get £50 off them to get my self an outfit,well i got a top and trousers no shoes had no money left lucky i have shoes coming out off my ears.

Horace

I think that the Advisor Discretionary Fund has changed - I tried to apply for some money from it and was refused and was told then that it had changed.

I feel sure that they give you £100 to buy interview clothes and will specify which shops you can buy from and you get £100 when you start a new job (a golden handshake if you like) as for your housing benefit etc, you will need to speak to your local council about that.