Turning down a job on jsa

Ambidecktrix

Hi Ive been claiming JSA for around 6 weeks after being laid off my last job. Through an agency i have been offerd a new job. however this job only pays minimum wage and requires predominitly working unsocial hours. which meens i end up with more or less the same as my benifits (including housing) . my main concern is that this is only a tempoary contract for 5 weeks . and if i take it and have no job at end i'll have to go through the process of claiming again and the housing benifit took around six weeks to come through and resulted in much distress and pressure from my landlord . am I within my rights to turn it down.

McKneff

Not sure if you would be penalised for turning work down.
At least you are showing prospective employers you are willing to work.
You never know there might be a job comes along in the next five weeks
so you wont have to claim again.

oldmotherreilly

The Jobcentre can only take Refusal of Employment action on jobs that they have put you forward for/offered to you. You would have to make a new claim after the job had finished but it would be a rapid reclaim, which is generally quicker to be processed than a completely new claim.
Hope this helps in your decision.

-BA-

I don't have a great deal to do with JSA in all honesty but my understanding is that for the first 3 months? you are able to set criteria on your jobsearch and after that set period you have to then start "taking anything". I would check into this though.

oldmotherreilly

The New Claims Advisor can agree to you looking solely for your usual skilled occupation at your usual rate of pay for UP TO thirteen weeks. They use their local labour market knowledge to decide what they consider to be an appropriate timescale so can be from 1 to 13 weeks, depending on where you are looking for work/what sort of work you are looking for and whether the type of work is paying the money you are looking for.

PhiltheBear

-BA- wrote: »

I don't have a great deal to do with JSA in all honesty but my understanding is that for the first 3 months? you are able to set criteria on your jobsearch and after that set period you have to then start "taking anything". I would check into this though.

In my Jobcentre this was extended to 6 months - then to 1 year. I don't think it's official but simply dealing with the reality of the current unemployment situation.

It's also the most stupid idea because if you are working in a crap job they make you take then you are limited in finding a job that's a fit for your abilities. Plus you are then having to tell a prospective employer that you've been a cleaner - or whatever.

Thankfully I've only got 2 weeks to go before I get out of it all :beer:

oldmotherreilly

Any advisor in the Jobcentre only has the right to give a maximum of 13 weeks for a permitted period-this is,as I have said, when you can limit yourself to looking for your normal occupation (skilled work only) at your normal rate of pay. After this time, you must widen your jobsearch and this is reflected in your Jobseeker's Agreement. This is not something that varies from region to region-it is governed by the Social Security Acts which are obviously applicable nationwide. The permitted period is written on the front of your Jobseeker's Agreement and signed by both customer and advisor-if this is showing as a year from your new claims interview Phil, I would not bring this to anyone's attention!

frank_begbie

I'm pretty sure you can refuse Temporary work.

Just tell them you need something for at least 6 months.

kitschkitty

yeah, the problem with a job that only lasts a few weeks, is the timescale for arranging any additional benefits such as wtc, ensuring rent payments and bills can be covered, and when you get your first wage packet etc, it's truly a logistical nightmare if the jobs just for a few weeks.