Job seekers allowance - Help please.

s1h

I don't think I have ever known such incompetence maybe someone here can help me out with this just in case I am getting it wrong. But I dont think the amount I have been paid is right. Sorry in advance if its a bit long winded.

I did my telephone thing with them over the phone on the 13th of March, went for my appointment monday the 16th. Then signed on for the first time on 19th march. I was told I would get £60.50 a week paid fortnightly, i got a letter a few days later confirming it all and also saying that from the 10th of april it would increase to just under £65 a week.

On the 25th of March an agency rang me with a days work which i did. My understanding is i can work 16hours a week without it affecting my benefits.

On the 26th of March I received a JSA payment of £34.58 into my bank. I thought maybe this was some kind of part payment.

I signed on on the 2nd of April and advised them of the work i did had to fill out a form and was asked for a payslip i hadn't had one yet they said dont worry just bring it on the 16th when you sign on it wont affect your benefits.

This week I have been checking my bank online everyday expecting there to be £121 in there (2 weeks worth following me signing on on the 02/04) There was nothing so I phoned them today after finally getting through I was advised they needed the wage slip and my benefits had been stopped untill they get that (nice of them to tell me they needed it, this is a contradiction to what I was told when I signed on)
So I drove 10 miles to the job centre, gave them the pay slip. Waited around for an hour and half for the payments place to ring me who said they can issue me with a giro today that I could collect an hour later but needed i.d for this. So drove 10 miles home, picked up my i.d then 10 miles back to the job centre got my giro and how much was it for £60.50? half what I was expecting, this was at ten to 5, so they were about to close and they said i need to ring the payments place who are now shut untill Tuesday.

I'll do that Tuesday, but from experience should it have been more than that? maybe im not following how it works but I thought you signed on forthnightly and a few days later the money for the 2 weeks went in your bank. I want to get it cleared up as a week today Im due to sign on again and don't want all this bother.

It makes me wonder whether it was really worth doing that days work. It was a 60 mile round trip to get there and back then I had to do about another 50 miles taking in proof of i.d to the agency, proof of NI so I could get paid.

What a nightmare. Thanks for reading hopefully someone can help.

s1h

If it makes a difference i'm on contribution based im over 25.

The work I did was 11 hours in one day and I was paid £71 for it.

healy

s1h wrote: »

If it makes a difference i'm on contribution based im over 25.

The work I did was 11 hours in one day and I was paid £71 for it.

Any work you do will reduce your benefit. Apart from a £5 disregard the money you earnt is deducted from your benefit £ for £.

s1h

I wish that had been explained to me from the start. It was absolutely pointless me going to work for that day. I picked up !!!! for 11 hours, have drove 140 miles getting to the job and back going back and forward to the agency and all the trips today i'm actually down financially due to the amount I have spent on petrol.

The system and this country is a joke.

s1h

Does anyone else have nothing but problems with the jobcentre?

Went today to sign on, was told that the amounts on the screen are showing as £0 so it looks like im not due to get paid anything into my account on monday/Tuesday. But they cant "give me any information" "you have to phone this number"

Now got to spend half a day

s1h

on the phone tomorrow to try and sort it out.

Incompetence of the highest level.

All i wanted to do was a days work and it has !!!!ed everything up. Never again. You try and do right try and do some work as it might lead to something else and you just get !!!!ed over.

More driving to and from the job centre and spending ages on phone calls. Great.

Albannach1876

s1h wrote: »

Does anyone else have nothing but problems with the jobcentre?

Went today to sign on, was told that the amounts on the screen are showing as £0 so it looks like im not due to get paid anything into my account on monday/Tuesday. But they cant "give me any information" "you have to phone this number"

Now got to spend half a day

However frustrating it is and how silly it sounds, the actual staff in the jobcentre do not have any control / understanding of the benefit side of your claim other than informing the processors, via the computer that you have attended and everything is in order (or not as the case may be!). All processing is done remotely, hence the reason you're given the number to call. Front facing staff just haven't been given the training in this aspect of jobcentre services. Ludicrous I know - perhaps if more people complain things will change but don't hold your breath.

c0113tt3

A temp suspension will have been applied pending wage information, which of course you have submitted.

You will need to telephone for processing office / centre to get it taken off as it may have been mistakenly left on.

c0113tt3

Albannach1876 wrote: »

However frustrating it is and how silly it sounds, the actual staff in the jobcentre do not have any control / understanding of the benefit side of your claim other than informing the processors, via the computer that you have attended and everything is in order (or not as the case may be!). All processing is done remotely, hence the reason you're given the number to call. Front facing staff just haven't been given the training in this aspect of jobcentre services. Ludicrous I know - perhaps if more people complain things will change but don't hold your breath.

The staff are not given the training, because there isnt the time to, and signing staff are not there to sort out queries / problems because they dont even have the time to.

Now when it used to be box clerks, they knew everything.

s1h

I know what your both saying but why is it me that has to do all the running around, driving back and forward, time on the phone. It is not my error.

If any other company was run like this it wouldn't be in business.

Customer service, whats wrong with the person that I spoke to today in the jobcentre taking ownership of it. Yes leave it with us we'll phone them for you tomorrow morning and get back to you or get them to get back to you.

After all they have a direct line through to the correct department, not like myself who has to redial and redial listening to messages telling me there is no one to take the call please call back later.

Albannach1876

s1h wrote: »

Customer service, whats wrong with the person that I spoke to today in the jobcentre taking ownership of it. Yes leave it with us we'll phone them for you tomorrow morning and get back to you or get them to get back to you.

After all they have a direct line through to the correct department, not like myself who has to redial and redial listening to messages telling me there is no one to take the call please call back later.

Believe it or not, we're not allowed to!!