Job seekers allowance - Help please.

s1h

c0113tt3 wrote: »

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.

They dont have time to?

Ok well heres one for you, my sign on time is 4.45pm, 15 minutes before they shut. I was there 5 mins early, put my book in my "cardboard box" as there isnt a signing in point for me, i have to put it in a box and wait for someone to pick it up. At 5 mins to five, after 15 mins of listening to the staff laughing joking around putting their coats on ready to go home someone asks me what i am doing there. I said Im waiting to sign on. They said why haven't you gone to your signing on point. I say because it's a cardboard box.

Not enough time? They had enough time to get ready to go home 15 mins early, sit around laughing joking, swivelling on chairs, planning an indoor football match, and what they were doing on the next bank holiday.

It stinks. How anyone can defend it I don't know. I don't mean to get all high and mighty but I have paid tax and national insurance for years a high amount as well, and now when I actually need some help its more or less non existent.

sunnyone

s1h wrote: »

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.

Where did you get this information?


sunnyone

s1h

Albannach1876 wrote: »

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

Unbelievable. Has no one suggested it? Doesn't suprise me that your not allowed to. The whole organisation is a shambles, they don't even help you look for work. It's just a formality sign in a box every 2 weeks.
I asked if there was any courses or training I can do while I am out of work, no I haven't been out of work long enough.

I heard on the radio the other day about a lady having her benefits suspended as she went and did a maths course one day off her own back to try and improve herself. But they said she wasn't available for work as she was on this course.

c0113tt3

Ask for a different signing time, then you will see its completely different. The signing systems / times vary slightly from jc to jc, but generally the last 15 to 30 minutes of the day is clearing up work created from signing, signing any late attenders / rebooks, putting everything away.

Yes that part of the day can appear more relaxed, but the rest is hectic.

s1h

sunnyone wrote: »

Where did you get this information?


sunnyone

I was told that information at the original interview, the one that I was booked in for after the initial phone one. Thats not really the issue now though. But again it is another example of incompetence.

s1h

c0113tt3 wrote: »

Ask for a different signing time, then you will see its completely different. The signing systems / times vary slightly from jc to jc, but generally the last 15 to 30 minutes of the day is clearing up work created from signing, signing any late attenders / rebooks, putting everything away.

Yes that part of the day can appear more relaxed, but the rest is hectic.

It wasnt clearing up it was laughing and joking around not doing any work. I saw it with my own eyes.

s1h

If they weren't laughing and joking around and had realised I was waiting instead of planning what they were going to do at the weekend then maybe I would have known there was a problem and used the phone at the jobcentre and the directline through to the processing place to sort it out.

Sorry to rant. I'm just !!!!ed off with it all. I tried to do a days work for the right reasons however all it did was left me out of pocket. Delayed/suspended benefits. Caused me stress and hassle. Not to mention about 200 miles in petrol.

c0113tt3

Agreed a floor manager, or security should have approached to see if they could help, with yourself waiting in probably a near empty jc.

sunnyone

s1h wrote: »

I was told that information at the original interview, the one that I was booked in for after the initial phone one. Thats not really the issue now though. But again it is another example of incompetence.

And you were given his information in writing or you at least double checked it with JC+ before you worked?

sunnyone

s1h

sunnyone wrote: »

And you were given his information in writing or you at least double checked it with JC+ before you worked?

sunnyone

No I was told it face to face. I got a phone call at 8 in the morning asking me to work 12 hours and I was there 40 mins later.

I didn't think I would need to double check it, I thought the staff would know what they are talking about.

Let me guess It's my fault for not double checking it.