JSA interview at Jobcenter

book12

BeenieCat wrote: »

As long as you stated it was volunteer work then it should be fine, i can't remember if there's a separate section for volunteer work or not, but honestly don't worry, if they query it they'll contact you and you can confirm it was unpaid.

Ok. How could I confirm if it was unpaid? :S

I just put 'summer 08' volunteer work. I didn't put the words 'not paid a salary'....:o

book12

The first person called the 'financial assessor' told me to check if the details submitted online and from the phone interview is correct. Then she told me that those details (i.e. the claim for JSA) are sent to St Austalls benifit delivery centre for processing. It will take at least 2 weeks to process. The second person just gave me the JSA agreement, job search, sign on stuff, etc...

How do the people in St Austalls process/assess it? Do they check bank balances to see if it is correct, living arrangements, contact previous employers, tax office/NI, etc... from "third parties" to see if I am telling the truth?

Hopefully, I will succesful for claiming JSA. If I'm not accepted, my trips to the JC for signing on will be wasted (first sign on is next week)!

book12

I checked my status for JSA online, it says 'in progress'. Should I assume my claim is now with the Benefit Delivery Centre? Or is it when I was at the JC?

book12

Update

Instead of creating a new thread, I think it's a good idea to carry on here.

I recieved some stuff from the BDC today and they want me to send some student related documents to them, so that they could continue processing the claim. They want documents confirming the end dates and last payment of the student loan. I just printed out an academic calendar from the uni website (it has the web address on the paper). As for the last payment of the student loan, I posted the payment schedule, and highlighted the last payment using a highlighter. I hope those documents are acceptable. If not, please advise me on appropriate documents.

I've provided those documents and put them in the prepaid first class envelope provided. They want the stuff sent before the 15 Sep. Obviously, it's good to send it ASAP, so they could continue processing the claim.

I assume they will recieve it tomorrow. If so, do you think that it's the 'last stages' of the processing? My second sign on is next Wednesday.

Cozworth806

Inside track on the timings of an NJI (New Jobseeker interview) is this.
The time you get told to arrive is your FA appointment time, however in a lot of JCP offices the FA's do not actually need to see straightforward cases so you will sit there for 20 mins at least. You will need to check through and sign the paperwork etc
If you turn up early then you will sit there for even longer. If there is something more complex about your claim then you may need to see an FA.
So in short, don't bother getting there early, but don't be late either as if you do you may not be seen and that can affect your claim date.

dugdale_2

Just to add to this thread your signing date is governed by the last two digits of your NINO so it could be anytime between the day following your initial interview with the financial adviser & personel adviser to two weeks after the date of your first interview.

book12

Cozworth806 wrote: »

Inside track on the timings of an NJI (New Jobseeker interview) is this.
The time you get told to arrive is your FA appointment time, however in a lot of JCP offices the FA's do not actually need to see straightforward cases so you will sit there for 20 mins at least. You will need to check through and sign the paperwork etc
If you turn up early then you will sit there for even longer. If there is something more complex about your claim then you may need to see an FA.
So in short, don't bother getting there early, but don't be late either as if you do you may not be seen and that can affect your claim date.

I attended the NJI last 2 weeks. I got the sign on date and time already during that interview.

Today, I recieved a letter from the Benefit Delivery Centre (BDC) at St Austells, which wants more information about my student related documents to continue processing the claim (in my case, I need to provide documents that verify the course end date and last payment of student loan). I've sent the evidence today, so they could finish off the claim before my second sign on next Wednesday.

If you read my previous thread about the documents I've sent today to the BDC, do you think those documents are 'suitable' for verification? That's all I'm asking. :o

amy_lou_4

I had a bit of an annoying experience with my JSA claim- during my initial phone interview I was asked whether I had lived abroad, and I told them I spent the year before last in France as part of my degree course. The lovely woman on the phone said that was no problem, I would just need to take my passport in to the Job Centre to prove my residency status. I did so, a photocopy of that (and my student loan documents) was taken and I thought that would be the end of it and so began the wait for my confirmation letter. A fortnight later, I got a letter with a Residency Status questionnaire to fill in, in which the questions were worded as though I was *not* British and instead was a foreigner who had come to live in the UK and been back and forth from here to my own country! I asked my Job Centre adviser about it, whether the photocopy of my passport had been lost or something, and she said that I had to fill the form in anyway, which I did so rather sarcastically (thankfully it was freepost) Another week and I received my confirmation letter and cheque with 3 weeks' money, at last!

book12

amy_lou wrote: »

I had a bit of an annoying experience with my JSA claim- during my initial phone interview I was asked whether I had lived abroad, and I told them I spent the year before last in France as part of my degree course. The lovely woman on the phone said that was no problem, I would just need to take my passport in to the Job Centre to prove my residency status. I did so, a photocopy of that (and my student loan documents) was taken and I thought that would be the end of it and so began the wait for my confirmation letter. A fortnight later, I got a letter with a Residency Status questionnaire to fill in, in which the questions were worded as though I was *not* British and instead was a foreigner who had come to live in the UK and been back and forth from here to my own country! I asked my Job Centre adviser about it, whether the photocopy of my passport had been lost or something, and she said that I had to fill the form in anyway, which I did so rather sarcastically (thankfully it was freepost) Another week and I received my confirmation letter and cheque with 3 weeks' money, at last!

Sorry to hear that you have such a hard time.

I just thought the intial interview was to provide documentation (e.g. student documents, ID, payslips if necessary, etc...) and check stuff. has been completed correctly on the online form an on the phone. The staff didn't ask me for anything student related documents. All they want is just to see your ID to see who you say you are, and check if the stuff mentioned on the online form and on the phone are correct.

The advisor on the phone should have told me to provide student related documentation for the initial interview, so there is no need to send them at this time. If that happend, I would recieve a confirmation of entitlement letter instead.

The confirmation of last payment date of the student loan is on headed paper by the Student Loans Company. It's the payment schedule. I know that's fine. However, for the confirmation of uni end date, I printed out the academic calendar from the website, and highlight the end date. It's not on uni headed paper, but when printing it out, the uni website (e.g. http://www.uniwebsitename.ac.uk/academic_calendar) is printed automatically by the printer on the top right hand side. I hope that is ok as verification!!

loisa

When I went to my initial interview, the adviser did some calculation on her computer to show me how much better off I would be if I was working on minimum wage....like I don't know!
Out of the long list of documents I was asked to bring I was only asked for a couple of things at my interview. I wish I had said something about it at the time because weeks later I got a letter asking me for my current account statement (I had only been asked for savings statement at the time).
The statement I sent in went missing at the processing centre and my payments were stopped with no warning or anything. I'm not saying it was anyones fault, but if they had just asked me for it in the first place...