Job Seekers Allowance not paid

missabigail

Is there anything one can do if after signing on, the money isn't paid into the account, And the Job Centre clerk says, 'Come back next week and we will look into it'?

venus_in_furs

Well that happened to me when i first signed on. I found phoning up the benefit enquiries line helped a lot more. I managed to sort in over the phone and get them to send me a giro a couple of days later. You have to be direct with them and tell them you have no money to live on, or they will just try and get you to wait.

Thylacine

Chase it, make lots of phone calls.

I had a problem a few weeks back due to someone tampering with my mail and returning a letter to JC+ without my permission. JC+ then stopped my payments because they thought I'd moved. Took a few days to sort out as my local JC+ was saying the regional office had to fix it, but regional said the JC+ were responsible.

Thing is, I'd been into the centre to sign on *after* they had put the stop on my payments but they never told me. Awesome customer service there.

Anyway, point is: make noise. You're entitled to your money and they shouldn't just say come back in 2 weeks. Ask for an appointment with a Personal Advisor and make it clear to them you won't accept being told to wait.

Bamber19

Thylacine wrote: »

Thing is, I'd been into the centre to sign on *after* they had put the stop on my payments but they never told me. Awesome customer service there.

The person you see at the jobcentre doesn't have anything to do with payments, all they do is ensure you are actively seeking employment and then enter into the system that you have been in. Although they will have read-only access, there is simply no reason for them to be snooping into payment details so the fact they ahven't mentioned the stop on your payment to you says nothing about their customer service skills.

Don't go and see a personal adviser, it has nothing to do with them, or the jobcentre they work in. Instead do as suggested by Venus and phone the benefit enquiries line which will be at the processing centre who actually deal with your payments and can do something about it.