Can they do this/Job Seekers

Lilly_May_2

I know they can because they have,!!! stopped my job seekers allowance, I am 59, I have worked for 44 years, paying tax etc, I was made reduntant, Sept 2008, I have been looking (I really have) and signing on, I had the same 'lady' who is very rude, twice when signing on, (might also add she took a personal phone call on her mobile while she was suppose to inviewing me, no 'oh excuse me, or sorry about that' ) the last time all she said was, what have you been doing to find work, look there are loads of jobs(all of which were unsuitable. (like 25 miles each way, part time, min wage) or one and half hours for 3 days a week.....anyway I told her,what I had been doing, even started an Open University course to improve my skills.. she then waved!!! me to sit else where, and I had to fill in a form...and my claim was supended, !!! so no money for 4 weeks now, can they just do that, how do they expect honest people to live, I am so cross....if my rent goes to £100, the council can threated to evict me...had to borrow money from daughter who is at Uni just to buy food, while they sort my appeal out and my new claim....how in Britain 2009 can this happen or be allowed....of course a strong letter of complain is going in....but I can't believe they can just stop your money like that, with no warning, so I have had no money for 4 weeks now....just wondered what your thoughts were...next week I will have to do a bit of shop lifting (only joking) but I can see people doing that, because they are being force to, just to eat...just needed to have a rant....but some times, I feel so low, I don't know what to do.....thanks for your ears...Lilly

bestpud

I'm not sure what you are asking...?

Have you met the requirements for JSA?

It's not clear whether you have you actually applied for the jobs, as that is one of the requirements?

Is your complaint because you think they have stopped your money in error, or because the advisor was off-hand with you?

MX5huggy

You don't say why they have stopped your money, is it because you have not followed a direction. Have you rung the Benefit delivery centre maybe your claim has not been paid in error.

You have to be willing to travel up to 1hr each way to a job, 25 miles may or may not take 1hr to cover.

Lilly_May_2

Sorry just having a rant, I guess, and asking how can Britain 2009 can leave you with nothing to live on....I had filled my job search sheet stating I had looked in shop windows/newspaper/internet etc, I had/have applied for jobs, when I went to the second lady to fill in a form, she said oh, they have been a misunderstanding, but the manager said we still have to process it, as we have our targets to meet!!!....so because she was to busy talking to her daughter, she didn't interview or listen to me, so yes I think they stopped my money in error, but it it taking time to wait for my appeal and reclaim, to come though, because they mucked up....and it was me that had to find out about the appeal process, they do not seem to know anything there, I had to twist her arm a few weeks back to get them to sign my form for the open university course, saying I was on benefits, they are awful, don't seem to know anything, and no support at all, think I will write to the M.of works and pensions, I just feel that I have been treated disgracefully, and with no respect. and after all I am a
victim of a Worldwide down turn, I should be treated as a victim, and not a scourer, so I guess I am asking how and why and can they treated you like this/...sorry if I sound cross, I am. with them.....Lilly

merlin68

Surely you you should be claiming pension credit, if your coming up to 60 that might be why.

MX5huggy

By error, I meant an administrative error or system control. Have you spoken to the BDC to ask why they have not paid you? in the end they are the people who issue the money so they are the ones that will be able to tell you why you have not been paid, they may say is because of x y or z that has nothing to to do with what has been happening at the job centre.

The trouble is the vast number of new claimants and also the vast number of new staff that have been taken on to deal with this, they don't know they system because it is vastly complicated, if you have been disallowed then you could have applied for hardship while the sanction is in place.

Please don't rant on the phone or in the JC just stick to the facts and what can be done to get your claiming running again.

Do write to complain, but separate your complaint from the task of getting your payment going. You could complain to the Job Centre Manager, your MP or as you say the minister.

Lilly_May_2

No I'm afraid I can't even claim that. I am 60 next July but I won't get my pension until November, because they are changing the retirement age over the next few years. This is the problem I been having, if I get an interview, and there is a man, says in his 30's with a young family, and me, after the same job, who are they going to employ?, not me with less than a year before I retire....I need and want to work, to get some money in the bank for when I do retire...but when the Job centre tell me I should have a job!!! living in London at my age, trying to get a job which will give me enough to live on, isn't easy especially with hundreds of people after one job, what chance have I got..at my age, and please don't say anything about age discrimination, believe me it is alive and kicking.....wish these people in job centres, gave the unemployed a bit more support,/respect it might just help to get people back into work, instead of putting peoples backs up, when they are stressed enough...:rolleyes:...Lilly..ps if there are so many jobs, as she tells me in the job centre, why are there nearly 30000 unemployed, because the jobs are jobs you can't live on....

Lilly_May_2

MX5huggy wrote: »

By error, I meant an administrative error or system control. Have you spoken to the BDC to ask why they have not paid you? in the end they are the people who issue the money so they are the ones that will be able to tell you why you have not been paid, they may say is because of x y or z that has nothing to to do with what has been happening at the job centre.

The trouble is the vast number of new claimants and also the vast number of new staff that have been taken on to deal with this, they don't know they system because it is vastly complicated, if you have been disallowed then you could have applied for hardship while the sanction is in place.

Please don't rant on the phone or in the JC just stick to the facts and what can be done to get your claiming running again.

Do write to complain, but separate your complaint from the task of getting your payment going. You could complain to the Job Centre Manager, your MP or as you say the minister.

Thanks for your words...lol...what is a BDC please?...I waited a week to get a letter from Ireland (who are dealing with it and who usually pay the money into my bank account, it didn't make sense (well not to me,) so I rung them, and they were very helpful, she told me to get an apeal form and a reclaim form, which I did the next day, as for Hardship fund!!! I have never heard of that...how do I claim that?..anyway I handed the reclaim form and appeal form back in the next day, and the guy ask who had interview me, as they had to fill in the back of the form before sending it off, which I thought was a bit rough, as I had enclosed a letter in my reclaim form, stating why I was unhappy, with the decision, and 'Lady' spending her time taking personal phone calls, and answering the phone on her desk, when she should have been interviewing me, she was just so rude, that when I was waved! to sit elsewhere, two other claiments, both said to me, 'Oh she is so rude that one!' I had to sign on yesterday, they said at least I would get my stamp paid, I don't need my stamp to be paid, I have more than enough stamps for my pension, but I did anyway, they ask what I had been doing, work wise, which I told them, so now I have to wait until at least next week before I know if I get anything or not....I felt like saying, 'trying to sort out the mess you have made....no I do keep my mouth shut, although it is hard, but feel that this should be reported to someone, not a manager, as they all stick together don't they?....I nice letter to the M of works and pension and a visit to my MP. I think, as they should never ever have put me in this position, and as for the stress, of worrying how I was going to pay bills, eat etc....As for new workers, that isn't my problem, I didn't ask to be put in this position, they should train they better... 2nd rant over....lol:rolleyes:...Lilly

MX5huggy

Benefit Delivery Center, sounds like they are the people in Ireland (I presume NI) that you have spoken to. Sounds like they closed your claim if you had to do a reclaim, a hardship payment is only possible while you are disallowed. If you have no money while they are processing your claim you can apply for a crisis loan.

Oldernotwiser

Lilly_May wrote: »

This is the problem I been having, if I get an interview, and there is a man, says in his 30's with a young family, and me, after the same job, who are they going to employ?, not me with less than a year before I retire.....

But you don't actually have to retire at 60; many people work for longer.

This might be worth considering as money's so tight; it would also make you more appealing to employers.

Lilly_May_2

Seem's, it gets worst....closed my case!! they said that it was being supended...as for a crisis loan, how can i pay that back, with no income.....how can she just shut my claim down, like that?
This really has given me food for thought, and thanks goodness I rung Ireland and they told me what to do....

The second lady I saw at the benefits Office on the day she 'waved' me....said that I had to fill in a form and they would send it to Bromley ( I have never ever heard Bromley mentioned before, as even having a office there, so I think yet again I was misinformed). anyway, Bromley would write to me, which of course there never did, as it was ireland that did. who said my claim was supended, and to reclaim and to get my money backdated to send in an appeal form.....
This is getting worst....there was no reason for this 'Lady' to stop my claim, none at all....I had done all the required searches for jobs...and to cut my money off just like that, really is unacceptable, if I was being investigated or had worked, then that is fair enough, but to be looking for work, and still having benefit stop, with no explanation, or even the 'Lady' telling me, she was stopping my money, really is a disgrace....Lilly