JSA and Snow

Sam____2

Have to agree with the majority, if you need your benefit money then wrap up warm and get walking...

crossstitchamy

yes phone them as theres probably no bus if its a lot of snow anyway. just tell them your car wont start and they allow i think its either up to 2 or 3 miles to walk to the JC any more miles i dont think you have to walk.

spindo

Jeez - what a bunch of unsympathetic gits you have previous replies from.

When I was unemployed for a few months back in the 90's and it snowed (even slightly) the Jobcentre had a sign up at the entrance saying everyone was excused from signing on. You should ring them first otherwise you may find you have a wasted 2 hour journey walking in the freezing cold snow.

mcjordi

i would contact the job centre asap and explain. they may allow a postal signing or may even do it automatically, but as its your first signing the latter may not apply..

Jowo_2

Yes, must admit I'm a bit unimpressed with the suggestion that the OP is required to show some kind of moral purpose by having an uncomfortable 4 hour round trip when sign on may not necessarily still be required. If the OP has zero income she should look into her eligibility for DWP loans or grants, such as a crisis loan. I am not familiar with eligibility for those on JSA but I'm sure other members could point out what she could apply for.

KxMx

The snow was well forecast, did you not try and borrow bus fare in case your car played up? Or kept a little petrol money back for the fare?

I appreciate you were expecting your car to work but good planning means always assume the worst!

podperson

I agree with calling up first but if they do still expect you to come in then would really suggest walking, especially since it is your first sign on so they won't release any money for you until that has been completed. Yes it is hard work but sometimes you just have to put up with it, I remember last year when we had the thick snow I had just started a minimum wage temping job after looking for anything for several months which was out on a business park, took me about 1.5 hrs to get there every day and the same back - consisting of 45 mins on the bus and the rest walking from the nearest main road through the thick snow since it was never cleared or gritted. Yes it was a bit of a nightmare but I was desparate for the money at the time so I put up with it.

krisskross

Jowo wrote: »

Yes, must admit I'm a bit unimpressed with the suggestion that the OP is required to show some kind of moral purpose by having an uncomfortable 4 hour round trip when sign on may not necessarily still be required. If the OP has zero income she should look into her eligibility for DWP loans or grants, such as a crisis loan. I am not familiar with eligibility for those on JSA but I'm sure other members could point out what she could apply for.

Funny how attitudes change depending on what it is for. I remember extremely heavy snow which stopped all public transport and most private as well. I walked to work to do a 12 hour night shift in A&E. Took me an hour and a half and I had no idea how I was going to get home.

Would you have considered it would have been fine for me and my colleagues to stay at home instead of struggling to work? After all I could have phoned in sick and still got paid.

real1314

I'm not sure what's going on here but I suspect a fishing trip?

1. The snow is irrelevant.

The OP says their car won't start and they have no bus fare. If it hadn't snowed, the problem would still exist. It would still be a 2 hour walk (maybe 1.5hrs).
I don't think (?) anywhere has had more than half a dozen inches, so the show will not be knee deep for miles.

What would they have done if it hadn't snowed? Failed to sign?

Mind you (and I'm being deliberately harsh here) most working people would have been asleep at 3am, as they'd have to get up for work. The OP was posting their [STRIKE]bait[/STRIKE] message

concerned43

Call them ASAP and explain your plight - a friend who works for JCP could not get in this morning due to the snow! so you will find many in the same boat! don't leave it too late in calling though as that really annoys them.