JSA Advice - what a mess!

surfinsaint

Hi, lost my job a while back and have been claiming Income Based JSA for my family, but a really weird thing has happened!

At the beginning of November I asked to see an Adviser regarding going self-employed, and an appointment was made at 9.40 on my next signing-on day which was the 15th November.

I attended, was told that they had booked the wrong time and it should have been 11.40, but saw an adviser anyway and got the information I required, and signed on as normal.

Turned up on my nest signing day, 29th Nov to sign-on and was told that my JSA had been stopped because I didn't attend an adviser appointment!

Was given a number to call, to make a Rapid Reclaim, called made the appointment for 1st Dec, turned up, filled in Rapid Reclaim form, had a really good chat with the lady, she said all was well and got me to sign from the 16th Nov.

Waited until yesterday for a payment to arrive, and nothing.

Spent an hour or so trying to get through to JSA on the phone, eventually got through, they said "JC+ in Southampton had done everything they could possibly do to help the claim go through" put on a Priority and told me to expect a call within an hour. Hour goes by, no call. Spent next 2 hours to get through again - no luck.

This morning, got back from school run, tried calling. Got through at 2pm, again they put it on a priority, and I got a call 40 mins later, to which they said they couldn't find my claim, but are looking for it and to expect a call within 3 hours!

Got someone to pick up the children and sat by the phone....Gas on emergency credit! Electric on Emergency Credit. -2degrees outside!

Checked Post and found a letter from JSA saying my benefit has been stopped because "i didn't attend to sign my declaration"?

Confused!

16.50 phone rings - JSA say that they can only pay me 1 day payment because am only entitled to payments from 29th Nov and I haven't filled in a JSA5 for back payments!

Had a bit of a stressed out rant, but got absolutely nowhere, except yet another appointment at the job Centre to attempt to get hold of a JSA5 form that are treated like "gold dust" I was told!

What an absolute travesty!

Two4Tuesday

Keep all the evidence you can, and once it has been sorted out, I would suggest you write them a letter complaining about maladministration of your JSA claim.

RAS

get hold of your MP, pronto.

WhiteHorse

Typical incompetence.

Copies of everything. Write a detailed chronology. Formal complaint of maladminstration (copy, Recorded Delivery). Inform them that MP will be advised, press also if no response in 7 days.

surfinsaint

Just wish there was some professional body to help NOW! CAB can't give me an appointment for another week, and it seems that the system is so wrapped up bureaucracy with claims that "my hands are tied" from everyone I speak to.

NickyBat

Get in touch with your mp and ask him to contact them on your behalf - they will jump through hoops. They should have given you the backdating form at the time. You can also request an emergency payment from them as it was an official error by the jc, crisis loan is another option although you have to pay this back.
Good luck

oldestrocker

Oh!! True to form - the next thing will be that they can't find the JSA claim form - lost somewhere. Then the whole thing starts up again. You will have to fill in another claim form.
One thing I have realised after dealing with the DWP, is that you must never ever lose your temper. Just keep a smile on your face and do as you are told.
Rock the boat and you will suffer!!

Been there done it and got the teeshirt with both JSA & ESA.

I objected to being told that I am sick but in time should be OK for work. Personally I should be in another Group for those that are unfit for any work. Rocking the boat resulted in 24 days later being told that I've got better and I'm not sick anymore so should be looking for a job!
The wonders of modern medicine! I just wish the NHS saw it the same way!!

You either fight them and the wrath of the Greek Gods will descend upon you, or you just give in gracefully!

Me I'll take anybody on !!!!

enabledebra

First things first, don't take a hammer to crack a nut- it will waste time. Go in person to the jobcentre and explain what has happened, Ask for it to be sorted out there and then and insist on something in writing-even in hand writing. IF this doesn't happen submit a written request for a 'revision' of the decision to stop your JSA then state what's happened and end the letter asking for your request for a 'revision' to be treated as an 'appeal' if the decision isn't favourable, and keep a copy and ask for a receipt. This approach will put your challenge in motion without engaging time consuming processes needlessly.

Having said that I expect a visit to sort this out there and then. There are still very many people with common sense and expert knowledge working at the DWP (at least for now) despite the governments efforts over the last ten years to de-skill their workforce.

mitch161

ive had a run around too. and what makes me laugh is that they can afford the postage stamps and time it takes to write letters, but they cant afford to phone you back an instant answer. always have to wait 2 -14 days.

my situation was i had to resign under protest (constructive dismissal ongoing) and was told although im stressed out soo much i cant work i should go onto JSA (not IS/ESA) which i now wish i was on ESA so i could still look for a job but have protection due to mental health.

2 months later. BAM letter on doorstep, and im sanctioned for resigning for 26weeks! and now i cannot move onto IS/ESA which i previously could have done.

the blooming adviser after listening to my reasons told me to go for JSA. and now they saying i dont deserve it and now blocked from anything, but to still sign on each fortnight. (on what, dust carved into pennies.. dont think the bus driver woould appreciate that) now applying for hardship payments and havnt heard a darn reply. monthly phone bill came in showing £12 of calls just to JSA, £12 of public transport tickets to go to them.. and still nothing


ontop of this they think people on benefits have a endless supply of money to keep running into town on public transport to visit them and can live on dust while they spend 14 days reading 2 sheets of paper

i just wish they had a inhouse decision maker, rather then sending forms off to a district office. wastes so much time.

everyones situation is individual and requires speaking to the decision makers to settle the matter. tick boxes dont answer the things they need and their forms are not set out in a easy way in the first place.

if only the benefits office could say everyone on no/low income gets a minimum of lets say £45 (hardship payment) which can never be sanctioned or stopped. and then people receive a £20 top up for their JSA attendance or £30 for ALG / EMA (learning) attendance.

they have no idea how their "something not ticked" ruins peoples meantal health, and immediately affects the living capabilities of needy.

they also need a 0800 number too.. benefits agencies should not profit from the needy

oldestrocker

mitch161 wrote: »

ive had a run around too. and what makes me laugh is that they can afford the postage stamps and time it takes to write letters, but they cant afford to phone you back an instant answer. always have to wait 2 -14 days.

my situation was i had to resign under protest (constructive dismissal ongoing) and was told although im stressed out soo much i cant work i should go onto JSA (not IS/ESA) which i now wish i was on ESA so i could still look for a job but have protection due to mental health.

2 months later. BAM letter on doorstep, and im sanctioned for resigning for 26weeks! and now i cannot move onto IS/ESA which i previously could have done.

the blooming adviser after listening to my reasons told me to go for JSA. and now they saying i dont deserve it and now blocked from anything, but to still sign on each fortnight. (on what, dust carved into pennies.. dont think the bus driver woould appreciate that) now applying for hardship payments and havnt heard a darn reply. monthly phone bill came in showing £12 of calls just to JSA, £12 of public transport tickets to go to them.. and still nothing


ontop of this they think people on benefits have a endless supply of money to keep running into town on public transport to visit them and can live on dust while they spend 14 days reading 2 sheets of paper

i just wish they had a inhouse decision maker, rather then sending forms off to a district office. wastes so much time.

everyones situation is individual and requires speaking to the decision makers to settle the matter. tick boxes dont answer the things they need and their forms are not set out in a easy way in the first place.

if only the benefits office could say everyone on no/low income gets a minimum of lets say £45 (hardship payment) which can never be sanctioned or stopped. and then people receive a £20 top up for their JSA attendance or £30 for ALG / EMA (learning) attendance.

they have no idea how their "something not ticked" ruins peoples meantal health, and immediately affects the living capabilities of needy.

they also need a 0800 number too.. benefits agencies should not profit from the needy

I couldn't have put it any better!!

Do you actually get a return call then? Wow!! aren't you lucky!!

Over the time of my ESA/JSA claims stretching back to Nov 09, up to now I have sent them a total of 28 letters - all asking for information and advice. NOT ONE REPLY!!!!
When I do manage to speak with the call centre, I have had that much poor advice and instructions, that in one instance it took over 10 weeks before I received any money in the first place!

They 'misplaced' 3 claim forms, 3 Sick Notes, a bundle of original pieces of financial evidence, 8 bank statements, not to mention the weeks of delay in inputing info onto their computer system.
It actually ended up with my whole claim being dealt with clerically as the computer system could not cope with the mess that they had created.
I actually went down to the local JC+ once, and watched them input some confirmation details and note of a meeting on their system, 1 week later I had the ESA people say it wasn't on the system!!

The rest of the advice/info, has led me to not apply for an increase in my benefit in April 2010. Likewise, they failed to advise that I could have been entitled to Pension Credit instead of ESA and with that comes the Cold Weather payment - (but now I have the bit between my teeth and not needing to continue with my ESA claim, am doing so to get some damn justice and expose their failings!).
I have already have had a giro from them in compensation for previous failings!

I have said many times that the old system worked much better. You could go into your DSS office with your claim form, a decision would be made locally, you could discuss face to face any problems and walk out knowing that things had been sorted.

As regards my claims, I now have my MP involved, have an ongoing complaint with ATOS, and an ongoing complaint with the local BDC)
My next step is to go through all of my files and detail ALL of the instances that the DWP have NOT met with their own promises and the Charter Mark.
Then another complaint will be lodged.

WhiteHorse

oldestrocker wrote: »

... the next thing will be that they can't find the JSA claim form ...

Two different DWP staffers have told me (different offices, some years apart), that they have seen incoming mail binned by staff.

I have ample experience of it happening myself, too.