Urgent advice needed re JSA suspension

atrixblue.-MFR-.

kittycatsam wrote: »

So, we've been to Community Legal Advice and were told that they will not do anything for him until he has written a letter of complaint to the benefits agency and received a reply.

He has previously applied for a crisis loan and was declined as he is in a sanction period. They told him to claim the hardship which he is entitled to...

We stopped at the benefits office on the way home and made an appointment for Wednesday morning. I nearly flipped my lid because the advisor said to him that his sanction is due to end this month so he may as well wait a couple more weeks!!! Then went on to say that on 10th December at one of the hardship application interviews he requested more information on a job, they matched him up with this job and put it on his file. This was a late afternoon appointment, when he got home he realised that the closing day was that day and he had missed the deadline. He told them on his next visit that this had happened and was told that this would be noted. Well, apparently it looks as though he is going to receive further sanctions on his claim now due to this!!! Just unbelievable! I just really hope that a job will come up for him soon.

Thanks very much tcr, we will see what happens on Wednesday and I now know about the manual paper claiming. Meanwhile I'll try and get in touch with our local MP to try out the other option.

you should go back to the CAB ben adviser and update them, tell them that hardship has been declined. involve the MP thats what theyre there for in situations like these.

i would also write a letter of complaint for him anyway and send it off recorded delivery!

but most of all, get him to his GP, depression may seem small but can delvelope into deep depression very quickly. the reson for him sleeping so much is probably because he's awake worrying through the night, the last thing he needs is his body clock telling him its night time during the day and daytime during the night, become aggressive towards people and property, and cut himself off away from society family and friends.

it might just be that having no money for a long period, trying to find a job and heavily dependant on others when he doesnt want to be has taken its toll on his mind state. please get him to the GP about his mind state.

busy_mom_2

If the sanction is for refusal of employment on an old claim then he must have know about this before he started work. At some point he refused or failed to apply for a vacancy. He would of had to fill in the forms before it was sent to a decision maker and give his reasons for not applying. If as you state this was because he had a job and was waiting to start he would of had to of provided proof. He can appeal against the decision but the RE process takes weeks so he must have know about this before he started work.
As for the suspension this wouldn't relate to the RE doubt, suspensions don't apply to these types of doubts. You need to find the suspension code to see who placed it. If the JCP have put the suspension on then it should have been cleared within a few days, as BDC decision can only be lifted by them.