Signing On

Sixer

I started reading this thread thinking, well, it's not unreasonable to ask the JC to organise a signing time to be reasonable to the exigencies of rural bus services, but if they wouldn't, I'd just check all the job agencies, do my shopping, and spend the rest of the time in the library job-seeking online or reading or surfing. I wouldn't make that much of a ruckus about it.

Then I thought I'd look at the situation if the OP were my next door neighbour as I'm also in the back end of beyond, ten miles from the nearest (small) town and JC.

There are two buses a day from my village to town and I would be like a previous poster - leaving on the 8.15am bus and returning on the 5.45pm bus. The library is closed for two of the five working days in the week and charges £4 per hour for internet access after the first half hour. There is nowhere else in town I could spend time for free (aside from the JC). The bus would cost £4.

I think I would be very miffed if I wasn't given a signing day for one of the three days the library was open! I shall say prayers every night that it doesn't happen to me.

ghost_whistler

Edinburgh65 wrote: »

Hi Ghost Whistler. Don't take any notice of all of the negativity. A lot of people who will be reading this thread will be behind you, as you are making a lot of valid points, whist other posters just seem to want to get into an argument. I am sure that very few readers will suspect that you are a troll.

With regard to not answering all of the questions that have been put to you, some questions are not worth the bother of acknowledging.

The spirit of this forum does not seem to be what it once was, and I am probably just going to stop looking at this section of MSE soon. I don't know if I've just not been paying attention properly, but until this weekend, I had always believed that some of the more established posters had a pretty well balanced view about unemployment, and like me, were only anti-JSA for workshy scroungers. It's pretty clear to me now that a lot of them are anti-JSA full stop, and it is turning into a "community" that I don't really want to be a part of.

I agree entirely. It would be ironic if it wasn't so tragic.

Fridge3

ghost_whistler wrote: »

How exactly? Buy shares in the bus company? I can't even drive!

Start thinking about what you can do instead of what you can't. If transport is limited, get the early bus and, use the waiting time as part of your jobsearch. Plenty of suggestions have already been made, how hard can it be.

ghost_whistler wrote: »

Indeed. Anyone that thinks life on the dole is the life of riley is welcome to get themselves fired and sign on. See for yourself - if you dare.
This attitude of resentment and suspiciion toward the unemployed really has got to stop. Marginalising a growing section of the population and making pariahs of your neighbours has got to be the worst thing we can be doing. it's what this nasty government wants and people on this forum seem to enjoy buying into this narrative.

And yet you exclude many options that could get you off it.

missbunbury

Does anyone know what the actual rules are on this? If the OP turns up for his first interview at the JobCentre with a copy of the bus timetable to show what is the earliest he can get there, they would surely have to accommodate this? I wouldn't imagine they'll be bothered if he has to spend time hanging round town (and he's said himself he will do this if necessary) but there must be some sort of rule that it has to be possible for the person to make it to the appointment? Or are the people who think he'll be expected to walk right? In that case, there are surely different walking limits for different people? I could walk eight miles and back I guess, I'm fittish and in my twenties, but it would be different if I were older and less fit, would this be taken into consideration?

Anyway, to the OP - I reckon you should take the bus timetable to your first appointment and show them and hopefully they will be reasonable.

Oldernotwiser

missbunbury wrote: »

Does anyone know what the actual rules are on this? If the OP turns up for his first interview at the JobCentre with a copy of the bus timetable to show what is the earliest he can get there, they would surely have to accommodate this? I wouldn't imagine they'll be bothered if he has to spend time hanging round town (and he's said himself he will do this if necessary) but there must be some sort of rule that it has to be possible for the person to make it to the appointment? .

If there wasn't a bus that could get the OP to the Jobcentre in time to sign on, no doubt changes to the signing time would be made. However, what the OP objects to doing is spending a couple of hours in town before his appointment and it's this situation he's complaining about.

tcr_3

JSA claimants in rural areas can sign on by post, don't know any hard & fast nationwide rule though. One JC I worked in specified if a journey was over 90 mins by bus and/or more than 30 miles return then postal signing was appropriate. That might sound handier but half the time the benefit payments were delayed because signing coupons never arrived at the Job Centre on time ... or if they did they weren't put through promptly.

I don't think the OP has much choice here. He can ask but it's entirely up to the Job Centre what time he signs on at. They've probably got several thousand on the unemployed register & can't accommodate everyone ... with the OP it's public transport, with others it's the kid's school times, college hours etc etc.

But you better get your request in quick, OP. Because they've only got four minutes to sign each person on, during which they're expected to establish & record what you've done in the previous fortnight to find work, record any work you've done on a B7, identify suitable vacancies for you & set controls to check whether you even bother applying ... oh, and to sign your coupon & put the evidence through their systems to ensure you get paid.

Four minutes.

ghost_whistler

tcr wrote: »

JSA claimants in rural areas can sign on by post, don't know any hard & fast nationwide rule though. One JC I worked in specified if a journey was over 90 mins by bus and/or more than 30 miles return then postal signing was appropriate. That might sound handier but half the time the benefit payments were delayed because signing coupons never arrived at the Job Centre on time ... or if they did they weren't put through promptly.

I don't think the OP has much choice here. He can ask but it's entirely up to the Job Centre what time he signs on at. They've probably got several thousand on the unemployed register & can't accommodate everyone ... with the OP it's public transport, with others it's the kid's school times, college hours etc etc.

But you better get your request in quick, OP. Because they've only got four minutes to sign each person on, during which they're expected to establish & record what you've done in the previous fortnight to find work, record any work you've done on a B7, identify suitable vacancies for you & set controls to check whether you even bother applying ... oh, and to sign your coupon & put the evidence through their systems to ensure you get paid.

Four minutes.

They haven't done postal signing since the tories introduced JSA when they were last ruining the country. I doubt it's been introduced in the meantime, even during this recession.

ghost_whistler

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If there wasn't a bus that could get the OP to the Jobcentre in time to sign on, no doubt changes to the signing time would be made. However, what the OP objects to doing is spending a couple of hours in town before his appointment and it's this situation he's complaining about.

I object to having my time wasted, yes.

Don't you?

dookar

ghost_whistler wrote: »

They haven't done postal signing since the tories introduced JSA when they were last ruining the country. I doubt it's been introduced in the meantime, even during this recession.

Do you mean since 1997? That's a terrible inaccuracy.

The rule in question is regulation 23 of the jobseeker's allowance regulations 1996, which (coupled with case law) states you must attend where you are told to attend when you are told to attend.

There is no right to make demands, but a very polite request can do no harm

Butts

ghost_whistler wrote: »

They haven't done postal signing since the tories introduced JSA when they were last ruining the country. I doubt it's been introduced in the meantime, even during this recession.

Is it true that no one can "sign on by post" the guff you take in to sign on still mentions "postal customers":D