JSA Sanction - Urgent Advice please!!!

Blueeyes21

A friend of mine was dismissed from his job last september. He appealed against the decision and went to an internal tribunal. The decision was upheld and he lost his job.

He made a claim for JSA, he was interviewed and issued them with the relevant paperwork regarding his dismissal.
He was told he would have to wait for a decision to be made regarding his entitlement to JSA.
The decision was made and he received his JSA.:j
Two weeks ago he went to the bank to be told no benefit had been paid in. He called the JS and was told it had been stopped and he was being sanctioned until May because they had now decided (6 months later) the reasons for his dismissal meant he DIDN't qualify for JSA.
He has appealed.(pending)
He applied for hardship money, this was refused.
He has appealed. (pending)
He applied for a crisis Loan, he was refused.
He had a two day training course last week and asked them for travel money, they refused.
He had an interview for a job the same week - he asked for travel money for that - again he was refused.

He has of today been thrown out of where he was living (for not being able to pay his way) .. he's been down to the job centre to ask for a crisis Loan - they have refused.:eek:
He told them at 4.30 today that he had not eaten all day and didnt have anywhere to go tonight.
They gave him a list of hostels to go to and he asked if he could have some money to get there, they told him to walk.(the nearest one was 7 miles away).:eek:
He asked for money for food - they said it wasn't there problem!:mad:

He has a got a new job but it doesn't start for another month.
He has asked them for the money for work boots (which he needs for the job) and travel money to get to work when he starts (until he receives wages) .. they have refused.

Tonight as far as I am aware he is sleeping on a park bench.
What does he do next ???

dseventy

Blueeyes21 wrote: »

Tonight as far as I am aware he is sleeping on a park bench.
What does he do next ???

A friend of mine

Ring you, ie his friend and ask to borrow the sofa?

That sorts out his immediate needs.

[Perhaps you can help him further as he has a job to go to he can pay back]

As for the rest, well you can be sanctioned for loosing your job, so the decision is correct, whats wierd is the delay in coming to the decision.

Are we getting the full story? You normally don't get crisis loans or the hardship if you live with someone you don't have to rent to (ie a family member, partner).

How did he pay his rent the the first 6 months?

D70

AnxiousMum

DSeventy - I thought exactly the same thing to be honest, but.....it could be that the friend doesn't live anywhere near the OP - I have friends all over the country - but if they were at the other end of the country, don't know that I'd be able to have them on the sofa and have them commute from here to their new job

OP - it really doesn't sound like you've got ALL of the story here. How old is the friend? Was the friend staying with family? Were they not getting housing benefit/LHA when on JSA? They would be entitled to LHA even if sanctioned for JSA wouldn't they? It all sounds as though there's something missing - as there is, in reality, no reason in this country for anybody to be sleeping on a park bench.

Blueeyes21

dseventy wrote: »

Ring you, ie his friend and ask to borrow the sofa?

That sorts out his immediate needs.

[Perhaps you can help him further as he has a job to go to he can pay back]

As for the rest, well you can be sanctioned for loosing your job, so the decision is correct, whats wierd is the delay in coming to the decision.

Are we getting the full story? You normally don't get crisis loans or the hardship if you live with someone you don't have to rent to (ie a family member, partner).

How did he pay his rent the the first 6 months?

D70

I can't do anything I live too far away to be off any help.:(

There was NO delay with the decision. The decision was made back when he made the fresh claim that he WAS entitled to JSA and he was awarded it. They seemed happy enough with the explanation and the paperwork proving what had happened regarding his dismissal.
They have decided now (well two weeks ago) to sanction him, 6 months after leaving his job and awarding him JSA initially.

He wasn't 'renting' anywhere. He was living in house with other people and as far as I can gather, paying for a spare room.
He's been paying this for the last 6 months with the JSA he was awarded last september and issued every fortnight.

Blueeyes21

AnxiousMum wrote: »

OP - it really doesn't sound like you've got ALL of the story here. How old is the friend? Was the friend staying with family? Were they not getting housing benefit/LHA when on JSA? They would be entitled to LHA even if sanctioned for JSA wouldn't they? It all sounds as though there's something missing - as there is, in reality, no reason in this country for anybody to be sleeping on a park bench.

He's 31 years old.

Not family just people he knew who were letting out a spare room.

No there is no reason for anyone to be sleeping on a park bench, but if he has no family, and no means to live that is exactly what's going to happen.
He couldn't even get money to GET to a hostel .. never mind pay for it.:mad:

dseventy

Blueeyes21 wrote: »

I can't do anything I live too far away to be off any help.:(

Really? If he really sleeping outside tonight and you are a friend can't you pay over the phone for a B&B/hotel?

Blueeyes21 wrote: »

He wasn't 'renting' anywhere. He was living in house with other people and as far as I can gather, paying for a spare room.
He's been paying this for the last 6 months with the JSA he was awarded last september and issued every fortnight.

He was paying this out of his JSA? JSA is ~£65 a week. What kind of place was he staying in.

Plus, he is 31, not 91, why could he not walk the 7 miles to a hostel? Surely a few hours walk is better than sleeping outside.

Sorry, something is not right here and we don't have the full story. He is either spinning a yarn or you are.

There is no need to sleep outside in this day and age!

D70

skintbint_2

work boots are required to be supplied by the employer under health and safety and that would be the reason he was refused that.
when a claim to jsa is made he would have recieved a letter stating he was entitled to benefit as this is standard until a full formal decision is made, and it can take a long time, the decision maker has to write to the employer, await replies, write back again with any question and again wait for a reply etc etc hence the length of time it can take. Hardship is not normally paid for the first two weeks of a sanction and depending on his circumstances may not be awarded. Crisis loan would also not be awarded as he has no means of repayment.

as for the interview, it depends on lots of different things and it is not cut and dried - did he apply before he went for assistance, is it in the area he isnexpected to look for work anyway, - as for the training course the same - was it organised by the jobcentre, was it something he organised himself, where was it in relation to where he lived etc etc.

and unfortunately it is not the jobcentres problem if he has been refused a crisis loan, hardship etc they have regulations and guidance to follow and cannot make payments for food or travelling to a hostel as there is no fund they can access for this.

i think you have to get the full story as other posters have mentioned

Blueeyes21

dseventy wrote: »

Really? If he really sleeping outside tonight and you are a friend can't you pay over the phone for a B&B/hotel?




He was paying this out of his JSA? JSA is ~£65 a week. What kind of place was he staying in.

Plus, he is 31, not 91, why could he not walk the 7 miles to a hostel? Surely a few hours walk is better than sleeping outside.

Sorry, something is not right here and we don't have the full story. He is either spinning a yarn or you are.

There is no need to sleep outside in this day and age!

D70

:question:
Yes I probably could, If I had a credit card. If I could get in touch with him, and If I had a spare £50.00.


Yes, he was paying £40.00 per week for his room. It was a house with four other people in. Nothing unusual about that from what I can see ..

Well yes Im sure he could have walked 7 miles to a hostel, but how was he suppose to pay for the hostel once he got there??:huh:


Spinning yarns???.
Erm ...:think: .. Why and what for ?? ..:huh:

I guess he has a bit more on his mind than logging in here and spinning yarns at the moment too!!:hello:

So as I say, If he has no family, and not a penny to his name, he doesn't have much option does he but to sleep where he can.:doh:
So, ..:idea: .. any idea what he should do???:wall:

viktory

Blueeyes21 wrote: »

He couldn't even get money to GET to a hostel .. never mind pay for it.:mad:

Really? A fit and healthy man couldn't walk seven miles?

Wee_Willy_Harris

If (and there usually is) there is a direct access hostel in the area, they should accept him without an up-front payment (bedspace permiting). He must have some friends or family on whos charity he can fall as a short term measure, at least until his appeal is dealt with. And perhaps if you, as his friend, could be a bit more positive, that might help him to cope appropriately. Simply chanting the mantra "he has no money" isn't exactly constructive.

Blueeyes21

skintbint wrote: »

Crisis loan would also not be awarded as he has no means of repayment.

as for the interview, it depends on lots of different things and it is not cut and dried - did he apply before he went for assistance, is it in the area he isnexpected to look for work anyway, - as for the training course the same - was it organised by the jobcentre, was it something he organised himself, where was it in relation to where he lived etc etc.

and unfortunately it is not the jobcentres problem if he has been refused a crisis loan, hardship etc they have regulations and guidance to follow and cannot make payments for food or travelling to a hostel as there is no fund they can access for this.

i think you have to get the full story as other posters have mentioned

Firstly I have the full story, otherwise I wouldn't have taken the time to log into here, write this post, and await a reply.
I get my facts before I open my mouth.:cool:

The interview was out of the area .. but how that is relevant I don't know.
He's trying to get a job, this was a job he applied for (the same type of job he is qualified to do) I'm sure had he had the choice he would have prefered one a bit nearer to his park bench!! .. but a job is what he needs and needs must.
The JC obviously don't think so, they would also prefer him to get one nearer, that way he can walk there.

No, you are right, it is not the JC'c problem if he has been refused a crisis loan.
From what I can gather, the role of the JC is to find him work, help him back into work, and support him as and when they can.:huh:
So from this point of view they're not fullfilling their role.:mad:

How is he suppose to get a job if he can't get to an interview?:(

How is he suppose to accept a job if he can't actually GET to the job??:(

How is he suppose to spend 8 hours doing a job if he cannot eat??:(

How is he suppose to turn up for a job (even if he could walk there) if he has no where to sleep??:(

:hello: anyone out there???:wall: