JSA Stopped for doing the right thing?

kevinUK_2

Hello all, this is my first post here as i don't know where else to get advice.

So onto the subject, My JSA has been stopped as i have apparently not taken appropriate steps to looking for work. If anyone has claimed before they will know that you should take a minimum of '3 steps' per week before your next sign on date.

I am appealing against the decision as on the first week i have 4 steps on the second week i have 7 steps to looking for work, i have proof of this as i was going to one of their training programs and the office i went to has all my job searches logged in computers and on paper.

Where do i stand? I have had letters now from the council saying that they can't pay housing benefit for a period of the 2 weeks in question and now i apparently owe them money which i can't pay as i have now got no source of income.

I would like to mention i am not a scrounger, i was in a job just before christmas but had to quit for health reasons. I am looking for work still but the jobcentre claims i do not..

Where do i go from here? I don't know where to turn and i'm not getting any sleep over this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

viktory

Your appeal will either be accepted or not. You have not given anywhere near enough information for us to go advise. You say that you have completed more than the necessary steps in order to claim JSA - they say you have not. Has your letter of appeal been sent?

charchar_3

I feel your pain Kevin, mine had just been declined (only signed on once after changing from income support), i have no idea where i'll turn too next either if my letter that i sent to the JC results in my application being declined again!

kevinUK_2

viktory wrote: »

Your appeal will either be accepted or not. You have not given anywhere near enough information for us to go advise. You say that you have completed more than the necessary steps in order to claim JSA - they say you have not. Has your letter of appeal been sent?

The appeal has been sent yes, as for information what kind do you need?

My steps were to look in 3 different areas:

1. Look in papers (looked in 3)
2. Look on the internet (i have a recorded session of job search at the recruitment office i was sent to)
3. Contact at least one employer (i contacted as many as possible)

I did this and more for both weeks, i don't know how they can say i didn't meet the minimum requirements as i did.

Another thing i tried to tell the jobcentre adviser was yes there may be jobs in other towns, but i can only apply if i can get there, i rely on public transport. I have applied for jobs out of town, but i can't apply for a job if i can't turn up on time to it.

The biggest problem is i kept calm and spoke to the jobcentre manager, he took a look at my jobsearch book and said there was no reason why the advisor should of put me to a decision maker. The manager was more than happy with what i had written down, but because the adviser had already put it through to be looked at, it is out of his hands.

To me that seems an error on the advisors part but i can't really prove it if they won't accept my evidence when it comes time showing them again.

viktory

Well it sounds like you have done some job searching, in my opinion not enough, but that's just me

Did you actually apply for any jobs? Print off your CV and take to a number of local businesses? Phone round? Register with multiple agencies?

Reading between the lines I suspect it is the "I can't get to other towns" that has stymied you. If there is public transport to other towns you will be expected to apply for jobs in said towns.

Now, however, your appeal is in and all you can do now is wait.

Marisco

In all fairness, if someone cannot get public transport to get to work at the time required, then it's seems pointless applying for those jobs!!! There are other ways depending on how far it is, but he said he left work for health reasons, so maybe he cannot walk far or ride a bike.

viktory

Marisco wrote: »

In all fairness, if someone cannot get public transport to get to work at the time required, then it's seems pointless applying for those jobs!!! There are other ways depending on how far it is, but he said he left work for health reasons, so maybe he cannot walk far or ride a bike.

In all fairness, we don't know if the OP genuinely can't get to these jobs. ONe person might feel a five mile walk too far - others would be happy to walk this distance if there were the possibility of a job. There aren't many places that are so isolated that there is no public transport.

ACon

I'm shocked you got dropped so quick when people I know have been signing on for years and manage to write "looked in papers" and "no jobs" on their job search and get away with it! I suppose it's due to a total lack of jobs in my area, and no public transport lol

dogfish12

I would go to your local MP, Euro MP or Assembly Member in Wales or Scotland. Sounds like somebody getting too big for their boots to me. The truth is that there are too few jobs to go around. If the state wants mass disorder, well its going the right way about it.

Thanet62

KevinUK also feel your pain mate. I was pulled up for doing exactly the same. I have registered my CV with numerous agency sites and have a daily list of emails which I search and can apply immediately or ring first for more details. Some days I send applications for jobs that are out of the area or want experience I don't have, other days ideal jobs are listed and I apply. Know what? NOTHING I might receive a reply to say my application has been sent BUT from then on in NOTHING. I keep a copy of all these jobs and have presented them when I sign on.
Ringing employers sounds great in practice but you normally get "sorry no vacancies" or as is the norm "all vacancies are on line check there" (BTW there are none in most cases).
Sounds to me your doing your bit. Don't let them get you down, keep looking and best of luck.

morganedge

ACon wrote: »

I'm shocked you got dropped so quick when people I know have been signing on for years and manage to write "looked in papers" and "no jobs" on their job search and get away with it! I suppose it's due to a total lack of jobs in my area, and no public transport lol

Absolutely!!
I know loads of people who sign on, and they typically just write 'looked in paper' or 'ask mate if any jobs at his place' and they have never had so much as a warning.
How can it vary so much from town to town??

Assuming you wrote down at least 6 things, I, like the jobcentre manager, cant understand what the problem is!?
Did they literally just look at your booklet and tell you there and then that it wasn't good enough?
Or was the issue with your previous weeks jobsearch/log? (which would give them time to check that you did what you said you did)

Hope it works out for you.