JSA Stopped for doing the right thing?

kevinUK_2

Thanks for all the reply's. I have had a letter through today saying that i can't be paid for the 24th of february, but will be paid from the 10th march. The period i wasn't allowed to be paid was from the 24th of february-9th of march(my 2 week period in doubt).

There is nothing that says my appeal has been successfull but this letter says they will pay me from the 10th of march so does that mean my appeal was a success? or am i just hoping and reading it wrong.

Mupette

kevinUK wrote: »

Just to Clarify on some of the questions.

I don't have health problems that effect everything, just some type of work i can't do as i have very sensitive skin, i had to quit a construction job as it burned me quite badly with the chems they were using.

Transport is an issue as to get to a job in the closest town would be fine if there was actually any work available. I would consider jobs in other towns to but it's the matter of getting there. It's not just a simple 5 mile walk or bike ride(which i am fine with), to get to a job in town the earliest bus is 9 am, most of the jobs i see start at 9.

Other jobs in the next towns most start around that time to, so to get there its not just simply get on a bus or train and then its ok as i live in a small village and sign on in closest town. Jjust to give an example: i got offered a job which started at 10am, my earliest bus to get into 1 town was 9am and the journey is 20-30 minutes, i would then have to get to the train station to catch the train to the other town and thats another half hour journey just to get to the city then make my way to the job location.

As for not looking for work enough, i check the internet daily, i ring up agency's 3-4 times a week, i get the local paper when it comes out i also get other papers. When i am in town i look around in shop windows, i even coldcall. I do everything i can to look for work, i hate being on benefits it is degrading, but i have to live.

@ concerned, i have tried to ask for a crisis loan but they said i can't have one while my case is being looked at. I live by myself and don't have any family to rely on, so atm im in my house with no electric and i am living off sandwiches etc. It's rough living, and i can cope for now, but i can't for much longer.

@ morganedge: Yes i sat down, went to sign paperwork as she asked, then she said apparently that i had not done enough to look for a job and i didn't argue because i'm not the type. I went home and thought nothing of it, a few days later they sent me a letter saying they couldn't pay me for the period of 2 weeks i had just signed for. This letter said i will not be getting paid and my claim is being looked at to see if it is still relevant.

The thing that annoy's me the most is i try my hardest, i sit, roll over and follow any orders to keep them happy because jsa keeps me going, i try 10x harder than these who only want to live on benefits yet i am the one who is getting looked at. It makes me sick

how you running your t'internet and pc?

Blobby8_2

Its gone very quiet

briggy

re housing benefit, if you provide proof to you LA that you had no income while your JSA had stopped it should be reinstated for this period

sardine

From an outsiders point of view and never had to visit that awful place they call the Jobcentre (have friends that have and they are all of that opinion), it seems that this is a variation on a theme.

The poster has complied correctly with what is required of him according to the contract.
However does the contract also say ' together with any other action that the Jobcentre may think necessary to secure employment'?

It seems that the poster has complied with the law, but not maybe the spirit of it. He could probably have done more than the minimum but didn't!

Having said that, the law is the law and it stipulates the MINIMUM requirements. No one should be penalised if it is found that they could have done a lot more but chose not to but only enough to satisfy the law.

The guy could have sent off 100 copies of his CV every week, telephoned 100 potential employers each week and read every newspaper that is printed in the UK. But that is not what is required of him - that would be his choice whether to look any harder that he is required to do so.

I would be interested to know what the requirements are of the contract. Satisfy just those, then he need not try any harder, despite what the DWP might expect him to do.

real1314

kevinUK wrote: »

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

Right, first off let's get it clear. You have not been sanctioned for "doing the right thing" - a nice emotive way to put things, but it's not true.

You've been sanctioned for not doing enough.

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.

Key word - Minimum

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.

So, the minimum was 6 and you did 7. Is that really going to get you into work? Were there things you realistically could have done that you didn't? Was there anything you were advised to do that you chose not to do?

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.

Have you contacted the council to discuss the issue? I'm no expert on this scenario but I think you'd still get HB if you take the time to carry out the correct procedures.

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..

Were your health reasons confirmed by your GP or another health professional?

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.

Where do you go from here?

Call the council
Call the jobcentre
Do more to get a job

cassieB57

kevinUK wrote: »

Thanks for all the reply's. I have had a letter through today saying that i can't be paid for the 24th of february, but will be paid from the 10th march. The period i wasn't allowed to be paid was from the 24th of february-9th of march(my 2 week period in doubt).

There is nothing that says my appeal has been successfull but this letter says they will pay me from the 10th of march so does that mean my appeal was a success? or am i just hoping and reading it wrong.

No, if it does go to appeal this could take as long as 2 or 3 months-you will receive a copy of the appeal submission papers. All that has happened is that your benefit has been suspended or sanctioned for those 2 weeks, and your benefit will continue to be paid after that as long as you satisfy the criteria for claiming.

Have you only been told your JSA is suspended while a decision maker looks into your entitlement, (more likely, given the short time that has passed) or actually disallowed.?

sardine

real1314 wrote: »

Where do you go from here?

Call the council
Call the jobcentre
Do more to get a job

But quite honestly he only is REQUIRED to do the MINIMUM!
What you think, what I think is immaterial. It cannot be the case that someone from the jobcentre has a personal opinion that the minimum is not enough. Even accepting that with more effort, employment might be found.

If I were the poster, I would get a copy of the contract and establish what the minimum requirements are and match that with the actions that he has taken. Unless there is an over riding clause that the personal opinion and whim of a clerk can increase the minumum whenever they feel like it, then I would be creating holy hell down there!

It is human nature when you find something difficult or distasteful, you only put in the minimum of effort. I have done that myself in jobs that I have done - just enough that was required of me.
I know if I was only marking time, or happy whilst on benefits, the last thing I would be doing is more than was required of me.

As I say, get a copy of the contract and then it can be seen who is right.

dogfish12

I read the jobs pages in the local paper this week. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. The jcp clerk (hidden agendas, perhaps) who also got out of the wrong side of the bed that morning doubts my story. And decides to go to the higher ups. Only a lie detector can prove the claimants side. Just give the unemployed the money. Millions are being wasted tonight in Libya.

Print_Screen

CCFC_80 wrote: »

Previous threads on this subject suggests that JCP staff are under pressure to meet targets and to try and sanction at least one person a day and refer their claims to DM's if they believe they are not trying hard enough to look for work.

This is just not on especially if people are sticking to their JSA agreement.

Yes agreed, I remember reading a thread that a certain percentage of Job seeker have the be referred to the decision maker.
If this is true and the particular advisor doesn't have enough people not seeking jobs to refer then innocent people will get screwed to meet the targets