job centre 'travel to interview' scheme stopped!

Ihatecameron

Thatchapdean wrote: »

There was a link in the thread

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Jobseekers/programmesandservices/DG_173631

"Important update: Travel to Interview scheme is now closed
The Travel to Interview scheme is now closed. Please speak to your Jobcentre Plus adviser for more information."

If you ask a JCP adviser, they will probably say "I didn't know we had one"

persa

Thank you. I will call tomorrow.

Very worried - I wouldn't have agreed to travel 500 miles for an interview if I wasn't getting help with the costs - if I have to cancel, I will be messing the company about, as well as the agency that got me the interview in the first place.

Thatchapdean

TBH Persa any agreements/arrangements made before the scheme was closed should be met and covered (you would hope anyhow).

Good luck.

persa

Thatchapdean wrote: »

TBH Persa any agreements/arrangements made before the scheme was closed should be met and covered (you would hope anyhow).

Good luck.

The JC member of staff arranged the appointment for a couple of days before my interview - didn't seem keen to have it any earlier - I will call to clarify, because if it turns out I can't get any help at the last minute, I really won't have any chance of scraping the money together. It would be a really push now, but it would be impossible to pay for a last minute train ticket for that kind of distance.

Anyway, thanks all for the heads up. I was told they were cracking down on claims because some people had abused the scheme in the past (using it for a jolly rather than an interview), but not that it was being scrapped.

Braintree

Oh no! Just sent a rather awkward email to someone who rang arranging an interview two weeks ago but has yet to give me a time, only the date and location! I just wanted something more formal so I could arrange an appointment with the Jobcentre and find out what I could get. I'm so annoyed and angry; I asked an adviser at a Back to Work session on the 28th March about the interview costs scheme and she said NOTHING about the scheme closing less than two weeks later!

Sorry for the rant but it took me a long time (and my own initiative) to get an interview and being under 25 I get a low JSA rate per week so a few quid towards my train fare, I have a 16-25 railcard so would have saved them a few quid too , from Southampton to London would have been helpful.

MsHoarder

Braintree wrote: »

Oh no! Just sent a rather awkward email to someone who rang arranging an interview two weeks ago but has yet to give me a time, only the date and location! I just wanted something more formal so I could arrange an appointment with the Jobcentre and find out what I could get. I'm so annoyed and angry; I asked an adviser at a Back to Work session on the 28th March about the interview costs scheme and she said NOTHING about the scheme closing less than two weeks later!

Sorry for the rant but it took me a long time (and my own initiative) to get an interview and being under 25 I get a low JSA rate per week so a few quid towards my train fare, I have a 16-25 railcard so would have saved them a few quid too , from Southampton to London would have been helpful.

It isn't closing, but you need to ask before you go to the interview. Then the Job Centre will give you a rail "warrant" to get you there by train. You can't buy your own tickets then hand them in for a reimbursement though!

sammyjammy

MsHoarder wrote: »

It isn't closing, but you need to ask before you go to the interview. Then the Job Centre will give you a rail "warrant" to get you there by train. You can't buy your own tickets then hand them in for a reimbursement though!

Err yes it is, did you actually read the link provided?

SeduLOUs

juggler7 wrote: »

wow...I have been to 3 interviews which cost me £75 last week thanks to the rip-off train fares, and I was hoping I would be able to claim the money back, but it looks like the travel to interview scheme has stopped...

I mean what is the government doing? trying to make it as miserable as possible for those who are poor? some of us are trying to dig our way out, not all of us are scrounging scum

the whole reason I don't have a job is because of government cuts in the first place, and now we are getting penalised like it is our fault! as if we are all lazy dopers...

honestly I am sick of this

I'll hazard a guess that it's because the job centre fork out huge train fares for people to go to interview and then they reject the job because of the travel aspect.

If you spent £75 travelling for 3 days you would be spending £125 a week if you got the job - it would have to be a fairly well paying job to justify the travel costs.

I understand that finding the money once employed isn't as much of a problem as when you don't have a job - it's just my take on why they might have decided to scrap it.

Jane_Moorman

I had to travel to Birmingham from Hertfordshire last week and called and went to see the Job Centre. I had the option of getting a rail fair warrant, or going by car.
The first option I would have to have provided a print out of the fare from traveline.co.uk or such like, and the car option I had to print out the route from the AA website. I decided to go by car to cut down on travelling time, and was told I had to return the claim form within 24 hours of the interview.
I was told I would be allowed 25p a mile up the costs of the train fare. I was also told it would take 4 weeks to process!
However this was the 31st March, so maybe the new system is in place from the 1st April.

Braintree

MsHoarder wrote: »

It isn't closing, but you need to ask before you go to the interview. Then the Job Centre will give you a rail "warrant" to get you there by train. You can't buy your own tickets then hand them in for a reimbursement though!

I just rang my local Jobcentre and it is closing! As the link said. There is also no ADF anymore. The, slightly embarrassed sounding, advisor on the phone said that a new scheme is due to replace it but couldn't give much detail and couldn't say when.

To be honest I don't agree with people not taking up roles because they are too far. I've been very conscious of where I apply to and could I (and would I want to) relocate. For low wage, basic jobs I've stuck to my local area and for jobs that are more specialised and will help my career/postgraduate prospects I've looked further afield. The employers are inviting the best candidates for the role; regardless of location and jobseekers are aware of "Get on your bike" mantra of The Conservatives, or what used to be their mantra, and are making the best of a bad situation.

I'm aware a lot of people can't relocate or don't want to. They shouldn't be punished and neither should those, like myself, who have no ties who are willing to move around with a little help.