Jobcentres 'tricking' people out of benefits to cut costs

one_life_left

"Jobcentres 'tricking' people out of benefits to cut costs, says whistleblower"

"Soaring number of sanctions against unemployed amid claims that DWP staff are being told to trip people up with paperwork"

"Rising numbers of vulnerable jobseekers are being tricked into losing benefits amid growing pressure to meet welfare targets, a Jobcentre Plus adviser has told the Guardian."

recent guardian article hidden away in the politics section... new user unable to post link so you'll have to search if interested.

nottoolate

this?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/apr/01/jobcentres-tricking-people-benefit-sanctions

one_life_left

that'll be the one. thank you.

milfield

Here's your answer - same general subject in a different thread:

Adereterial wrote: »

OK.

Data table showing the number of DMA referrals from 2000 until October 2010.
http://83.244.183.180/sanction/sanction/LIVE/dec_var_dec/d_indate/jcreg/a_stock_r_d_indate_c_jcreg_oct10.html

Made using this tool, freely available.
http://83.244.183.180/sanction/sanction/LIVE/tabtool.html

Note, if you will, the decrease in the number of referrals across August-October last year.
Also note that referral levels are roughly the same now as they were at the beginning of the report.

Claimant numbers monthly can be found through the Office of National Statistics (Here: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/Product.asp?vlnk=1944, sorry, it won't let me link to a direct table unlike the DWP figures.)

Number claiming in October 2008 - 970,300
Number of referrals in October 2008 - 27,660 - 1 referral for roughly every 35 people claiming JSA.

Number claiming in October 2010 - 1,416,800
Number of referrals in October 2010 - 35,930 - 1 referral for roughly every 39 people claiming JSA.

So... a decrease in the overall number of referrals when factored as a percentage of overall claimant numbers.

CAB got it wrong, very wrong - yes, there are 10,000 more referrals in October 2010. There are also over half a million MORE people signing on.

I say it again - Correlation does not equal cause and effect.

Proc

So claimants don't do things properly because they're lazy and lethargic then wonder why they get sanctioned? The people in that article either didn't bother turning up to interviews, didn't bother to chase up on paperwork that they were expecting to receive or weren't even keeping evidence of jobs that they're applying to.

I'm glad the system is coming down on these people.

Always_Harassed

Not everyone that claims benefits knows the system.

Widelats

milfield wrote: »

Here's your answer - same general subject in a different thread:

Thats no answer, the data there is really just confirming that the jobcentre have specific targets of referring people, doesn't matter how many sign on their target remains the same regardless.

one_life_left

Always_Harassed wrote: »

Not everyone that claims benefits knows the system.

indeed. and the dwp certainly haven't signed up for the plain english campaign, as you'll note from the lack of crystal mark on any correspondence you may receive from them. job centre staff have been as confused by letters i have received as i have when asked for clarification.

now, we are all old enough to know that 99.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot (as that one just was) and that you shouldn't believe everything you read in the newspapers, but i type from personal experience having just spent my day, which i would have otherwise spent 'job seeking', at the citizens advice and researching online how to appeal against a decision made against myself - which is how i came across the article and this forum.

my case is water tight and the appeal will certainly go through having fulfilled my job seekers agreement to the letter with supporting evidence to show for it. this will take approximately six weeks i am told. in the meantime however... no money for food or bills, with housing and council tax automatically stopped and needing to be reinstated - that's another day i will be unable to 'job seek'. how is this helping me find employment?

i despair for those more vulnerable than myself.

milfield

Job Centre staff do not trick people out of benefits, and the vast majority of people receive their benefits without any sanctions at all.

The Jobseekers Agreement is a contract and as long as people do what is asked of them in this contract - a minimum of 3 actions per week to look for a job - then they will be okay.

3 actions is a minimum, but it is not a lot to ask of somebody in a whole week really is it? The sad fact is that a number of people (the minority) do not try to get a job. The overwhelming majority however do try very hard and desperately want to work.

Most people are given a warning about their job search not being adequate (not that a warning is required). If they do not take notice of this warning then they fill in paperwork detailing what they have done, or why they haven't done something, it is then sent to a Decision Maker to look at and they decide whether a sanction or disallowance is appropriate.

If there is not enough supporting evidence from the Job Centre, i.e. because of this so-called trickery, then it will be Allowed in favour of the jobseeker.

The benefit is called Jobseekers Allowance - if somebody seeks a job they get an allowance; if they do not seek a job they do not get an allowance.

milfield

one_life_left wrote: »

i type from personal experience having just spent my day, which i would have otherwise spent 'job seeking', at the citizens advice and researching online how to appeal against a decision made against myself - which is how i came across the article and this forum.

One life, if you receive a sanction or disallowance it is best to ask for a Reconsideration first. This is a much quicker process and is usaully decided within days. With your supporting evidence, hopefully you will get it overturned. If the Recon is not Allowed then you would go for an Appeal which as you say can take a fair while as it goes to an Appeal Panel.

I suggest you complete a JSA10 Hardship form in the meantime which may give you 60% of your JSA (you will automatically lose the first 2 weeks of JSA though). If the appeal goes in your favour you will get back the JSA you have lost.

Btw, if you ever ask for a Recon, do not write the phrase 'I am appealing against the decision to ...' as it will have to be treated as an Appeal! I found this out a few months back but was able to get my customer to redo it and got the decision overturned for them.

No trickery from myself there eh.

xxxxxxxxx

so much for a "whistleblower" ....he is most definately from Stockport Job Centre, If i recognise him then I am sure his bosses will!:eek:

he wasnt disguised very well!