urgent! help with bus fare (back to work)

trygetback

Hi, hope someone could share me a thought.

I am on job seeker allowance, just being offer a job on phone for next week.

I am very cash tight and really need help for the bus fare, it cost over £60 for a month and I won't get my salary until the pay day(that would be one month later).

Job center just told me to contact my flexible deal center. my flexible new deal center always happy to give me bus voucher to job interview. However,they seemed not interest for me to start a job.

Eventually(after I nearly begging) they said they might spare me a week bus voucher but they just told me to contact them while I work!

(STILL don't know how to get the bus voucher yet as I would be working and couldn't turn up to their office to obtain the voucher - one has to sign in order to get the bus voucher, anyway they just don't WANT to know)

I remember last year I went into a drop-in job advice center for advice. There's a note on the notice board announcing there would be help with 4 weeks bus for 'back to work' help.

Unfortunately, now the drop- in center had closed months ago due to the public funding.

Now I have no one to turn to. I really want this job, could anyone help, please!

Mikazaru

Do you have any family that could lend you the money in the short term until you get paid? Loan from a Credit Union?

Have a look on car sharing sites and see if you can car share with someone, which would be cheaper, how far is it?

TheHangingJudge

Don't know what this "flexible deal centre is" ... but the Job Centre might be able to offer ££ upfront to purchase a bus ticket through the flexible support fund, deprived areas fund/flexible fund. Those funds exist to help remove barriers to employment. You need to speak to your Job Centre adviser.

That being said, those 3 funds have been widely abused, with people getting the cash for work clothing, travel costs etc ... then blowing the money on other things. That might explain why in your area they're only offering a bus voucher/travel warrant.

trygetback

Dear Mikazaru,

thanks for your advice.

would try my best for the car share, but not much hope as my area is a very poor area, everyone use buses.

no frineds/families help neither as everyone I know are on the same boat, no spare as cash all out for gas meter etc.

Thanks a lot.

dugdale_2

If by flexible deal centre you mean your stage 4 (flexible new deal) provider unfortunately the jobcentre may not be able to assist you with funding for your bus pass. This responsibility lies with your stage 4 provider and is what they get paid , under their contract, to do.

trygetback

Dear TheHangingJudge,

Thanks for your advice.

I do agree that sometimes the system being abused.

I did get help for my interview clothes after I repeated endlessly my request to the job center people. The staffs were not trained properly or they could give you a proper useful answer/help. You had to book appointment just to speak to them.

I asked if I could buy proper clothes at my local charity shops (I found something totally less than £10 for my coming job interview). I could get the receipt and showing them the clothes.
Instead I was told to go to an assigned shop first to get the price and the items code and descriptions.



Then I had to book another appointment to report the price etc. I found out it must be a ‘all-white’ shirt and black trouser and black shoes (don’t know why they not telling me at the first time) at the appointment. My list was ‘pearl-white color shirt, black trousers and brown shoes’.

So I had to repeat all the process again. Went to the shop and this time, I approached the cashier for advice. Thanks for her, I learnt that not all white shirt/black trousers/black shoes were on the official list, and she helped me to draw the list and we checked which one had my size/in stock as well.


Book another appointment with job center and eventually I got the permission and an official paper to bring to the shop in order to exchange those assigned clothes. No money change hand whatsoever.


I could assure you that the rule to get clothes was very tight/lots of procedures for my case.

It took me more than whole week to get it all done. Luckily I could manage to the job center and that shop by foot (an hour walk). And I was grateful for the clothes as well.

Job seekers don’t get bus fare to visit job center or doing sign-on.

I didn’t get any help for bus fare to attend job interview neither.

Nowadays everyone is stopped at the job center front desk. One had to book an appointment to make simple enquiries. I had booked 3 separate appointments to see some ‘advisors’ before. Each one told me different things.

This time, the job center just told me to approach my flexible deal center instead. They just send me away.

Wish you have a good day and I am grateful for all the advises.

trygetback

dugdale wrote: »

If by flexible deal centre you mean your stage 4 (flexible new deal) provider unfortunately the jobcentre may not be able to assist you with funding for your bus pass. This responsibility lies with your stage 4 provider and is what they get paid , under their contract, to do.

Many thanks for your reply.

I am not sure what stage I am, I think I am on stage 2...

The bus pass - could I get more than a week help?

McKneff

Find out how much a month/week buss pass is, probably much less than paying daily, then go from there.

How far is your job away from your home, would walking or borrowing a bike for a month be feasible.

trygetback

McKneff wrote: »

Find out how much a month/week buss pass is, probably much less than paying daily, then go from there.

How far is your job away from your home, would walking or borrowing a bike for a month be feasible.

Thanks for your advice.

Yes , the monthly bus fare is a bit cheaper for the daily. I am cash tight and there would be no money in until the pay day (one month later).

I am trying my best to look round any help for bus fare to work.

Sorry couldn't walk to (I walk everywhere if I could nowadays to save money) or riding a bike to work.

Thanks again for your help.

Snakeeyes21

What part of the country do you live? theres various schemes dotted around that will lend you a moped 50cc or 125cc for a minimal weekly fee.

They pay for your cbt training a 1 day course, provide protective clothing and pay for the insurance.

My local one is called wheels2work, and charged £15 per week when I looked in to it, but similar schemes are dotted all over.. usually they can get it all sorted and you on 2 wheels within the week..

pebbles88

trygetback wrote: »

Many thanks for your reply.

I am not sure what stage I am, I think I am on stage 2...

The bus pass - could I get more than a week help?

if you are stage 2 then you would be in the 13-26 week part of your claim, what date have you been claiming from?

if you are stage 4 - and the jobcentre are saying you need to contact your flexible new deal provider, then they are correct, as once you reach stage 4 & have been referred, you are no longer eligible for any other job centre schemes/help as your provider are the ones that have to help you then, as has already been said, thats what they are paid for.