New Enterprise Allowance scheme - My story

Andy2013

AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH this sounds so familiar, so to clarify for any job centre advisors reading this whom dont know there job the deal is this.

If you are put onto NEA and the process has begun even at the business plan stage and going forward into the induction the minions ( us poor !!!!!!s trying to escape the JSA rat trap ) DO NOT have to do job search and can focus on the build up to going self employed this also means no more filling in the job booklet thing that people lied in ( not me of course!! )

This was clarified by the head of this scheme when i also got jumped for not filling it in and i hit the roof as i had been told not to, which turned out to be true, as once you sign onto NEA even when your still receiving the last few JSA payments before you switch to NEA money you are classed as self employed .

On a previous post i mentioned on the last sign on day i was waiting to do the hand over onto NEA and the "advisor" dopey git asked me if i had used universal job search that day ................ my response was load and angry as this t*** had known all along i was no longer doing the job search stuff and my parting gift to him and the job centre was to explain to him how useless he had been and a quick run down of the scheme ,during which he looked baffled!!

And relax ................

I have found though that since leaving the JC my swearing torrets has got so much better!

pinkypoopydoo

I signed on today, my adviser had already received the stuff from BG, so I've been given the NEA application form, and have to hand it in when I sign on in a fortnight, then I phone and sign off on Monday 3rd June, and the NEA payments kick in from that date (apparantly!)

Andy2013

So this morning i checked my account to see how the transition for the £65 to the lower rate £33 had gone and no surprise there was no money.

I took a visit to my old JC and spoke to a fellow i dealt with a while ago and it turns out that the JC are supposed to contact us before the change over to check we are still trading and that things are viable and then if all is good they fill in more peprwork and send it of for the next 13 weeks lower rate payments, so a warning to all involved that at 12 weeks of trading you chase it up because my JC "forgot" to inform me of this and payments stopped, luckily i spoke to the only person in the place who knew what day of the week it was and hopefully next week its back on.

Just a warning ,good luck

pinkypoopydoo

Andy2013 wrote: »

So this morning i checked my account to see how the transition for the £65 to the lower rate £33 had gone and no surprise there was no money.

I took a visit to my old JC and spoke to a fellow i dealt with a while ago and it turns out that the JC are supposed to contact us before the change over to check we are still trading and that things are viable and then if all is good they fill in more peprwork and send it of for the next 13 weeks lower rate payments, so a warning to all involved that at 12 weeks of trading you chase it up because my JC "forgot" to inform me of this and payments stopped, luckily i spoke to the only person in the place who knew what day of the week it was and hopefully next week its back on.

Just a warning ,good luck

Yes, I got told today that I have to go in at Weeks 6 & 13 (one other week as well, but I forget offhand which one). My adviser put reminders into the system for herself, to send out the appointments at the appropriate time. I've complained so much about my adviser, but, reading about other peoples experiences makes me realise that actually, I might have got a half decent one. She may be an old trout, but she's been totally on the ball when it comes to going self employed, and I should actually count myself lucky!

Andy2013

I was not even told that ,i just assemd that as most things there are disorganised this would be no different and i was right so i was prepared .

It does seem that there is no standard procedure for anything NEA and most people posting here have variations of the same experience, all with slight differences here and there , and this could be the main problem as each county/area have a different company providing the scheme and each seems to do things there own way.

It seems a good idea to bring us in for a chat every now and then , at least i would have seen someone in the last 4 months, instead i think i was being forgotten and had i not gone in today to chase the money i dont think i would ever have heard from NEA again.

pinkypoopydoo

I also had an email from my BG mentor today telling me to enjoy my weekend, and to take the opportunity to relax before I was signed off, and she said she would be in contact a few times over the next 26 weeks of my NEA.

It's pretty bad that such an important initiative is so poorly carried out in some areas, when other areas seem to be really on the ball - it should be a standard service.

I often feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick, but I think I got lucky this time, and am very grateful.

andyscott

Was in Job Centre today to appeal my sanction in the hope that I can get my business started up as soon as possible and get off JSA.

I was told that I could not appeal it today but they would be in touch with me on Monday because they have to find out why they sanctioned me.

First it was problems with diary, then it was for cancelling a Working Programme appointment to attend job interview, that was until I found out today that my sanction started before that date.

So now they are saying they dont have a clue why I have been sanctioned but still I need to wait until next week before I can take it any further. In the meantime they are still not paying me any money.

BigAl127

Andy2013 wrote: »

So this morning i checked my account to see how the transition for the £65 to the lower rate £33 had gone and no surprise there was no money.

I took a visit to my old JC and spoke to a fellow i dealt with a while ago and it turns out that the JC are supposed to contact us before the change over to check we are still trading and that things are viable and then if all is good they fill in more peprwork and send it of for the next 13 weeks lower rate payments, so a warning to all involved that at 12 weeks of trading you chase it up because my JC "forgot" to inform me of this and payments stopped, luckily i spoke to the only person in the place who knew what day of the week it was and hopefully next week its back on.

Just a warning ,good luck

Thanks for the advance warning. :beer:

andyscott

Well hopefully now I can start getting the ball rolling with regards to my business idea.

Have been trying to get jobcentre to sort out why they have sanctioned me and today they admitted that I was wrongly sanctioned and they will pay me my 4 weeks of JSA that they never gave me.

I was expecting the money to go in today but they are saying it will be wednesday before it goes in.

Now because they cant do their job properly it will now result in me getting hit with a £28 charge due to not having enough funds for direct debit.

then next month when they take the £28 charge it will probably take me over again resulting in another charge.

WantToBeSE

Jeez, I know that I am sounding like Moaning Myrtle at the moment, but I STILL haven't heard from my 'Mentor'!
So it's now over a month!

I am going insane, all of this waiting around. I think I am going to order some flyers and put adverts in shops/post offices etc after half-term, and go from there.