The Work Programme New Thread

AP007

Kirri wrote: »

Yep I know, it's crap but you can def get that bus discount one - they really should pay for the photos too or have a way of taking them at the JC for free.

The advisors at the JC up to 12 months are useless for telling people what they are eligible for as well and as for getting the JCP one that's valid up to 12 months, forget it unless you have an appt with the adviser as none of the other staff are allowed or knowledgeable enough to actually provide one (a lot of advisors argued it didn't exist!). I don't know why people aren't allowed to have the bus/train one after 12 months though like they used to be able to - train fares are ridiculously high.

Also, none of the Oyster ticket stops will load the discount onto the Oyster, they all refuse in my area so means going to the nearest underground station (which means paying to travel there at full price). Badly thought out scheme but then everything is if it's connected to the unemployed...

At the station you can ONLY load in £5's so £5 is the minimum but then I can only claim £2.80 and I know you need to have a top up receipt EVERY time you want to claim so what do you use the next time? I will lose out either way.

I see you can not use the tube with this card so I will still need to top up more £ on my oyster card that I have now to use the tube. This is stupid as now I load up £3 and use £2.70 then have £0.30 left and if I did this 10 tims I have £3 to use but with the discount I wont be able to use the tube as I will have no £ on the card ! What a joke the whole thing is.

Either way I stated to the woman 'but you wont give me the £5 in order to get the photos' to which she replied 'no' and I lauged and replied 'therefore I can't get them cause if I had money I wouldn't be claiming £2.70 travel from you. I have not 1p to my name'!

Kirri

Hmm I can see I may fall out with them over this - stupid having to have a top up receipt as that proves nothing really, doesn't even prove someone has even stepped foot on a bus as they could just as easily have topped up and gone out at the weekend and walked to the WP. Won't they let you claim with a print out of the journey history screen from the online Oyster account as that would show the actual fares anyway??

I am due to be referred to the WP shortly... if anyone can tell me anything about Career Dev Group in London I would be interested, from a quick Google they sound like a total waste of time, as well as the usual jobsworthy, rude types.

AP007

Kirri wrote: »

Hmm I can see I may fall out with them over this - stupid having to have a top up receipt as that proves nothing really, doesn't even prove someone has even stepped foot on a bus as they could just as easily have topped up and gone out at the weekend and walked to the WP. Won't they let you claim with a print out of the journey history screen from the online Oyster account as that would show the actual fares anyway??

I am due to be referred to the WP shortly... if anyone can tell me anything about Career Dev Group in London I would be interested, from a quick Google they sound like a total waste of time, as well as the usual jobsworthy, rude types.

I have had that conversation with them already as bus travel does not show for 24 hours AFTER you have used the bus and you can not get off a bus now and go to the station and get a print out as bus travel is capped and they can not do that till one day after this is why now they have backed down and want the top ups

I cant walk 16 mile round trip lol

AP007

Oh worked out something else

On a PAYG Oyster for the BUS with this discount you can not have any other PAYG added to is like for example for the tube so if you want to go on the tube or have an oyster card already you have to pay another £5 for a new Oyster card then you can top up and keep for tube travel and the other one for the discount.

I haven't got £5 to buy a new Osyter card LOL

What a total joke it all is.

Kirri

So do they only do a daily refund, they don't make people claim a week's worth of fares at a time?

I think you can use tube/train at normal price along with the bus discount on the same Oyster, I've had one before and used it at full price on other journeys and will continue to do so now I have got another.

They send you 8 miles in London, don't suppose they could have been more logical and sent you to a closer provider?! It takes too long to do that sort of distance on a bus compared to a train... Will they refund train fares or only bus fares?

AP007

Kirri wrote: »

So do they only do a daily refund, they don't make people claim a week's worth of fares at a time?

I think you can use tube/train at normal price along with the bus discount on the same Oyster, I've had one before and used it at full price on other journeys and will continue to do so now I have got another.

They send you 8 miles in London, don't suppose they could have been more logical and sent you to a closer provider?! It takes too long to do that sort of distance on a bus compared to a train... Will they refund train fares or only bus fares?

There is no one closer - they are the only one in the 'area'

It takes over an hour to get there and I could get to Oxford Street quicker lol

They ONLY pay the cheapest travel so bus is the cheapest.

I only used to go once a month now every two weeks (since this new idiot adviser took over my file 4 weeks ago) and you have to claim each time of they say they have no ££££

Plus you can only claim between 11-12am so if you are in at 9am you have to stay to get your £

Kirri

Oh all sounds very frustrating... and a total waste of time...

I'm still waiting to be told which centre I will be attending so I may start moaning then

Going to be a bit annoying if I keep having to fork out £5 to top up my card each time just to prove a point I've used it to get there, at the moment I don't normally do that more than every 1-2 months as I try to avoid using it due to lack of £

AP007

Kirri wrote: »

Oh all sounds very frustrating... and a total waste of time...

I'm still waiting to be told which centre I will be attending so I may start moaning then

Going to be a bit annoying if I keep having to fork out £5 to top up my card each time just to prove a point I've used it to get there, at the moment I don't normally do that more than every 1-2 months as I try to avoid using it due to lack of £

If you are in London yes, you have the discount card already? If so how does it work? How do oyu get half price travel on the bus if you top up £3 say? If a shop can't do the discounts then the station only does £5 at a time which I guess it what you are saying and you are only going to get the bus fare back which is going to cost you over 100% of what they may refund so pointless even claiming

Kirri

AP007 wrote: »

If you are in London yes, you have the discount card already? If so how does it work? How do oyu get half price travel on the bus if you top up £3 say? If a shop can't do the discounts then the station only does £5 at a time which I guess it what you are saying and you are only going to get the bus fare back which is going to cost you over 100% of what they may refund so pointless even claiming

Yes I have the card, I asked my adviser for it last week on my referral to the WP appt. The discount gets loaded onto the actual Oyster electronically and then whenever you top up and then use the card it deducts the fare at 50% off.

It's a right faff to get the discount photocard in the first place ie JC approve the form, take the form to the PO to pick up the photocard, go to tube station to get it loaded. Then it deducts any time you use the bus for 65p (rising in Jan I think?). So I'd only use £1.30 to go somewhere and back but if I have to top up with minimum £5 each time (just to prove I've used it to the WP) that extra money will be sat on my Oyster and I have no need to have that much credit on it when it could be sat in my purse for food..

I shall see what my WP provider say...

AP007

Kirri wrote: »

Yes I have the card, I asked my adviser for it last week on my referral to the WP appt. The discount gets loaded onto the actual Oyster electronically and then whenever you top up and then use the card it deducts the fare at 50% off.

It's a right faff to get the discount photocard in the first place ie JC approve the form, take the form to the PO to pick up the photocard, go to tube station to get it loaded. Then it deducts any time you use the bus for 65p (rising in Jan I think?). So I'd only use £1.30 to go somewhere and back but if I have to top up with minimum £5 each time (just to prove I've used it to the WP) that extra money will be sat on my Oyster and I have no need to have that much credit on it when it could be sat in my purse for food..

I shall see what my WP provider say...

You will need a top up receipt every time you want to claim the travel so if you are haing to put £5 on it every time to claim and can only claim £1.40 each trip in the new year you are going to be £3.60 short everytime. Now I know you can use this but if you are like me I go nowhere on the bus therefore the next time you go to the WP you could just not bother to claim but since they are oblidged to pay you, why should you not. The only thing stopping you is a top up receipt.