Jobcentre harrassment

Tremour-88

My wifes recently been refered onto the Work Program and her Jobcentre advisor is being a pain lately and we're looking for advice on what to do.

I'll start off the top, my wife has Anemia and eye problems so she needs contacts or she pretty much cant see at all.

Her jobcentre advisor phoned us up yesterday and told her she HAD to attend an Argos interview for work experience placement next wednesday, so my wife told her she couldn't as she had a Hospital Apt. for her eyes the advisor kicked up a huge fuss saying and I quote "These job placements are more important that your health, if you don't attend you wont recieve any benefit at all"

My wife said she HAD to go to this apt. as her contacts had broke and without them she couldn't possibly do any job, finally the advisor hung up then 30 mins later another person rang and understanded our problem and agreed to skip this interview as her eyes were more important.

The JSA Advisor then called up again to argue and say that she HAS to attend a meeting at the jobcentre this monday for a meeting with her but my wife has a family funeral (her Aunt, it starts at 10:30am - 12:30pm) and then has a quick 10 minute blood test for her iron level checkup.

The JSA Advisor was angry and said "Look you either do these work placements and come to your Jobcentre Apts. or go to the doctors/hospital, right now your work experience is more important then your health, I'll give you afew days to think about this and come to a decission on what your doing".

So today a letter arrived from the Jobcentre saying her advisor is claiming she's unfit for work and is illegally claiming JSA and she has to attend a meeting for benefit checks to see if she is allowed JSA anymore.


Is the advisor allowed to treat her like this? She has 1 Hospital Apt. every 3 months (for new contact lences) and 1 blood test a week (only takes 10 mins).

I understand that JSA meetings are needed but the Advisor said that she couldnt attend her Aunts funeral because of a meeting, she asked if she could come in at 4pm / the next day the Advisor said if you do that i'll mark it as a Failure to attend even though we called and gave 1 weeks notice

My wife has said she can provide proof of Hospital apts. and ask her doctor for a letter but the Advisor said shes faking it and now all benefit is on hold so we're getting £0 untill shes been investigated. We're being screwed by the Jobcentre because my wife has a bloody hospital Apt.

Any advice would be great, thanks.

bargainbetty

I would take all the letters and proof of the situation down to the Job Centre, ask them to take copies for their records, and then ask to see the boss of the advisor who put the report in.

Ask them to note the reality of the situation, and the medical evidence to support it. Offer other times and dates that she would be available for meetings/interviews. Ask that the advisor be gently spoken to, but think very hard before making a formal complaint. This person probably does deal with the type of person who makes excuses for not getting work because they don't want it, and I'd imagine that is massively frustrating. It's not fair to take it out on your wife, but allow for human failings.

Just put the evidence before them, calmly, and ask that the situation be reconsidered. You can also request a crisis payment be arranged, as you have no money due to the over-reaction of the advisor.

Good luck

imatt

Sounds disgraceful. If I were in you're wifes boots, I'd consider making a formal complaint or at least making sure I saw new advisor from now on.

Even though they may be dealing with difficult clients, it is no excuse as all advisors would act like this surely? If a receptionist or call centre operative blasted people in such a manner, they'd be out of a job, even though they deal with difficult and arkward people too! It's called being a proffessional.

Y'know it's funny! Poeple on the WP and indeed claiming JSA are often called clients or customers. What other sector or industry can 'customers' be spoken to like that and be expected to take it lying down?

mattw7

I agree with Bargainbetty here. It seems that the J/C are doing what they can to try and arrange jobs or W/E placements and lots of people always seem to have some kind of other arrangement that they cannot fulfil these obligations.

The J/C staff probably get fobbed off day after day with excuses and sometimes they decide to take the hard line stance that you are either available for work or you aren't!

BTW I'm not saying your wife isn't genuinely unable to come to these appointments or interviews but it does seem strange that the JC arrange two appointments and your wife conveniently cannot make them. You have to look at it from their point of view, your wife is in receipt of JSA and you have to be available to start work with 24 hours notice. Her not being able to fulfil two appointments is in effect saying that she isn't fulfilling her JSA agreement. Harsh, but those are the rules today, either play by them or suffer the consequence.

DebiT

As Imatt says, you need to make a formal complaint.
Send a letter to the Manager of the jobcentre. If you get no joy send a letter (with a copy of the one you sent to the Manager) to the Area Manager.

I believe you are also allowed to miss two signing appointments a year, (for sickness) there is a form you can get, can't remember the number of it at the moment, but if your hospital appointments clash in future, it might be worth using it.

yesican

Last time i checked--Your HEALTH is more important than anything!..

Tremour-88

Thanks all, the interview is next Friday.... Friday the 13th of all the days!

We'll take in all letters from the hospital and ask her doctor for a note also, as the being rdy to work within 24-hours we tell the Jobcentre about all Apts. 7 days in advance but they seem to forget or never bother noting it on their systems. And surely a 10 minute bloodtest or 2 hour eye-test once every 3 months is not enough to claim unfit for work

DebiT

Going back to my last post. I believe the form you need to take 2 periods of sickness a year from the jobcentre is a JSA28.

princeofpounds

Why did your wife not just say 'I can't make that appointment but I could come in the afternoon, or the day after that'? Particularly to the appointment at the JC itself.

Or did that conversation happen and you just left it out?

Tremour-88

princeofpounds wrote: »

Why did your wife not just say 'I can't make that appointment but I could come in the afternoon, or the day after that'? Particularly to the appointment at the JC itself.

Or did that conversation happen and you just left it out?

We did say that to her, but she said it wasn't good enough. It was either come in at the time she said or Fail to Attend.

We cant cancel the hospital Apts. because its a 3-5-month waiting list at the moment

Notmyrealname

Playing devils advocate, twice in a row your wife has been given a specific time or date and twice she has come up with an excuse why she can't. Hospital/Dentist appointments and funerals are probably one of the most common "excuses" given by people who are either fiddling the dole or simply don't ever want to get a job.