Jobcentre harrassment

Tremour-88

I swear its the area, Wisbeach isnt known to be a good place.

we know 1 guy who's been on JSA for 10 years, has a wife working full-time in Tesco's but hasn't told the job-centre about her. he gets £67 a week and is a druggie.

I tried reporting him but they ignored it

clairelh

dark_lady wrote: »

So claire h if she has to arrange her appointments around the JC then i suppose she should be speaking to the undertaker about changing the time of her aunts funeral and our understaffed overstretched NHS would im sure be only too happy to deal with having to chop and change the hospital appointments of unemployed people to satisfy the whims of JCs and Work programme providers!

No, but I was referring to hospital appointments. NHS staff do have to chop and change appointments for people - their employment status is irrelevant. Personally the risk of losing income, whether it is from losing a job as a Self Employed person or from claiming benefits is a good enough reason to at least see if you can change your appointment. It's not to satisfy the 'whims' of JC, it's to satisfy the law. JC's do not make the law only apply it.

Attendance at funerals is allowed, but this is for close relatives. I am not certain, but I don't think an Aunt is considered to be a close relative - this is limited to parents, siblings and children.

Not my rules, I'm not even saying I agree with it, just stating what I can find and remember from my own experience.

dark_lady

Its disgusting that stores like Argos Poundland etc are getting freebie labour from these schemes. This CAUSES unemployment. Why would an employer give someone a waged job when they can get workers for free.

Tremour-88

The thing is clairelh my wife needs her contact lenses or she cant read/write properly so since the jobcentre wont let her go to the hospital to get new ones they are in-fact making her unfit for work, not us as there the ones refusing

dark_lady

Attendance is allowed for funerals for close relatives? Would love to see the JC try that with an Italian family.

Tremour-88

What i've said is pretty much the full story, the JSA Advisor called us and we put it on loud-speaker and i heard it all

FOX_HOUND

dark_lady wrote: »

Its disgusting that stores like Argos Poundland etc are getting freebie labour from these schemes. This CAUSES unemployment. Why would an employer give someone a waged job when they can get workers for free.

Of course this free labour will displace paid employment.

The rabid right try their best to hide it under the smokescreen of 'improving job seekers employability' but many of us see it for what it truly is.

clairelh

I'm in no way disputing you. I can't believe your wife is the only person in a position of having to claim benefits and needing regular medical appointments, and I'm not fully aware of the rules and regs (I used to be many moons ago), but I'm sure that there is some provision for this. The only way you are going to know for definite is to talk to the advisor face to face without getting emotional (on both sides of the table). Are you 100% sure it wasn't Argos who couldn't/wouldn't rearrange for your wife, it was their interview that was the same time as the hospital appointment. I think it's probably even out of the Jobcentre's hands to demand they see your wife at another time.

I've just done a check on some online DWP docs (not sure if I'm allowed to put links) but it states that in a period of 12 mths you are allowed up to 4 absences due to death/serious illness/domestic emergency/funeral - this is not the full detail, just extremely shortened version. You will need to check whether an Aunt is considered a close relative. The rules also vary if you have caring responsibilities.

whitewing

Vejovis wrote: »

ah well, my priority would be to ensure i had spares, rather than spend on other things. each to their own.

Why? I've been wearing glasses for 30 years and only once had a problem that made them unwearable enough to take the day off work while I got them partially fixed and ordered new ones. It is far less cost effective to have a spare pair of the correct prescription always on hand.

DebiT

Just because the OP's wife had a hospital appointment, and a funeral appointment it doesnt mean she is not fit for work, and shouldnt be claiming JSA.

Even if she was working, I'm sure her employer wouldnt have a problem with absences for a hospital appointment and a funeral fgs.