JSA Hardship payments

topaztiger1983

isn't first sanction usually 2 or 3 weeks maybe 4 weeks at the most, not 3 months that is usually for 2nd sanction is it not

Rich1985

NYM wrote: »

Is this your first sanction ?

No. I thought I made this clear when I said: "I was in this situation a few years back and I nearly starved"

Why d'you ask?

NYM

Rich1985 wrote: »

No. I thought I made this clear when I said: "I was in this situation a few years back and I nearly starved"

Why d'you ask?

A 4 week sanction would be applicable for a first failure, 13 weeks for any further failures within 52 weeks of the last failure.

Rich1985

Thanks for that information NYM, I was aware of that.

I have just received a call informing me that my sanction has been over-turned and that I should receive JSA payments like I normally do.

The caller said there was no evidence to prove that I was required to attend an appointment on the 2nd of July, nor do I recall signing any letter that would confirm this. However, I did apparently miss an appointment on the 3rd, which I remember the lovely lady [sarcasm] told me about when I attended my 9th July appointment. The caller did warn me that I may be in the same situation again shortly but that I am entitled to challenge any sanctions that are imposed on my benefits if this were to happen. I can't believe I actually asked him if I was allowed to appeal any further sanctions, but it is in my nature to be polite. I then thanked him for his time and terminated the call.

My fingers are crossed, but I am not going to let my guard down until the next payment arrives into my bank account.

donnajunkie

Rich1985 wrote: »

Hello everyone.

After having read through the comments on here I feel compelled to express my outrage & disgust regarding my current situation.

To my horror I received a letter from the DWP today informing me that my claim for Job seekers Allowance had been sanctioned for three months. I have had the misfortune of enduring abuse from people who are beneath me (Job centre staff) for too long, but this just takes the biscuit.

On Wednesday 25 June I was told that my next "sign on day" would be Wednesday 9 July at 1:00 P.M. - two weeks later which is usually the case. I promptly attended my appointment at 1:00 P.M. where I am told to come back at 2:45 P.M. Luckily this proved to be a minor inconvenience as I live relatively close to the Job centre. When I return and finally get to see an advisor I am met with a boatload of abuse and asked why I did not attend last weeks appointment. My reply was that I was told that my next appointment was for the 9th of July, yet this woman acts like she heard nothing and simply repeats her question. It was like talking to a brick wall.

I feel like I have been duped out of my JSA allowance to be honest. I certainly would not be surprised to learn that claimants are tricked out of receiving benefits they are entitled to. If this type of practice is not taking place in Job centres then it certainly feels like it is! I know others have posted messages that claim this to be true and I certainly would not be so quick to dismiss them like some on here are. Fortunately I've never had to work with these scum bags, so I may never be privy to what really goes on behind closed doors.

I have contacted the DWP for a Mandatory Reconsideration but I am already getting the sense that it's all in vain. Furthermore, I find it interesting that the DWP have taken extra care to not mention anything about Hardship Benefit in my letter from them.

If I was not so meticulous in my research I would be in very deep water now, presuming of course that I am eligible for Hardship Benefit. I was in this situation a few years back and I nearly starved, so don't think that poverty is reserved for third world countries.

How can one inquire about a benefit if they do not even know of its existence? It makes absolutely no sense yet this is what the DWP expect people to do, it's ludicrous.

Rant over.

at my jobcentre they get you to sign a copy of a letter for any appointment to prove you got it. they must do this because without it you would have a good chance of winning an appeal. so you need to get help from someone like a welfare rights officer and bring this up if they dont or they dont suggest a better course of action.
edit.
just read your recent post so forget the above. i will leave it incase anyone faces a similar situation.

donnajunkie

Rich1985 wrote: »

I have just received a call informing me that my sanction has been over-turned and that I should receive JSA payments like I normally do.



My fingers are crossed, but I am not going to let my guard down until the next payment arrives into my bank account.

you should have asked for either a same day payment into your account or a same day counter payment. it depends on the time of day sometimes it cant be done until the next day.

busy_mom_2

Why are JCP staff beneath you please?

Rich1985

busy_mom wrote: »

Why are JCP staff beneath you please?

Because I treat people the way I would want to be treated. I don't treat people like they are a piece of dirt, or a number or statistic that needs to be eliminated from a database.

In case you haven't noticed, these staff members do absolutely nothing to help you find a job, they make no effort to build a rapport with you or to relate to you on a personal level. You see an advisor one week and they ask a series of questions - questions you've been asked a million times before; and then a few weeks later you see someone else and the process repeats itself. You simply 'go through the motions'. This is at least true in my area and I'm sure its the case in many other regions as well.

I appreciate that most if not all of them despise their jobs but that doesn't give them the right to treat others like scum. Some of these individuals who sign on are unfairly judged far too often and it must stop! If I worked in one of these places I would at least try to help these individuals - try to make a difference. I can't honestly imagine that most members of staff are doing everything they can to help these people - they seem to be merely adhering to the guidelines that are given to them, if my experiences are anything to go by.

Thee who has the better nature and is truly willing to help is the better person - at least in my book.

Rich1985

"at my jobcentre they get you to sign a copy of a letter for any appointment to prove you got it. they must do this because without it you would have a good chance of winning an appeal."

Indeed. Fortunately for me, at my job centre they are terribly inconsistent regarding asking you to sign letters. Even so, I'll make a diligent effort to be more alert from now on. The problem is, I've signed so many letters that I rarely bother to actually read the fine print. A very dangerous trap to fall into.

Must not get complacent!

tomtontom

Rich1985 wrote: »

Because I treat people the way I would want to be treated. I don't treat people like they are a piece of dirt, or a number or statistic that needs to be eliminated from a database.

In case you haven't noticed, these staff members do absolutely nothing to help you find a job, they make no effort to build a rapport with you or to relate to you on a personal level. You see an advisor one week and they ask a series of questions - questions you've been asked a million times before; and then a few weeks later you see someone else and the process repeats itself. You simply 'go through the motions'. This is at least true in my area and I'm sure its the case in many other regions as well.

I appreciate that most if not all of them despise their jobs but that doesn't give them the right to treat others like scum. Some of these individuals who sign on are unfairly judged far too often and it must stop! If I worked in one of these places I would at least try to help these individuals - try to make a difference. I can't honestly imagine that most members of staff are doing everything they can to help these people - they seem to be merely adhering to the guidelines that are given to them, if my experiences are anything to go by.

Thee who has the better nature and is truly willing to help is the better person - at least in my book.

If you worked at the Jobcentre you would be as frustrated as the rest of the staff. In the majority of cases they are not there to help you find work, they are there to check you are meeting your JS Agreement. They have such a high workload that they don't have time to build rapport, whether they want to or not.

You talk about them unfairly judging claimants, but that is exactly what you are doing to them. Maybe you could have some empathy for the pressures of their job?