How long until I can make a new JSA claim?

ease

I won't go into too many details, but basically I was on the work program, signed off, been living on savings for a while now but the money's running out so I need to sign on to pay bills while I look for work.

I'm just wondering if there's a minimum period that you need to be signed off for in order to be counted as a new claim and not be put straight into the work program again?

LadyMissA

ease wrote: »

I won't go into too many details, but basically I was on the work program, signed off, been living on savings for a while now but the money's running out so I need to sign on to pay bills while I look for work.

I'm just wondering if there's a minimum period that you need to be signed off for in order to be counted as a new claim and not be put straight into the work program again?

You need to be signed off so that the time between when you first were refered to the WP and the day you make a new claim is 2 years - 104 weeks. If you claim before this time then you go right back on the WP

So example
If you started the WP in August 2011 then signed off in December you can not claim again without going right back to the WP untill 2013 August (obviously after the date you were refered)

ease

I didn't know it was that long, that's horrible. I really don't think I can handle going back on the work program!

LadyMissA

ease wrote: »

I didn't know it was that long, that's horrible. I really don't think I can handle going back on the work program!

Yeah its 104 weeks

Why can't you handle going back on it?

ease

Without going into huge amounts of details, I'm recovering from really bad depression and the work program was so ridiculously pushy, unhelpful and quite frankly, depressing. I was only there for a couple of months but was slipping back into depression from going there, which is why I decided to sign off and live from savings. Less money but a lot more healthy for me.

I can handle signing on right now, since they pretty much leave you to look for work by yourself, which suits my current situation, but I really can't handle being forced into patronising "courses" and pushed into applying for jobs that I am quite evidently not suited to.

LadyMissA

ease wrote: »

Without going into huge amounts of details, I'm recovering from really bad depression and the work program was so ridiculously pushy, unhelpful and quite frankly, depressing. I was only there for a couple of months but was slipping back into depression from going there, which is why I decided to sign off and live from savings. Less money but a lot more healthy for me.

I can handle signing on right now, since they pretty much leave you to look for work by yourself, which suits my current situation, but I really can't handle being forced into patronising "courses" and pushed into applying for jobs that I am quite evidently not suited to.

If you feel they are being pushy you need to put in a complaint

ease

There would be no grounds for a complaint. I'm guessing they're trained to be pushy. Besides, putting in a complaint wouldn't make going there any more tolerable. In fact I think it would make it less tolerable.

LadyMissA

ease wrote: »

There would be no grounds for a complaint. I'm guessing they're trained to be pushy. Besides, putting in a complaint wouldn't make going there any more tolerable. In fact I think it would make it less tolerable.

Then if you say there are no grounds for a complaint you obviously think they are doing everything correctly

ease

I don't remember saying they weren't doing things "correctly" ie how they've been told to do things. They get paid if they get people into work. All agencies I've ever dealt with do exactly the same thing. They try to push people into vacancies so they can make commission. Same thing with the work program.

Sorry, I'm not here to argue the semantics of the situation, just wanted to know whether I could sign back on without immediately being fast tracked.

LadyMissA

ease wrote: »

I don't remember saying they weren't doing things "correctly" ie how they've been told to do things. They get paid if they get people into work. All agencies I've ever dealt with do exactly the same thing. They try to push people into vacancies so they can make commission. Same thing with the work program.

Sorry, I'm not here to argue the semantics of the situation, just wanted to know whether I could sign back on without immediately being fast tracked.

They are NOT an agency and to fair you should know you were on the WP for 104 weeks as they tell you that when you go there

good luck

ease

LadyMissA wrote: »

They are NOT an agency and to fair you should know you were on the WP for 104 weeks as they tell you that when you go there

What else do you call them? They had jobs given to them to fill, and were pushing people into taking them. They get paid when they get people into work. That's pretty much an agency.

They told me no such thing when I was put on the work program. If they did, I wouldn't have had to ask.