Job Seekers Allowance

Major_Star

Hello

I have been unemployed since December 2006, after the temp job finished. I have been on Jobseeker's allowance since then. Recently after being put on weekly visits after being on JSA for over 13 weeks, I signed off JSA without having another job. This was because I had turned up at the Job Centres (an hours bus journey from my home town) thinking the interview was in the morning not in the afternoon. The actual time of the interview would mean I would have missed my driving lesson, and I had no means to change it. I asked them to see me earlier but they wouldn't.

So a combination of them being unhelpful, useless in helping me find a job (literally nothing was discussed at the last job interview, no useful help was conveyed to me, yet they still insist on dragging me all over to the Job Centre for it, the general undignified way they treat you and it feels having to speak to them, and the thought of having to stay in the town until the afternoon and having the whole day wasted rather than just half the day made me annoyed, so I went back and signed off without having a job to move into.

I've just claimed again online, putting my date of last employment back in December 2006, which it was. So my question is, what will happen now? Am I now inelligible of getting JSA because I signed off even though my employment circumstances did not change?

And what do people advise I say if asked about why I signed off to diminish any possible embarrassment?

Thank you.

Captain Star.

dmg24

You will be allowed to claim again from the date of your new application, assuming you are looking for work.

In terms of looking for work, you need to help yourself. Have you asked for help? If so, what kind of help would you like? They are not mind readers.

peter999

Did you sign off because of what happened on that day ??
Are the buses infrequent ??

When they are processing your claim, try to insist on a Signing Time that fits in with your travel arrangements as your bus journey is 1 hour each way.

They probably won't want to listen initially, unfortunately, but explain & try to insist:

"buses are infrequent, 1 hour journey each way, can I have morning signing time, so I don't waste rest of day waiting for return bus ??"

peter999

dmg24

This was because I had turned up at the Job Centres (an hours bus journey from my home town) thinking the interview was in the morning not in the afternoon.

From reading his post, it does seem that he just got the wrong time!

Major_Star

dmg24 wrote: »

You will be allowed to claim again from the date of your new application, assuming you are looking for work.

In terms of looking for work, you need to help yourself. Have you asked for help? If so, what kind of help would you like? They are not mind readers.

Hi

Thanks for everyone's replies. I did ask at the last interview whether they had any training schemes or work experience schemes, but I was told you're not eligible for them until you've been unemployed for six months (the New Deal schemes I think they were).

What will happen with regard to my application? Will I still be going in weekly, as I've been unemployed for 13+ weeks or will it be fornightly again? There must be some kind of penalty otherwise people might do it so they can go back to only having to go in every two weeks?

Major_Star

dmg24 wrote: »

From reading his post, it does seem that he just got the wrong time!

I did. I don't deny it was my fault and my stupidity.

Major_Star

peter999 wrote: »

Did you sign off because of what happened on that day ??
Are the buses infrequent ??

When they are processing your claim, try to insist on a Signing Time that fits in with your travel arrangements as your bus journey is 1 hour each way.

They probably won't want to listen initially, unfortunately, but explain & try to insist:

"buses are infrequent, 1 hour journey each way, can I have morning signing time, so I don't waste rest of day waiting for return bus ??"

peter999

Yes because of what happened on that day, it really annoyed me that they wern't willing to see me earlier, or have someone else see me, when the interview literally can take less than a minute and a half. But it was also a combination of other things i've mentioned.

The problem is that I don't interview very well because of a kind of disability I have, I'm capable of doing jobs but at interviews I have a disadvantage, I also suffer from depression (diagnosed by my doctor) which might help you to understand my reaction a bit better. But I don't want to go on incapacity benefit because I can work it's just hard succeeding at interviews and therefore getting a job.

dmg24

I would just be honest with them, you got very frustrated before, but now want to get back into the system etc.

As to whether you will have to go in weekly, it really depends on whether they choose to continue your old claim or they treat it as a new claim. When I was signing, I had an occasion where they cancelled my claim by mistake, and when they restarted my claim I went back to claiming as if it was week 1. They really are a law unto themselves.

In terms of finding work, I would treat the Jobcentre visits as purely a formality, and do it all yourself. I'm sure (and I hope) that other people have had different experiences, but I don't know anyone that has found a job through actively visiting the Jobcentre!

dmg24

Forgot to say ...

If you do need any help, feel free to ask on here. You will find people with real life experience, and most likely people that have been through the same thing.

I know that when I have applied for jobs in the past (I have now gone back to uni), my depression has caused a massive hinderance. But you will find employers that will look beyond that, and recruit you for what you can do, not what you can't! x

peter999

Major_Star wrote: »

What will happen with regard to my application? Will I still be going in weekly, as I've been unemployed for 13+ weeks or will it be fornightly again? There must be some kind of penalty otherwise people might do it so they can go back to only having to go in every two weeks?

If you claim JSA within 13 weeks of last JSA claim, claim should continue from last claim.

If you claim JSA after 13 weeks of last JSA claim, claim should be treated as brand new claim.

Your Jobcentre seems to have weekly/fortnightly signing arrangements.

peter999

Major_Star

peter999 wrote: »

If you claim JSA within 13 weeks of last JSA claim, claim should continue from last claim.

If you claim JSA after 13 weeks of last JSA claim, claim should be treated as brand new claim.

Your Jobcentre seems to have weekly/fortnightly signing arrangements.

peter999

Hi everyone,

Thanks again for all your replies. It seems they have been able to continue the previous claim, and I'll be seeing them weekly again. I don't know if there's going to be a penalty for having signed off and then on again, but I'll find out at the interview.