JSA Unfair sanction

osdset

In many cases sanctions are totally disproportionate to the 'offence', so failing to update a CV warrants a four week period of financial depravation?

I don't think so.

Sanctions are just another means of welfare reform, a money saving exercise, they do nothing to stimulate a claimant into finding that ever increasingly elusive job. In fact they are counter productive because they remove the ability for the claimant to pay for travel etc.

It's the governments equivalent of getting a severe beating for swearing in class. This government has no strategy in place for dealing with unemployment, the work programme has been a complete failure with droves of 'customers' returning to JCP after their two year stint. These 'customers' will face six months of harsh treatment at the hands of JCP's new 'hit squad' effectively being punished for the failure of the work programme. Interestingly the WP providers have emerged blameless for their inability to do anything apart from hold their grubby hands out for payment.

There are around half a million vacancies in the UK. According to the governments own hugely fiddled figures there are 2.52 million currently unemployed. So if every single vacancy was filled tomorrow there would still be millions looking for jobs that don't exist, how then can sanctions be justified if the jobs simply aren't there?

manzanilla

Even if my appeal wins I am looking at the next 4 weeks of no money and I am already under pressure with rent,bills etc.

I agree with the other comments about appeal the decision.

In the meanwhile, if you are claiming Housing benefit to help with the rent (which you should be unless you are with a partner who is well paid?) you may find they stop your Housing Benefit. This is because the Job Centre will have told your local authority that you are no longer getting JSA, the LA will assume that you have a job which you haven't told them about and so stop your HB.

You are still entitled to HB even if you are not getting JSA. If it is stopped, take copies of your bank statements (to prove you don't have a job) into the local office and explain.

sammyjammy

I personally think the problem with these sanctions are they are being aimed at the wrong people. The people that are not searching for work are the long long term unemployed, too good at playing the game, its virtually impossible to challenge them (I'm obviously generalising but we all know the type).

Staff on the frontline in the Jobcentre are poorly trained, if at all in some cases and therefore the people that cop it are the newly unemployed doing what they can to find work and not fully realising the implications of not doing something (for what is probably a valid reason).

My biggest problem is that people don't seem to be being told that the doubt has arisen at the time and are having to be told this by benefit staff when they ring to find out why their money hasn't arrived. This is so wrong and is probably related to the lack of training in dealing with difficult situations. In my day we were required to inform a claimant of a doubt on their claim whilst they sat in front of you but then things were very different in my Jobcentre days 15 years ago.

montyrebel

I recently had to make a rapid reclaim and fill in all the forms again to apply as I am on a minimum contract job and for a week i got over the 16 hours so had to sign off then on again when it came back under that.

on the form it has a question that says, Do you have a CV?

what did you tick in that box OP when you applied?

nciaw36

Thanks for replies and help here. I had my 1st signing on 2 weeks ago came with cv which I went through with adviser. He was happy with the CV mentioned add a little more info in the 'About Me' I was on the understanding it was more advice than got to do that. I was under no instruction to bring another CV as the one he has seen is in the system. Also another CV which I did a month ago which is in the 'Universal Jobmatch' system (CV Maker). I have kept to my agreement with proof of job applications, interviews and dates/times. They is definitely an agenda here when it comes to benefits in the UK I have read and researched online that JSA advisers are told to hit a target of 5 sanctions a week. Which was stopped then reinstated few months ago.

My claim was not a rapid reclaim as haven't signed for years I did tick a CV box which is what they have on paper/file. I will appeal and put every detail of what happened. Only thing shame didn't record my meeting audio on phone which I would strongly advice if you can to have proof when appealing as it is my word against theirs.

nciaw36

Another point I can ask for a hardship payment which is roughly half of JSA which has to be paid back through JSA/Employment. But again takes time and a personal meeting with a decision maker.

osdset

Posted today on another forum.

I was unable to attend a scheduled appointment at Ingeus on the Work Programme due to sickness (specifically the Norovirus; vomiting, high fever, physical weakness and generally incapacitated). I called my advisor on the morning when I was ill and explained the situation, and he sent me another appointment letter out for another time.

A week after I got a notice from the JCP about a doubt against my claim due to missing an appointment. I filled in all the informatoin they requested, such as what I did, why I couldn't attend and so forth. Today I received a letter saying that my JSA will be stopped for 4 weeks because "you did not have sufficiently good reasons" for not attending.

I literally couldn't even get out of bed. I did everything I could do with regards to informing my advisor and explaining. I can't ring them as it's Saturday and I'm a little worried of what to do and if I can appeal again this? I'm not even sure what "sufficiently good reasons" means, tried searching Google for a list but nothing comes up. Any advice would be appreciated.

Ok, so this is the provider initially raising a doubt because they are obliged to but it's been upheld by a DM at JCP why? The claimant was issued another appointment, and had valid reasons for missing the first one.
There is absolutely no justification for withholding four weeks benefit from this person, and it's yet another example of sanctions being applied unjustly.

krok

busy_mom wrote: »

Ring JCP and ask for a call from DMAwith a detailed explaination as to why you have been sanctioned. You can then appeal. It would help if we knew exactly what reason, was it a jobseeker direction to update and provide the C.V.? if so you should have a copy. Once you know the grounds for the sanction please repost.
Apply for hardship if you have no other income in the mean time.

Good answer from Busy mom. I would do as she advises.

nciaw36

Will do. Thanks.

nciaw36

osdset. Agree. With benefits it is a run the gauntlet type system. The problem these days is people on benefits are on through no fault of their own. Businesses going bust on a daily basis due to bad decisions/government and most of all banks. The background of a person on why they are on benefits needs to be taken into account when processing claims. The way things are going the JSA advisors will be putting themselves out of work.