We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
JSA - under 25 - having to sign on every week and far away from home?

gettingready
Posts: 11,330 Forumite

We have a local Jobcentre, 15 min walk from where we live.
My daughter who recently came back home, registered for JSA and had her first appointment at the local JC but then was told that she will be signing on in a special place, for under 25's (she is 23) which is 2-3 buses ride away. In a different London Borough.
She went to the first appointment there today and came home really upset.
The original JC here locally told her she will be signing on every 2 weeks and that she has to do 5 "actions" per week.
The new place said she has to sign on every week and complete 20 "actions".
Signing on every week - is this normal? I thought normal was every 2 weeks?
It is going to take a massive chunk of her JSA (she only gets the under 25's rate) having to take 2-3 buses each way at £1.40 per bus. She does not get free/discounted travel as she only applied for JSA last week.
Signing on in the local one - she would walk there. The "special under 25's one" is far and she can not walk there.
Why would one place tell her 5 actions per week and the other say 20?
Any advice on this?
Thanks a lot,
My daughter who recently came back home, registered for JSA and had her first appointment at the local JC but then was told that she will be signing on in a special place, for under 25's (she is 23) which is 2-3 buses ride away. In a different London Borough.
She went to the first appointment there today and came home really upset.
The original JC here locally told her she will be signing on every 2 weeks and that she has to do 5 "actions" per week.
The new place said she has to sign on every week and complete 20 "actions".
Signing on every week - is this normal? I thought normal was every 2 weeks?
It is going to take a massive chunk of her JSA (she only gets the under 25's rate) having to take 2-3 buses each way at £1.40 per bus. She does not get free/discounted travel as she only applied for JSA last week.
Signing on in the local one - she would walk there. The "special under 25's one" is far and she can not walk there.
Why would one place tell her 5 actions per week and the other say 20?
Any advice on this?
Thanks a lot,
0
Comments
-
They can ask her to do any reasonable amount of steps and to be fair 20 isn't many when you break it down, access UJ daily and there is 7, dependant upon the type of work she is looking for another two/three sites per day turns that into 21 steps, a few spec C.V. applications or phone calls and you are up to 30 steps.
As for the cost, JCP will re-emburse all fares for attendance on none signing days.0 -
Maybe the under 25's place realise how lazy and whingy and "it's not fair" under 25's can be.
People on JSA can take as many buses as they like for £2.20 per day !!!!!!.0 -
Thanks, 20 "actions" is not a problem - the problem is a contradiction between what the original JC asked her and wrote in her "agreement" and what the "Under 25's want".
Also it is not about attendance on non-signing days but having to sign on every week in a place that is 3 bus rides away (at £1.40 per bus journey that is 8.40 each time ie every week) rather than local JC which is within walking distance.0 -
gettingready wrote: »Thanks, 20 "actions" is not a problem - the problem is a contradiction between what the original JC asked her and wrote in her "agreement" and what the "Under 25's want".
Also it is not about attendance on non-signing days but having to sign on every week in a place that is 3 bus rides away (at £1.40 per bus journey that is 8.40 each time ie every week) rather than local JC which is within walking distance.
As she'll get her fares reimbursed, why does it matter?0 -
DannyboyMidlands wrote: »Maybe the under 25's place realise how lazy and whingy and "it's not fair" under 25's can be.
People on JSA can take as many buses as they like for £2.20 per day !!!!!!.
My daughter is not lazy.
HOW can people on JSA take as many buses as they like for £2.20 per day?
rather than be rude, explain please?0 -
-
Ok, found that:London Bus Passes
Bus passes are valid for the whole bus and tram network in London (unlike the Tube there are no fare zones). And with Oyster's daily price cap system, the most you will be charged per day when you use Oyster to pay as you go on bus and tram services is £4.40 (adult fare).
So it is £4.40 per day (did not know that, buy a monthly travelcard myself) but not £2.20 per day.
This is still £4.40 per week out of the weekly under 25's JS amount which she would not have to pay if she could sign on with the local JC where she could easily walk to/back from.
Still-the place she has to sign on is in a different BOROUGH - is this normal?
I though one signs where one lives, no?
Thanks for non-aggressive, helpful replies.0 -
You already explained, the other place specialise for under 25s. I can understand the frustration of having to go there, but that is life. I started work in an office that was a 5 minutes drive from my home and then was relocated 1 hour away. That was being a single mum of young children working full-time. It makes your daughter's inconvenience very insignificant.
In addition, it gives her the benefit of receiving support much more appropriate for her circumstances. Many people moan here that the people they see at the job centre are clueless about their own situation and needs. It does make complete sense to me that they should have centres dedicated to specific group of job seekers.0 -
Surely she has an Oyster if she lives in London -and could combine her signing on days with visits to other places making best use of the daily cap on bus fares ? (Eg sign on in the morning - drop speculative CVs in other busable locations the same afternoon). Good for planning skills too.
As there's still plenty of NMW jobs in London still she'll probably not be on JSA for too long and it's always easier to find another job from a job.
It's a pity you're not encouraging her to view a specialist under 25s project as an advantage rather than taking the negative view though. Surely anything that helps get her into employment is a plus. If you are negative about it you're encouraging her to be negative about it too.
Incidently the Oyster is great value-bus fares outside of TFL areas are much more (I moved from greater London to just outside and nearly died when I discovered what the local bus fares were)I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole
MSE Florida wedding .....no problem0 -
gettingready wrote: »Ok, found that:
So it is £4.40 per day (did not know that, buy a monthly travelcard myself) but not £2.20 per day.
This is still £4.40 per week out of the weekly under 25's JS amount which she would not have to pay if she could sign on with the local JC where she could easily walk to/back from.
Still-the place she has to sign on is in a different BOROUGH - is this normal?
I though one signs where one lives, no?
Thanks for non-aggressive, helpful replies.
But she can surely get more use out of it than just to sign on, whether socially or for jobhunting? She can't spend her entire life in one small area of London all the time or that must really limit her options. Travel and jobhunting are two of the things that JSA is supposed to cover.0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 352.1K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.2K Spending & Discounts
- 245.1K Work, Benefits & Business
- 600.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.5K Life & Family
- 258.9K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards