How to apply for a A Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card

carl6382

Hi All,

I contacted my local jobcentre (based in Bromborough, Wirral) via telephone and asked about obtaining the travel card. The lady I spoke to was the senior 'advisor' for ESA. Her name is "Lynne."

Lynne assured me the scheme did not exist and there is no provision whatsoever for travel if you claim ESA or JSA unless it is a travel warrant to a job interview. I insisted this was not correct and requested an appointment with an 'advisor.'

Expecting the complete lack of professionalism one can expect from the job centre I went down in person and requested the travel card. The manager of the job centre, "Keith" spoke with me and, again, confirmed the scheme did not exist.

Keith also went on to tell me he was responsible for the travel arrangements in this job centre and if he would know if this scheme actually existed.

I produced the handy smartphone with links to MSE, Train Line and other reputable sites. "Ah," says Keith, "But it's not on the You Gov website though."

20 seconds later, I produced the said you gov website announcing the scheme was now also available in Scotland!!!!!!!

Keith asked to borrow my phone and within 10 minutes, appeared and confirmed that indeed the travel card does exist!!!

I asked for the card and the response was "You will have to speak to your advisor."

"But Keith, my advisor is not competent and if you are the manager who is in charge of travel, and you did not know, how is my advisor?"

Keith replies: "You will have to speak to your advisor."

I am already pretty aggrieved at the lack of apology and the lack of motivation to check information without it being shown to Keith by me directly...... "Can you tell me the document number my advisor will need to make this go smoother?"

Then....A breakthrough......Keith tells me he will speak with my advisor for me before I get there on Wednesday 6 November.

Low and behold, Keith was as good as his word and he did speak with "Graham," my advisor.

Now for the important bit......When you are faced with the advisor who has never heard o the scheme you need to ask them to look up form number: RSP60001....It is called the "JOBCENTRE PLUS travel discount card Application form"

DO NOT be fooled by these people who tell you the scheme does not exist...It does!!! To speed things up a bit I even took the two passport sized photographs (pre-cut and ready) with me on the day. Within 10 minutes, hey presto, the card that did not exist arrived right before my eyes. I just needed to sign the back and was given a month discount card.

My advisor genuinely seemed shocked and in typical civil service fashion leaned on the defence "They introduce all these new schemes and nobody tells us anything." I reminded my advisor that the scheme has been readily available since July 2011 and there is no excuse for people not bothering to check and insist the 'customer' has simply got it wrong.

For the record also I feel it is worth stating that I was placed in something called a "Support group" for ESA which means I am deemed unfit to work by the Department for Work and Pensions. That being said, I have found a job and will be starting it soon. I wonder if someone with only 6 months of experience facing these barriers, but with significant background in research, auditing and business process had this much difficulty...what about the people who do not know how this stuff works and who desperately want to get back into work? Do these people actually see an 'advisor' or a barrier in the shape of a civil servant who has lost all drive to advise?

To all people claiming benefits and with genuine desire to get a job, please feel free to get this travel card and use it to help you...You are entitled to it!

To all people claiming benefits and without genuine desire to get a job, please feel free to do the world a favour!