Work Programme Sanctions

starkidsara

Hi, I'm currently on the Work Programme. I received a phone call from them today saying I'd missed an appointment with them yesterday and that the Job Centre have been informed and I will be sanctioned for 4 weeks for missing my appointment. However, I had no knowledge of this appointment. They didn't contact me by phone advising me of my appointment, they apparently sent a letter to my home which I never received. I have never missed an appointment with them and I normally get my new appointment when I attend but the last time I went I was told by my advisor that he was leaving his job and I would be allocated a new advisor who would call me to arrange an appointment.

Has anyone else had this problem and been sanctioned? I can't afford to lose 4 weeks money because of a mail error. The woman I spoke to was rude and blatantly told me "its not my problem" when I explained I hadn't gotten any letter about an appointment.

Scotsman-5

I am also on the Work Programme as I am receiving ESA{WRAG} and certainly I have noticed the whole system is a right mess - I was placed with MAXIMUS but before I had time to see them they moved me to Avanta and since then the Avanta advisor has been replaced four times and I am yet to meet the new advisor -

at first I would be given a appointment letter and when I showed up they would issue a new appointment letter - after a few meetings I was told they would do things over the phone - I was handed a new appointment letter with time/date they would call but they failed to call so I called them and that is where I learned the current Avanta advisor has left -

a few weeks later I received a new appointment letter with time/date they would call but they failed to call so I called them and they said ' we will get back to you ' - a few weeks later I received a new appointment letter with time/date they would call but they failed to call so I called them and they said ' we will get back to you ' but there has not been any further letters nor have they called me up on the phone.

If I was in your situation make a appointment and speak to the person at the DWP and just explain your case - I have kept a note of the times/dates that I have called them so they cant claim I did not respond - I suspect that I have been ' parked ' as there is no money in dealing with my case.

Good luck

KxMx

I believe you need a GL24 form (can be downloaded or collected from Job Centre) to appeal the decision to sanction you.

dodger1

When you contact them link them to this article

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-133085/500-000-letters-week-missing-post.html

starkidsara

I'm hoping that seeing as I have a good record with never missing appointments that I can appeal the decision. Its appalling that a missed letter can cost someone a month without any money at all. If this is the case shouldn't all mail be sent recorded so it can be proven that it was received.

They have both my phone number and email address also and didn't bother to contact me on either of those.

KxMx

You have an automatic right to appeal, as for the outcome hopefully your record will work in your favour.

Charityworker

Hope you get it sorted. I don't know how these people sleep at night. I'm sure they are all sadists who enjoy it. I thought this wasn't a communist country.

I had a similar thing a few years ago. They said they sent me a letter with a job vacancy in it. But I didn't get this letter so I didn't apply for the job. They sanctioned me for 6 months. I appealed and got it knocked down to 7 days.

starkidsara

The woman I spoke to just blatantly didn't care that I could be left with no money for a month. I was almost in tears on the phone and she made me feel like I was rubbish.

These people are despicable. I have done everything they have asked of me since being on JSA, including a month of work in a charity shop unpaid as part of their Mandatory Work Activity, but still they treat me like I'm scum.

andyscott

You can appeal the decision but if I was you I would not be getting overly confident. The appeal process is a farce as your appeal is decided by DWP so basically your asking the to admith they were wrong to sanction you.

I have been sanctioned a number of times now due to Work Programme.

1. Never received letter - failed appeal

2. They sent me out 2 different appointment dates, so I called to see when I had to attend and was told to ignore the first letter and attend on 2nd letters date. i was sanctioned and told I should have attended twice. - failed appeal

3. Had to get emergency appointment with doctor due to bad chest but had WP same day so called them up and explained and said I would be 10 mins late. WP said they would not see me and would send me out another appointment, I was then sanctioned. - failed appeal

The only appeal that I have won was when I was sanctioned due to cancelling appointment to attend Job interview.

I even had my Working programme advisor complain to me the other day that I am cancelling too many appointments with her to attend job interviews.

Good luck with your appeal , your sanction will probably be over before they make a decision. My last week took 6 weeks to get a decision.

rogerblack

andyscott wrote: »

You can appeal the decision but if I was you I would not be getting overly confident. The appeal process is a farce as your appeal is decided by DWP so basically your asking the to admith they were wrong to sanction you.

The initial reconsideration is done by the DWP.
This then should progress in most cases if the claimant does not agree with the decision to a decision by an independant tribunal.

epitome

I hope the woman you called -and are complaining about- was the work program provider, because they are the only ones who can change the decision at this stage. Phoning the JSA Benefit Centre will be a waste of time as they can't do anything to change the decision, only advise you that you can appeal.

Is the first sanction on JSA a 4 week sanction? or is this your second sanction? I only ask because on ESA the first sanction is 1 week, the 2nd is 2 weeks and the 3rd is 4 weeks I guess.


You can apply for JSA Hardship