JSA adviser bullying

likelyfran

rogerblack wrote: »

In short - NEVER, EVER, EVER for important dealings with government bodies, unless it is explicitly mentioned as an option, or unless they are being cooperative and are willing to deal with you in that manner.

The methods of contact in some cases - specifically appeals are laid down in law.

Actually delivering a physical letter by the time required to the physical address is usually required.

Can they choose to accept other means of communication - often (not always).

But - very importantly - they are often free to completely ignore any appeals made by text message, email, carrier pigeon, or any other means than actual delivered letter.

This is not a matter of 'getting with the times' - it is recognising the fact that the law in some instances treats letters very differently from other forms of contact.

In the case of appeals - there are usually also hard deadlines.
If you have gotten no response to an email for a week - it is very much not safe to assume that the department in question is dealing with the appeal.

Going outside this deadline will at the very least mean you have to explain why - and 'Oh - I didn't realise you didn't get my email' - may not be accepted.

Can you provide links/proof to illustrate these statements?

Cate1976

First thing you need to do is to appeal and say you didn't receive the letter saying you had been sanctioned. Also ask for the details of the jobs which you didn't apply for, make sure you get the actual job details, not just the list that comes up when you search for the job/s title's. This will enable you to explain why you didn't apply for jobs which you have good reason for not applying for eg not enough experience or unable to get to it if you reliant on public transport.

Also check your JSAG & make sure that you did enough actions & job applications over the Christmas period, I have seen on other threads that if your JSAG specifies apply for x number of jobs each week to amend it so that you don't have to apply for x number of jobs to cover you if there is a 'bad' week. On the actions I'm not sure how they count them, for example if you look on UJM, that counts as 1 but each job you look at counts as 1 so if you look at 7 jobs, that would make 8 actions, apply for 4 would take number of actions to 12 or whether looking on UJM & the 7 jobs counting as 1, then each job you apply for counting as 1 which would make it 5. There are people who work in JCP who post on here who maybe able to tell you what counts as an action & how online searches are counted. In your appeal give details with proff where you have it of what you did do over Christmas to look for work and if it meets or exceeds your JSAG then say how.

How does signing in the 'secure area' differ from where you usually sign?

You also need to inform HB that you've been sanctioned & ask them to assess your claim based on your income without your JSA.

Hope your appeal is successful.

cattermole

https://www.gov.uk/complain-jobcentre-plus

There are no contact details for email for my local job centre, you can use an online contact form but it says it is not secure and not to put any personal information in it.

For me it is common sense to send a recorded delivery letter if it is something very important, there is never any proof with emails, or that anyone even reads them.

rogerblack

likelyfran wrote: »

Can you provide links/proof to illustrate these statements?

http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/tribunals/general/upper-tribs-rules-si-2698.pdf

Taking for example - the most recent:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/380/contents/made
The Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations 2013

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/380/schedule/2/made

Outlines the cases in which you can make electronic communications.

In short - unless explicitly told you can - you can't.

cattermole

You know your stuff Roger

deebee33

I had the email addresses of the managers as I was already in communication with them.
However on the issues I have mentioned, they have completely ignored those specific emails and not responded, other emails, they have.

I applied for 7 jobs over the Xmas fortnight, I was told, extremely rudely and dismissively by the 'job adviser' that wasn't enough, he claimed there were hundreds of jobs available, yet he did not show me any. I dispute this, (I have a specialised background) as I can prove on my emails that over that period there was not suitable jobs for me to apply to.

He asked me what my email address was, from a list on a screen that he showed me and went into the UJ account, without my permission and then claimed I had not done enough.
He accused me of having an alternative source of income, of lying etc etc, he was rude, bullying and dismissive, more like CID than DHSS, I felt like I was being accused of a crime.

He upset me and I left, not before raised voices and some distress, I was pushed by the g4s security and the job adviser laughed at me and asked if I felt better?
He was on a power trip.

I have been told I was threatening to them and not allowed into the main area but to sign in the secure area at the rear of the building.
I have been having panic attacks about returning to the office and am very distressed by their unprofessional and hostile attitude, it is institutionalised bullying.

jacques_chirac

There seems more to this than is being told. What 'raised voices' were there? How did he accuse you of having an alternative source of income?

How long have you been claiming for? You mention a specialised background, but after a short period you will be expected to widen your job search. At the very least, if there are not enough suitable vacancies, you should be sending out speculative applications.

cattermole

deebee33 wrote: »

I had the email addresses of the managers as I was already in communication with them.
However on the issues I have mentioned, they have completely ignored those specific emails and not responded, other emails, they have.

I applied for 7 jobs over the Xmas fortnight, I was told, extremely rudely and dismissively by the 'job adviser' that wasn't enough, he claimed there were hundreds of jobs available, yet he did not show me any. I dispute this, (I have a specialised background) as I can prove on my emails that over that period there was not suitable jobs for me to apply to.

He asked me what my email address was, from a list on a screen that he showed me and went into the UJ account, without my permission and then claimed I had not done enough.
He accused me of having an alternative source of income, of lying etc etc, he was rude, bullying and dismissive, more like CID than DHSS, I felt like I was being accused of a crime.

He upset me and I left, not before raised voices and some distress, I was pushed by the g4s security and the job adviser laughed at me and asked if I felt better?
He was on a power trip.

I have been told I was threatening to them and not allowed into the main area but to sign in the secure area at the rear of the building.
I have been having panic attacks about returning to the office and am very distressed by their unprofessional and hostile attitude, it is institutionalised bullying.

I would go through the formal complaints procedure the link is above in my other post, as well as appealing against the decision.

rogerblack

deebee33 wrote: »

I had the email addresses of the managers as I was already in communication with them.
However on the issues I have mentioned, they have completely ignored those specific emails and not responded, other emails, they have.

If you have been sanctioned - and have not had a letter explaining your sanction - you need to put in an official request for reconsideration.

This can either be by post, letter, or in some cases telephone. _NOT_ email.


https://www.gov.uk/appeal-benefit/decisions-made-on-after-28-october-2013


The request for reconsideration would be broadly 'I believe I have been sanctioned for X, and had no official notice in writing of this sanction.
I wish to request this sanction is reconsidered because of Y.'

If they say you have had notice - then you would proceed through the reconsideration normally.

If they do not say that it was sent - then in principle, the sanction has not been validly enforced.

cattermole

To clarify Roger you can also make a separate complaint about treatment etc. and follow the procedures for that?