Referred for Sanction (JSA)

SIrving

Hello everyone,

The thread title should really say referred for possible sanction/to a DM.

I hope people are able to read this long post and provide feedback. It would be greatly appreciated. I'm really desperate.

I am claiming JSA, though should be signing off to start a new job soon. I have dyspraxia (among other disabilities/health conditions) and, as a result, record my job diary on the computer, print it off, and hand it over. I find the booklets too impractical and not suitable as I cannot write well due to the dyspraxia. Due to organisational difficulties (again, dyspraxia) I'm also likely to lose booklets.

Unfortunately yesterday my laptop broke right at the time I was about to print off my job diary for my sign on appointment. A back up (on USB stick) also corrupted. Due to limited time all I was able to do was record (in my best writing) the applications I made in the first week, and some of the applications I made in the second week on a piece of A4. This was far from my entire work activity, but at least it was something until I could provide the full job diary.

As expected this was deemed insufficient and a new appointment was made for me to sign on today. I was explicitly told to bring my job diary, either as a print off or on USB stick, to my new appointment and it will be looked at along with the handwritten sheet I provided.

Unfortunately today the member of staff I saw, who from the start had a harsh and obnoxious attitide making it clear I was being referred to a Decision Maker, refused to look at my job diary (which I'd put onto Universal Jobmatch, and had it on USB also). He just ssemed more bothered in picking on my for why I don't use booklets (as well as the computer) and why I don't use Universal Jobmatch "properly". None of this was relevant to the appointment or his business.

I explained to him that the handwritten sheet, with some of my applications recorded, was not my usual diary, or in any way an accurate representation of my usual jobsearching. I spend 8 to 10 hours a day working part-time, applying for jobs and voluntary work. The job diary I provide is detailed. The problem with time was an unfortunate, badly timed techincal problem.

Unfortunately toward the end, after some provocation, I lost my temper, which I regret, and which I don't think has helped my case. But I'm deeply frustrated with the situation as I do far more than the vast majority of people.

I know no one here is a decision maker, but if you could offer feedback on whether the Jobcentre were justified in referring my to a decision marker, and whether any appeal is likely to be accepted, I would grearly appreciate it.

Obviously my appeal, should one be needed, is based on the fact that I have dyspraxia, so reply on using a word processor, and it was just unfortunate bad luck. I made all attempts possible to tell them I can provide it by email, or USB, once my laptop is fixed (which wouldn't have taken long) but, as mentioned, was told to just come to the new appointment today.

I also wish to make it clear that I did not sign on yesterday, my usual sign on appointment. I signed on today (my new appointment). So techincally I was able to provide my job diary for signing on today, it just wasn't looked at. I don't know if this makes any difference.

There is more to this story after speaking with one of the managers on the phone. One thing he insists is that I was never told to bring in my job diary today and I must have misheard. In short, the Jobcentre clearly have no idea what customer service is and are just sticking up for themselves.

I do feel the jobcentre are being to anal about this, and ought to be more understanding to people with disabilities. But, as we all know, they will always look for techincalities in order to try and sanction people.

Thanks for reading.

rogerblack

As a general point - 3 out of 4 appeals against DWP sanctions succeed.

SIrving

rogerblack wrote: »

As a general point - 3 out of 4 appeals against DWP sanctions succeed.

Thanks rogerblack.

I should say that I'm actually SJI85, but unable to access my account at the moment so created a new on. I will probably come back using my main account later. I hope that's not too confusing.

jetplane

SIrving wrote: »

I am claiming JSA. I have dyspraxia (among other disabilities/health conditions) and, as a result, record my job diary on the computer, print it off, and hand it over. I find the booklets too impractical and not suitable as I cannot write well due to the dyspraxia. Due to organisational difficulties (again, dyspraxia) I'm also likely to lose booklets.

Unfortunately yesterday my laptop broke right at the time I was about to print off my job diary for my sign on appointment. A back up (on USB stick) also corrupted. Due to limited time all I was able to do was record (in my best writing) the applications I made in the first week, and some of the applications I made in the second week on a piece of A4. This was far from my entire work activity, but at least it was something until I could provide the full job diary.

As expected this was deemed insufficient and a new appointment was made for me to sign on today. I was explicitly told to bring my job diary, either as a print off or on USB stick, to my new appointment and it will be looked at along with the handwritten sheet I provided.

Unfortunately today the member of staff I saw, who from the start had a harsh attitide making it clear I was being referred to a Decision Maker, refused to look at my job diary (which I'd put onto Universal Jobmatch, and had it on USB also). He just seemed more bothered in picking on my for why I don't use booklets (as well as the computer) and why I don't use Universal Jobmatch "properly". None of this was relevant to the appointment or his business.

I explained to him that the handwritten sheet, with some of my applications recorded, was not my usual diary, or in any way an accurate representation of my usual jobsearching. I spend 8 to 10 hours a day working part-time, applying for jobs and voluntary work. The job diary I provide is detailed. The problem with time was an unfortunate, badly timed technical problem.

Unfortunately toward the end, after some provocation, I lost my temper, which I regret, and which I don't think has helped my case. But I'm deeply frustrated with the situation as I do far more than the vast majority of people.

Obviously my appeal, should one be needed, is based on the fact that I have dyspraxia, so reply on using a word processor, and it was just unfortunate bad luck. I made all attempts possible to tell them I can provide it by email, or USB, once my laptop is fixed (which wouldn't have taken long) but, as mentioned, was told to just come to the new appointment today.

I also wish to make it clear that I did not sign on yesterday, my usual sign on appointment. I signed on today (my new appointment). So technically I was able to provide my job diary for signing on today, it just wasn't looked at. I don't know if this makes any difference.

There is more to this story after speaking with one of the managers on the phone. One thing he insists is that I was never told to bring in my job diary today and I must have misheard. In short, the Jobcentre clearly have no idea what customer service is.

I do feel the jobcentre ought to be more understanding to people with disabilities.

Thanks for reading.

I think your post is a pretty good account of what happened. I have edited to take out some less helpful comments but you should hand something like this is for the DM to consider when looking at your case.

You are correct the JC+ adviser will not look at the bigger picture, they will not look at your past record and see that this is an exception (assuming it is of course). They will not look at how your disability affects you, they will not credit you with any integrity and see that you tried to mitigate the computer failure. They will say it is their job to refer you and someone elses to make the decision.

Make sure that a decision maker has as much info as s/he can because they should consider the whole circumstance.

StormyWeather_2

Are they allowed to take USB sticks at the JCP? I was told they aren't for security purposes.

SIrving

StormyWeather wrote: »

Are they allowed to take USB sticks at the JCP? I was told they aren't for security purposes.

I didn't think they would be. But the member of staff seems to think it is acceptable. Then again, she also told me that I should bring the job diary to today's appointment and it would be looked at today (which, according to her boss, she couldn't have said that, as today's appointment was simply "gathering evidence", and I must have misheard or be lying...). So it wouldn't surprise me if she's wrong.

jetplane wrote: »

I think your post is a pretty good account of what happened. I have edited to take out some less helpful comments but you should hand something like this is for the DM to consider when looking at your case.

You are correct the JC+ adviser will not look at the bigger picture, they will not look at your past record and see that this is an exception (assuming it is of course). They will not look at how your disability affects you, they will not credit you with any integrity and see that you tried to mitigate the computer failure. They will say it is their job to refer you and someone elses to make the decision.

Make sure that a decision maker has as much info as s/he can because they should consider the whole circumstance.

Yup, I know the Jobcentre staff would never consider the big picture (even if, in an ideal world, they would). My concern is how anal the Decision Maker will be. But let's hope my "clean record", part-time work, voluntary work, networking, and checking far more websites than expected to. Not to mention that I do have a job due to start soon, so clearly must have been doing something right....

jetplane

I would argue that evidence gathering included looking at your job diary but perhaps that's the DMs job, did they take it for evidence?

SJI85

Using my main account now.

jetplane wrote: »

I would argue that evidence gathering included looking at your job diary but perhaps that's the DMs job, did they take it for evidence?

My proper job diary, which is probably the most detailed job diary they would have seen, no. It wasn't seen or taken as evidence.

I had it on Universal Jobmatch and on a USB stick. As mentioned, I made several attempts to get him to look at it but he didn't. All they have is the handwritten piece of paper from the day before, and trying to make it look like that's my attempt at a "job diary" for the fortnight (which it wasn't).

This is what concerns me. And should I provide the proper Job Diary to the DM, would they accept this? After all, it could just be said that I wrote it after yesterday/today.

MidnightHour

Why do people tell the DWP they have computers and an internet connection? It causes all manner of grief, tell them due to being on JSA you are finding it hard to pay for toilet paper nowadays!

How do people actually live on JSA? It's around 70 a week and i will never never understand how ppl survive?

SJI85

MidnightHour wrote: »

How do people actually live on JSA? It's around 70 a week and i will never never understand how ppl survive?

£162 (or so) a week for me, which, call me paranoid, I think is part of the problem. Ever since I began claiming the Severe Disability Premium they've been getting "itchy" and looking for a reason to try and sanction me. It might just be a change of jobcentre though (one in a less deprived area which probably has more difficult customers and wasters).

SJI85

I feel an important thing here is that I did not actually sign on yesterday, my usual appointment. Instead I signed on today. When I did sign on today I was able to provide a copy of the jobsearch diary but, as mentioned, the member of staff refused to look at it.

Should this (the fact that I had the diary the day I signed on) help my case? Or not, as the previous day was my normal signing on day, and when I would have signed if I'd had the diary, and today's appointment just evidence gathering.

Ultimately, I'm just not happy that my jobsearch diary was never looked at today.