Claiming JSA for the first time, tips & everything to know

Scuffer

Today i started my claim for JSA. Yesterday i filled in the online application and was phoned shortly after with an appointment for this morning. I went in, checked through my application, signed a load of papers and was given another appointment for the following Tuesday. Is this me signed on now?

I was also advised to sign up to universal jobmatch which i have just done and i've noticed a thread on here about fake jobs on that site, so would it be wise to avoid using it?

Another thing is i feel like such a plum after i left prison i was entitled to claim some kind of grant but wasn't aware so i sold my car to raise some money. I really needed my car, my aunties house is in a little village so i have to borrow her antique bicycle to get about. I call it an antique cause it only has 3 gears lol.

Besides that, with the jobcentre and being on JSA what else is available to me now? Such as training courses ect and how do i get on them?

tomterm8

When you signed on, the adviser will have given you a jobseekers agreement, or a claimant commitment, depending on whatever that jobcentre plus office uses.

What you need to know is that you must, point by point, do everything you've agreed to in that jobseekers agreement. You must record your activity and be able to prove everything.

Which means, if it's on your JSA or CC you've got to register for UJM then do so, and if it says you're supposed to use it to record your activity you need to do that, and if it says that you've got to search on it you've got to do that too at least the number of times a week they say.

Fake jobs are present on all of the online jobs boards AFAIK; just make sure that you are sensible with regard to what you put on your CV and possibly buy a disposable mobile phone from Argos that you only use for job-seeking and use as your contact number.

The rules are different for ex-prisoners, so I think you will be put onto the work program pretty quickly.

EDIT: The most important thing from this post is to make sure you follow your job seekers agreement to the letter, and record everything you do.

Further EDIT: You won't be officially signed on until next week, when you will have to show you've actually been following the JSA or Claimant Commitment. Ask your adviser (not the sign in clerk, the guy you saw today) whether there are any courses you can do if you want to do them next time you see him / her.

mattcanary

You don;t have to give the JobCentre access to your Universal Jobsearch account, despite what the Jobcentre may tell you. They cannot sanction you for this.

This is one of the most important things to know when claiming benefits. It is likely to stop you getting sanctioned for doing nothing wrong.

bluenoseam

The "fake" jobs are significantly lessened since the media hype about them a couple of weeks back, although there are still many out there they seem to have slowed down of late. (conversely that means there's less jobs on there!)

You'll have to use the Job Centre's website, but that doesn't preclude you from using other better sites - just ensure that you have a healthy amount of activity on Universal Job Match. You don't have to allow them access, so don't, they'll BS you to the ends of the earth but there is absolutely no legal requirement to allow them to access your account!

You'll have an interview with them whereby they'll outline the requirements of your agreement, do yourself a favour & exceed them, they will look for any excuse to sanction you. As you're already in a hard position you need to do everything you can to avoid them running rings round you.

[Deleted User]

Sounds right, best advice I can give is keep polite as I once forgot this when I was told I dressed to smart! and I suffered a sanction time before that so rilled up I guess - we apologised to each other after this and things got better


After 8 weeks of claiming I found I was referred for maths and english tests which I was allowed to keep after my claim had ended gratefully but had to end when I went back to work, I had to ask for help. It was only as time went on I was offered an eye over my CV, computer training. It felt because I was getting interviews they would rather leave me be.... I felt forgotten sometimes but realise there were people more needy












The Advisor always said I'd always find work though and that was that. He wanted to leave the jobcentre too though!
All CV sites host scams in my opinion. You'll be alright x

mattcanary

Deleted%20User wrote: »

Sounds right, best advice I can give is keep polite as I once forgot this when I was told I dressed to smart! and I suffered a sanction time before that so rilled up I guess - we apologised to each other after this and things got better


After 8 weeks of claiming I found I was referred for maths and english tests which I was allowed to keep after my claim had ended gratefully but had to end when I went back to work, I had to ask for help. It was only as time went on I was offered an eye over my CV, computer training. It felt because I was getting interviews they would rather leave me be.... I felt forgotten sometimes but realise there were people more needy

The Advisor always said I'd always find work though and that was that. He wanted to leave the jobcentre too though!
All CV sites host scams in my opinion. You'll be alright x

They told you that you dressed too smartly. Strange!

PlymouthMaid

Good luck in your search, Just try to be on time and polite and do what you agree with them.

With the 'being too smart' it seems ridiculous but doesn't surprise me as somebody I know signed on for the first time ever a few years ago and went suited and booted. The powers that be decided that he must be dressed to go to work and therefore treated him as a fraudulent claimant.

ladyweasel

Feel obliged to comment seen as I have also recently signed on after graduating and my temp job coming to an end. Completely understand about how daunting it is, and I actually didn't know myself if I'd signed on or not?!

My best advice would be the first week; spend time developing a general CV, save it to your universal jobmatch account. Adapt the CV to different roles; I have 4 different ones saved, one degree relevant, 3 admin/customer service/hospitality relevant. Also save a cover letter template. RECORD EVERYTHING! Log in to your activity history every day and say what websites you looked on, what volunteering you did, what jobs you applied to; that will be your 'evidence' when you sign on thereafter every 2 weeks.

When you find jobs online, especially on Indeed or Reed, try to track it down to the company website or straight to the source itself, I will warn you there are so many recruitment consultants trying to get your CV just to join their mailing list of utterly crap jobs that will be sent to your email every day

Other than that, good luck

Scuffer

Thanks everyone and i'll take note not to dress smart and go dressed in a bin bag lol and this allowing access to my universal jobmatch was "recommended highly" by the person at the jobcentre. I was told it is easier for them and they can post jobs for me to apply for any time of day. What else can they do by having access?

mattcanary

They can access your account. This means they can tell you that you must apply for totally unsuitable (and possibly makebelieve) jobs. If you don;t do as they say, they can then sanction you for a minimum of 4 weeks.

There are stories of people having been sanctioned for not applying for jobs wehere the deadline has passed. When they have mentioned this to their JobCentre PLus adviser, they get told they should have applied for this job regardless and will get sanctioned for a minimum 4 weeks.
Also the same if they are clealy not qualified for a job.


Some ""jobs" on Universal JobSearch are not really jobs at well. They have been put on there just to mine people's personal details for selling or fraudulent reasons. The JobCentre can force you to apply for these jobs too, if you =give them access to your account.

Thankfully, it does seem that there are fewer of these jobs on the website for the last couple of weeks, but even so.

Scuffer

mattcanary wrote: »

They can access your account. This means they can tell you that you must apply for totally unsuitable (and possibly makebelieve) jobs. If you don;t do as they say, they can then sanction you for a minimum of 4 weeks.

There are stories of people having been sanctioned for not applying for jobs wehere the deadline has passed. When they have mentioned this to their JobCentre PLus adviser, they get told they should have applied for this job regardless and will get sanctioned for a minimum 4 weeks.
Also the same if they are clealy not qualified for a job.


Some ""jobs" on Universal JobSearch are not really jobs at well. They have been put on there just to mine people's personal details for selling or fraudulent reasons. The JobCentre can force you to apply for these jobs too, if you =give them access to your account.

Thankfully, it does seem that there are fewer of these jobs on the website for the last couple of weeks, but even so.

Luckily i found that out i've now blocked them access.