MIssed JSA advisor appointment help!

skintandskinny

Hi,

I forgot to go to a JSA advisor appointment on Friday, which would have been my second appointment. Will my JSA automatically be stopped for a period? I can't manage any delay or stop however temporary. I'm looking at all this stuff about santions and it doesn't look good. It's the weekend so I can't contact them and I'm pretty frantic that I won't get anything on Monday (as I should have done since I signed last wednesday-and naevely thought it would be in by the weekend). Things are really bad, I can't withdraw cash and haven't been able for 2 weeks, I've nothing left to sell and the cupboards are bare. I never thought I'd actually be hungry in my life but here I am! I've missed the rent and the landlord is texting me regularly (6 weeks at least for that claim). If I'm given a sanction for 4 weeks which seems to be common then I'm going to lose my flat. Theres no way I can pay the rent, already well behind. I've been hanging on for this second payment of JSA. I've been paid £50 since I signed on about four weeks ago after being made redundant. I applied for 11 jobs on friday and I've got email receipts for those, but thats all I have by way of an excuse. that, (and a lousy memory) believe it or not, is the reason I forgot! I'm a crap liar, so what can I do? Based on my first advisors appointment they don't seem to care that you actually apply for jobs (I gave ample proof), they just want you to tick their boxes, which in that case was that I hadn't filled out the booklet with a minute by minute account of how I'd done -26 applications and spent every minute of the past two weeks applying. I've attended 4 seperate appointments already (group thing, advisor appointment, 2 signings), I just forgot this last one. I've only just gone on the bloody thing.

Any advice would be great, I didnt sleep last night.

tomtontom

If you signed on Wednesday you should receive your payment on Monday (some people will see it in their accounts today). With regard to your Friday appt you may well be sanctioned for failing to attend without good cause, but the case will have to be reviewed by a decision maker before your money is stopped. A first sanction is normally two weeks, though it can be more depending on the circumstances.

[Deleted User]

Be very, very apologetic, beg and grovel

I join you in not being able to lie, say you were waiting to hear about a job and got waylaid.. then couldn't get through to your local jobcentre (well it's not like the local numbers are widely available?) computer problems or you had written appt down wrong? when I was at a JCP we were responsible for writing our next appointment down back of booklet - and this wasn't that long ago either, nearly got caught once when I wrote day and date wrong!

Other services should be able to assist CAB and foodbank as we keep hearing, try not to panic - don't blame yourself needs must
Jobcentre's do like people who try I promise you and wish you luck in your search for employment x

skintandskinny

Thanks folks, you're very nice. I'll just take deep breaths and go early to the job centre on monday to find out.

The background to this is that I've been getting more and more into my overdraft as my hours were cut down the past few months. I used my last paycheck to settle some large outstanding bills, my credit card is frozen because the bank agreed they would not insist on minimum monthly payments for two months on the condition that it was locked. Theres no other source of income. I realise that sensible people don't get into this kind of predicament so I don't absolve myself of blame, I'm an idiot because I should have got a better job ages ago. And not forgotten the appointment of course.

I spoke to the council, it seems like hardship loans don't exist, they also mentioned the food bank and food-wise that might be the only option, so have to put pride to one side. I'm more worried about the rent, which is the biggest outgoing. To be honest, the way the landlord is, even with a two week sanction, thats half a months rent and I don't know if/when I'll actually get the money for housing anyway. By the time I get paid from a new job (have one interview in two weeks which is at least something), I'll be months behind.

ohreally

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=discretionary+housing+payments

tomtontom

It is your JSA that will be sanctioned, not your housing benefit.

ohreally

tomtontom wrote: »

It is your JSA that will be sanctioned, not your housing benefit.

Are they mutually exclusive?

tomtontom

ohreally wrote: »

Are they mutually exclusive?

In this respect, yes. A JSA sanction has no effect on HB.

Sncjw

When yup get next appointment note on calendar on your phone and set alerts fir day before and the day it is. If you haven't got phone with this feature note it on Callander somewhere you will see calendar