Jobcentre making me go on Daily Signing. Can I do anything to prevent it?

BoredGuy90

Hi.

I feel like I'm being discriminated against because I'm going to University this September.

I've been signing onto Jobseekers Allowence for 4/5 months and I was on the usual fortnightly signing. Last week I mentioned to my advisor I have accepted an Unconditional Offer for University starting this September and he was a bit funny about it and now he's put me on Daily Signing.

I don't really understand why he's done this, I would only be signing on for another 5 weeks or so. I just feel like because I'm going to University he's discriminating me and making me go to the Jobcentre daily which is going to cost me a fortune for travel which is (2 busses there and back per day) and they won't even give me travel expenses.

So my £50 a week for living on will plummet to £30 after travel. It just doesn't seem fair or right at all.

Is there anything I can do about this? Can I request to go back onto fortnightly signing or maybe file a complaint that I feel I'm being discriminated against?

I can't sign off because every penny I'm getting from Jobseekers at the moment is being saved for University, but now of course I'll have £20 less a week thanks to being forced there daily.

I was planning on using this 5 weeks to prepare for University and sorting out my Student Finance & Accommodation and then was going to begin reading up on some of the previous years coursework and books to try and get a bit of knowledge before starting the Course.

Any advice?

skintmacflint

The advisor doesn't know you'll definitely start Uni, so maybe depending on your age or circumstances the policy is daily signing. You could maybe ask a DWP manager. For all he knows you could change your mind.

But to sign on for JSA you're supposed to be looking for work, any type of work, and if your plan was to spend the time between now and then doing advance studying instead , then you don't fit the criteria for work according to the rules.

Are you sure they won't reimburse your travel costs for daily signing? I'm sure I read on here that they do.

Horseunderwater

Are you still living at parental home? If so are they still getting child benefit/child tax credits for you? If so you should not have been claiming JSA as I understand it. If not then far more effort should have been put in to getting a job, so that you would have money for uni. My Daughter got a job inside a day without getting JSA. Jobs are scarce where we live & no bus service let alone a train. We take her 10.9 miles to station where she buys a return for just under £5/day for 10 minute train journey then she has to walk 2 miles to her work. This will go on her CV, so she can get a job at Uni. We cannot help her financially as I am now very ill. So I'm proud of her taking this approach & hopefully in 4 years I might be able to see her graduate.

Maktina

Just sign-off. That's what I did the second I knew I was going to Uni. I said, "right that's it, I'm going to uni and I want to sign off this instant". I knew exactly where the Job Centre was headed, and that was 10 years ago. Is 20 pound a week really that important to you? Do some handy jobs for your parents or something, I'm sure there are plenty of ways to earn (or save) 20 pounds a week.

ShadowPuma

The discrimination is for the right reasons: He sees you as a person on JSA that has little intention of looking for a job between now and September.

Be sure to ask them about expenses for travelling in each day - as like others I believe they cover it.

PasturesNew

If all you'll get is £30 after travel, plus you've the hassle of the travel, why not work out how you can earn just £8/day in your local area. I bet if you door knocked every pub within 2 miles that has a garden and asked if they need glass collectors for the summer season one'd show interest..... they might not want glass collectors, but the "for the summer season" would have them coming up with jobs they DO want doing for a few weeks.

mattcanary

They should only be getting you to sign on daily after at least two years of claiming JSA..


Complain. They are breaking their own guidance.

mattcanary

I will say again - DWP should only be making another claiming JSA sign on daily if they have been claiming the benefit for at least 2 years.

MABLE

BoredGuy90 wrote: »

Hi.

I feel like I'm being discriminated against because I'm going to University this September.

I've been signing onto Jobseekers Allowence for 4/5 months and I was on the usual fortnightly signing. Last week I mentioned to my advisor I have accepted an Unconditional Offer for University starting this September and he was a bit funny about it and now he's put me on Daily Signing.

I don't really understand why he's done this, I would only be signing on for another 5 weeks or so. I just feel like because I'm going to University he's discriminating me and making me go to the Jobcentre daily which is going to cost me a fortune for travel which is (2 busses there and back per day) and they won't even give me travel expenses.

So my £50 a week for living on will plummet to £30 after travel. It just doesn't seem fair or right at all.

Is there anything I can do about this? Can I request to go back onto fortnightly signing or maybe file a complaint that I feel I'm being discriminated against?

I can't sign off because every penny I'm getting from Jobseekers at the moment is being saved for University, but now of course I'll have £20 less a week thanks to being forced there daily.

I was planning on using this 5 weeks to prepare for University and sorting out my Student Finance & Accommodation and then was going to begin reading up on some of the previous years coursework and books to try and get a bit of knowledge before starting the Course.

Any advice?

The whole point of JSA is to help you when unemployed and you should not be using 5 weeks of the governments money for you to sort our your university stuff. If you find the whole thing a bore then sign off.

mattcanary

Horseunderwater wrote: »

Are you still living at parental home? If so are they still getting child benefit/child tax credits for you? If so you should not have been claiming JSA as I understand it. If not then far more effort should have been put in to getting a job, so that you would have money for uni. My Daughter got a job inside a day without getting JSA. Jobs are scarce where we live & no bus service let alone a train. We take her 10.9 miles to station where she buys a return for just under £5/day for 10 minute train journey then she has to walk 2 miles to her work. This will go on her CV, so she can get a job at Uni. We cannot help her financially as I am now very ill. So I'm proud of her taking this approach & hopefully in 4 years I might be able to see her graduate.

Why would you think OP's parents are claiming Child Benefit on his/her behalf?


Where has that been mentioned?


Just because your daughter got a job within a day, doesn't mean everyone can!


The benefits system is in place to pay out when it should and to act fairly.
They should only get someone to do something because their policies say they can. Not because they think they can get away with it.
Would it be suitable for an employer not to pay sick pay when their contract says they will, just because they think they can get away with it?
That is basically what the DWP are doing.




OP, you should be spending time looking for work if claiming JSA

mattcanary

PasturesNew wrote: »

If all you'll get is £30 after travel, plus you've the hassle of the travel, why not work out how you can earn just £8/day in your local area. I bet if you door knocked every pub within 2 miles that has a garden and asked if they need glass collectors for the summer season one'd show interest..... they might not want glass collectors, but the "for the summer season" would have them coming up with jobs they DO want doing for a few weeks.

Even if the DWP were allowed to get the OP to sign on daily in this situation, they should be paying OP's travel fares anyway