Ex DWP staff set up advice site to help those with sanctions

Morglin

Three ex DWP staff have set up a free advice site, to assist those who have been sanctioned, or have been threatened with them:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/former-dwp-staff-go-rogue-to-help-benefit-claimants-9645291.html


The site itself:

http://jobseekersanctionadvice.com/

Haven't got a clue how good or bad it is, but all enquiries are dealt with by email, so no personal details have to be given out, and as it is free, might be worth a look. The Independent and Rightsnet do seem to have checked it is genuine.

Lin

help4help2013

if it is genuine which i hope it is then im sure IDS will have something to say about it

SailorSam

Well i'll bet their off No10s Christmas card list.

missapril75

Morglin wrote: »

The Independent and Rightsnet do seem to have checked it is genuine.

Lin

Guardian too.

applecharlotte

The information on this website is quite out of date already.

The process for claiming hardship has changed. Job seekers agreement are rarely used these days, most offices have switched to claimant commitments.

And despite what the website would lead you to believe nobody is trying to catch job seekers out. If you genuinely are doing everything that you can to look for work you won't have a problem with the jobcentre, and you might even get a job!

But for those that don't want a job, then follow their advice and put all your efforts into obstructing the jobcentre rather than looking for work

rogerblack

applecharlotte wrote: »

And despite what the website would lead you to believe nobody is trying to catch job seekers out. If you genuinely are doing everything that you can to look for work you won't have a problem with the jobcentre, and you might even get a job!

You believe that no staff are under pressure to sanction claimants?

You believe that no sanctions are unjustified?
Wow.

http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/oakley-sanctions-review-responses-other-organisations
http://www.nawra.org.uk/wordpress/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Independent-review-of-sanctions-January-20141.pdf contain as an example issues where claimants are set up to fail.

This is _NOT_ usually a case of people trying to rules-lawyer themselves out of a sanction.
It's a case of sanctions being applied based on often unclear requirements on the claimant, poor communication between bodies, and other systemic issues.
It's great to say 'you should comply with all conditions' - but when someone actually legitimately does the best they can - and most reasonable people would agree they have complied - sanctioning people on technicalities does not make sense.

Most sanctions that are appealed are overturned.

TELLIT01

Anybody who believes that all JobCentre staff are villains or that all JobCentre staff are angels is living in a fantasy land. There are pressures to hit targets and that can lead to unacceptable behaviour.
Anybody you believes that all claimants are villains or that all claimants are angels is living in a fantasy land. There are many who desperately want to work, there are also some who just as desperately want to avoid work at all costs. Many sanctions are applied for totally justified reasons, some are not.

dippy3103

keitht53 wrote: »

Anybody who believes that all JobCentre staff are villains or that all JobCentre staff are angels is living in a fantasy land. There are pressures to hit targets and that can lead to unacceptable behaviour.
Anybody you believes that all claimants are villains or that all claimants are angels is living in a fantasy land. There are many who desperately want to work, there are also some who just as desperately want to avoid work at all costs. Many sanctions are applied for totally justified reasons, some are not.

Couldn't agree more

dodger1

keitht53 wrote: »

Anybody who believes that all JobCentre staff are villains or that all JobCentre staff are angels is living in a fantasy land. There are pressures to hit targets and that can lead to unacceptable behaviour.
Anybody you believes that all claimants are villains or that all claimants are angels is living in a fantasy land. There are many who desperately want to work, there are also some who just as desperately want to avoid work at all costs. Many sanctions are applied for totally justified reasons, some are not.

Stop being sensible and using common sense, many people don't like that

seven-day-weekend

I am a Job Club Coach in the voluntary sector.

One of my coachees was sanctioned by the Jobcentre because she hadn't fully understood how to fill her booklet in correctly and had not given enough information.

Do I think the sanction is fair? I don't know. It might have been nice if someone at the Jobcentre could have explained it to her better. On the other hand, they are not mind readers and if she has not put something down in her booklet, then how are they expected to know she has applied? She also was limiting her search to certain types of employment.


The people at the Jobcentre also have their jobs to do and as far as they were concerned she had not fulfilled the conditions for Jobseeking.

So I can see both sides.

I have now showed her how to fill the booklet in correctly and explained to her that she is expected to apply for any job she is able to do, whether it is her preferred sector or not. Hopefully she won't get sanctioned again.

Mersey_2

applecharlotte wrote: »

The information on this website is quite out of date already.

The process for claiming hardship has changed. Job seekers agreement are rarely used these days, most offices have switched to claimant commitments.

And despite what the website would lead you to believe nobody is trying to catch job seekers out. If you genuinely are doing everything that you can to look for work you won't have a problem with the jobcentre, and you might even get a job!

But for those that don't want a job, then follow their advice and put all your efforts into obstructing the jobcentre rather than looking for work

All JCPs in Merseyside still use JSAgs.

Sadly, the House of Commons' Select Committee found evidence to the contrary. Sanctions have risen by 580% over the past 2 years and indeed internal league tables were received from DWP whistleblowers. Although the DWP denies that targets exist.

My - thankfully little - experience of the JCP is to the contrary of your assertion Charlotte. Offices obstruct, mislead and sanction. Quite why is unknown as it's costing the DWP more in appeals, admin, paying Judges daily rates etc.

I even overheard a claimant being told he would be sanctioned if he attended a job interview as it clashed with an exercise on employability!

The DWP must be a fan of Pauline's Pens in the League of Gentleman!