Can you take a friend to a JSA appointment?

wolvo2407

Hi,


This maybe a daft question but......can you take a friend with you to a job centre JSA appointment?


I have got a friend who has had his JSA sanctioned and I basically want to insure this doesn't happen again!


He has had to reapply for his JSA and has got an appointment this week at job centre. I have never had to apply for JSA and want to know exactly what he has to do to ensure he doesn't get sanctioned again and has no excuses!


Is this advisable? I will feel a bit of an idiot for doing it but i'm still willing to do it if its allowed!


Cheers

moneyistooshorttomention

I confess I'm rather puzzled at the question even being asked.

If someone wants to take a friend, then they take a friend and why would anyone doubt their right to do so??

Is the question you are asking not about your actual right to be physically present, but instead about whether you have a right to actually say anything to the adviser on your friends' behalf?

I've got the term "McKenzie friend" going through my head. Must go off to google and check whether that is the correct legal term for a friend who is being taken along "officially" and with intention of helping to represent someone else....

EDIT: Just googled and that is the general idea - ie in a court of law - so I think this must be the concept you are seeking to apply here and I would have thought that (though this isn't a court of law) that the same general principle would apply.

Add the fact that a union member in a workplace is entitled to take their union shop steward in with them if it comes to management wanting "a talk" with them into that as well and I doubt the JCP would stop you going in and having your say.

agrinnall

It's good that you want to support your friend, but as you seem to know nothing about JSA I wonder exactly what it is that you think you'll be able to do to prevent him being sanctioned again?

moneyistooshorttomention

If nothing else, OP will be an emotional support to his/her friend and might remind them of useful points they have forgotten in regard to their personal circumstances (eg friend says "I asked for 2 jobs last week" and friend says "Had you forgotten? You also asked for jobs at x and y as well").

GothicStirling

I don't see how going along with your friend will prevent a sanction. Is there a reason you suspect they will be sanctioned again? The best help you can be to your friend is to make sure that they do what the job centre tell them, if you do go then go as a note-take to know what they have asked (i.e. number of jobs they have to apply for, appointments to attend, or courses they are sent to.) If they fail to meet terms and conditions of JSA, they will sanction your friend if you are there or not.

tomtontom

Unless your friend has a disability where he requires additional support there is no right to be accompanied at the JCP. Some advisors may not object but if they do ask you to leave you should - if not the appt may well be cancelled.

wolvo2407

Thanks for all replies.

Of course I have a basic idea of jsa and what u have to do I think I had to go once but I've been put on ESA due to a mental health condition which I have previously contested but I have learnt just to go along with what doctors say now. I've been to meetings regarding that but they have been more relaxed because it's been me wanting to get a job rather than been hassled to get one.

In no way do I expect my friend to be treated any differently cuz i am there like not been sanctioned for example.

I want to go purely because I want to know exactly what he has to do to make sure the advisors don't sanction him again and once I know this i will ensure he does this each wk or fortnight. I want to do it straight after the meeting each time so it's done.

Tbh there is a bit of lack of trust there because I don't believe sometimes the excuses he gives so I want there to be no excuses. I have obviously asked him first and he ok with it. He simply can not afford to get sanctioned again he already had debts before but the sanctions have made things even worse.

This definitely isn't the first time he has been sanctioned In fact he used to be my neighbour and I think he lost his flat because of sanctions because I think his housing benefit was stopped because of it.

I'm just trying to stop the loop of failure basically

tomtontom

Your friend must check that the advisor is ok with it.

wolvo2407

tomtontom wrote: »

Unless your friend has a disability where he requires additional support there is no right to be accompanied at the JCP. Some advisors may not object but if they do ask you to leave you should - if not the appt may well be cancelled.

Only just saw this and thanks for your reply! This is what I feared.

He is on DLA for depression but I don't understand my own mental health condition never mind someone else's!

At the moment I'm considering just going, however embarrassing and just asking the question I certainly ain't going to argue if they refuse me to be there!

GothicStirling

wolvo2407 wrote: »

Only just saw this and thanks for your reply! This is what I feared.

He is on DLA for depression but I don't understand my own mental health condition never mind someone else's!

At the moment I'm considering just going, however embarrassing and just asking the question I certainly ain't going to argue if they refuse me to be there!

If they won't let you attend, then why not ask your friend if you can copy his contract with the JC? I would also keep a diary of JC appointments and college courses. You are also going to have to check that he's fulfilling his job searches (this means 7 days a week) and making sure he goes to his appointments and interviews as well.

wolvo2407

GothicStirling wrote: »

If they won't let you attend, then why not ask your friend if you can copy his contract with the JC? I would also keep a diary of JC appointments and college courses. You are also going to have to check that he's fulfilling his job searches (this means 7 days a week) and making sure he goes to his appointments and interviews as well.

Thanks for reply. What contract does he have? that is a new one on me!


I just want to know what he has to do. A few weeks before he got sanctioned I took him to an appointment and he told them he forgot his job search details (he hadn't done it really) and he was given 2 hours to do get them and go back. I took him to the library to get it done but he ended up doing it on my phone cuz he couldn't get a computer in library.


I was shocked how little effort he had to put into it - I thought he was taking the pi$$ and i'm his friend! I know its easy for me to say cuz I don't have to search but I know that won't last forever and I certainly would do everything required when I have to.


I want to ensure that he doesn't just do the minimum but a bit more as well cuz I think its important for the relationship between him and the advisors.


This friend lives over 15 miles from me and as it turns out I have got to take another friend to a hospital appointment so its unlikely I can go this time but I may go next time.