Fuming at jobcentre, pushing us through hoops

dmg24

I think you need a new start with the Jobcentre. First of all, you need to change your attitude towards them. If they make a mistake, then it just shows they are human. It does not mean that you 'retaliate'.

Make an appointment at the Jobcentre. Take with you all the information that may be relevant. When you get there, keep calm!

OK, so you may have had some misinformation in the past. Forget that. What you need to know now is what you need to do to get the claim approved. You need this information in writing and signed/ stamped by the advisor. Do not leave without this information. If they do not want to sign it, do not get mad! Just simply ask, do they have an official stamp that they can put on it? Alternatively, if the advisor does not wish to sign it, would the manager? There is always an answer, without resorting to getting stroppy.

Now you know what information that you require, you need to get that information. It is not the Jobcentre's problem if your friend's previous employer is not cooperative. They may be willing to write to the employer on your behalf, but there is no harm in you (politely) following up this request.

If information is required from the employer, and they are uncooperative, why not go to the employers premises (your friend, not you). Politely explain that you need this information urgently, and offer to wait whilst they complete the paperwork. If this takes a few hours, or even the whole day, just sit quietly until they bring you the information. Take a book with you to read while you wait. Do not start kicking up a fuss!

If you threaten the Jobcentre with solicitors, they will quite understandably get defensive. All it will do is slow down the process further.

TheWaltons_3

I don't think the Jobcentre is the problem here...

Morglin

Nor me.:rolleyes:

Lin

Chrysalis

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I think that it is in the expeience of most people that the jobcentre do not single people out and decide to give them no bebefit.

If you keep to the rules, and are entitled to the benefit, then you will receive the benefit.

Just provide what they ask for. It may be a pain in the ae$e, but just do it and then if you are entitled you will get your benefit.

When i worked in Town Planning, people often wated me to do things that I could not because they were illegal.

Pub;ic employees, just like others, have to work within the law.

Just provide what they ask for.

My sister has been given the run around over child tax credits for about 3 months now and is now about to contact our MP, I a currently having problems on a DLA claim and have had other problems in the past and I also know someone who has had problems with JSA. I think there is defenitly something along the lines of they do seem to make it diffilcult when they can to obtain benefits. I have also claimed JSA myself in the past and had no problems so it does work both ways but I wouldnt make assumptions just based on your own experience.

tigtag02

Chrysalis wrote: »

My sister has been given the run around over child tax credits for about 3 months now and is now about to contact our MP, I a currently having problems on a DLA claim and have had other problems in the past and I also know someone who has had problems with JSA. I think there is defenitly something along the lines of they do seem to make it diffilcult when they can to obtain benefits. I have also claimed JSA myself in the past and had no problems so it does work both ways but I wouldnt make assumptions just based on your own experience.

I think that your experiences should be put down to *bad luck* and not the benefits offices pi$$ing about just for a larf :rolleyes:

Apart from the tax credits that is who genuinely are a shower of sh***

seven-day-weekend

Chrysalis wrote: »

My sister has been given the run around over child tax credits for about 3 months now and is now about to contact our MP, I a currently having problems on a DLA claim and have had other problems in the past and I also know someone who has had problems with JSA. I think there is defenitly something along the lines of they do seem to make it diffilcult when they can to obtain benefits. I have also claimed JSA myself in the past and had no problems so it does work both ways but I wouldnt make assumptions just based on your own experience.

But why should they deliberately make life difficult for you and make claiming difficult? It is not their job to do that! If you are entitled to the benefit it is up to them to process your claim. They CAN'T not pay you a benefit if you are entitled to it!

The problem in the OP's case as far as I can see is that the Jobcentre are not convinced that the is entitled to the Benefit and instead of providing the information they ask for he just gets !!!!!y with them. They will not pay him until he has provided the evidence they ask for. What is wrong with that? We'd all grumble if they never checked and just always payed it out willy nilly!

Chrysalis

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

But why should they deliberately make life difficult for you and make claiming difficult? It is not their job to do that! If you are entitled to the benefit it is up to them to process your claim. They [EMAIL="CAN@T"]CAN'T[/EMAIL] not pay you a benefit if you are entitled to it!

The problem in the OP's case as far as I can see is that the Jobcentre are not convinced that the is entitled to the Benefit and instead of providing the information they ask for he just gets !!!!!y with them. They will not pay him until he has provided the evidence they ask for. What is wrong with that? We'd all grumble if they never checked and just always payed it out willy nilly!

You can take what he said in various ways but the way I see it is this.

They are asking for something he was unable to obtain, they could probably obtain themselves on his behalf if they wanted to but chose not to.

I think you in cuckoo land if you think the dwp always operate in a proper manner it is in their interest if more claims are turned down thats a simple enough fact the government wants welfare cuts not increases. People like to think everything is done honestly so would rather not think this kind of stuff goes on.

In my situation I had them asking me for a letter of my gp whilst my gp informed me the procedure was for them to ask for the letter what do I do stuck in the middle? clearly they could have asked for the letter but then there would have been medical evidence supporting my claim which is not ideal for them.

I have known of incidents where claims have been turned down and claimant goes to MP for help, the MP then asks for the reasons and then the decision makers in question suddenly change their minds simply because an MP has asked them to justify their decision.

Too many people take the I am alright jack attitude and if they have not witnessed such problems they think they dont and cant happen if only life was that simple.

They like what the DWP do because it is seen as cracking down.

seven-day-weekend

I believe the DWP can make mistakes and sometimes show incompetence.

I do NOT believe that they deliberately nake life diffcult for applicants to diddle them out of benefit.

Chrysalis

tigtag02 wrote: »

I think that your experiences should be put down to *bad luck* and not the benefits offices pi$$ing about just for a larf :rolleyes:

Apart from the tax credits that is who genuinely are a shower of sh***

It could be and is bad luck but getting benefits that you are entitled to shouldnt come down to luck it should always be awarded when a genuine claim is made. Unfortenatly it seems I have had bad luck 4 times in the past 2 years (a bit too high I would think) and one of the occasions the law was broken. I must also be unfortonate to know other people who just have this bad luck and the hundreds of cases I have read about. The bad luck is down to getting a bad decision maker.

If anyone has read the welfare reform act there is a few human rights laws been broken with the proposed changes luckily some were picked up by the house of lords and got accordingly ammended.

Morglin

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I believe the DWP can make mistakes and sometimes show incompetence.

I do NOT believe that they deliberately nake life diffcult for applicants to diddle them out of benefit.

No, they don't. I've been on both sides of the counter, so to speak, and believe me, the quicker claims can be processed and cleared, the better.:rolleyes:

But, paying a benefit has to be justified (and shown to be so), and although it may be inconvenient, certain documents have to be provided before some benefits can be awarded.

It's not up to the DWP to run around getting them - it's the responsibility of the claimant. With cut-backs in staff, if the DWP chased around after each claim, the process would take even longer than it does now.

Mistakes are made sometimes and that's why we have an appeals process.

DLA is more difficult, as the system requiires a non-medically qualified DM to decide the initial claim based on a form and a certain amount of medical information.

That's why EMP's are often used, who are doctors.

Tax Credits are a nightmare, the computer cannot cope and the whole thing needs an overhaul.:eek:

But, as for this thread, none of it makes much sense, and I think any confusion has been generated by the OP and his friend.

Lin