JSA and Job Offer

PJQueen

Hi all,

I have been claiming JSA for two weeks and I've now got a job interview.

If successful at interview, the employer requires a 3 week residential training programme. The employer will reimburse the travel and hotel cost on successful completion of the course. Although they will only cover the hotel Mon-Fri as they expect you to travel home at weekends.

As you can imagine this is a huge outlay cost when claiming JSA, and I was wondering if the JCP could assist with this kind of thing? I'd still have travel costs every weekend I would have to cover and the cost of meals etc. But I was wondering if I could get help with the initial travel costs and the hotel via the JCP?

I could not afford this outlay myself so if I was offered the job and the JCP can't help with funding, would this be reason enough for me to turn it down without a JSA sanction? I was aware there was training when I applied however there was no mention of it being residential.

Any help or info appreciated.

motorguy

Cant help with the JSA aspect but from an MSE perspective...

• Check airbnb as you could maybe get a very cheap room if you want to stay down there weekends
• Why would meals be expensive? I generally get by on a meal deal from Tescos at a few pounds.
• Any scope for a short small loan from friends or family?

[Deleted User]

Why does it have to be JSA s problem.

I started in shady job and then the Employer has started asking me to drive places (like 50 miles) round trips to events - I asked the Employer how I was to manage this on no wages received yet - they soon had a re think.

If they have told you in advance - I dont know why you would shy away from explaining your quite understandable financial situation.

PJQueen

motorguy wrote: »

Cant help with the JSA aspect but from an MSE perspective...

• Check airbnb as you could maybe get a very cheap room if you want to stay down there weekends
• Why would meals be expensive? I generally get by on a meal deal from Tescos at a few pounds.
• Any scope for a short small loan from friends or family?

The training is central London and even by AirBnB standards, 15 days accommodation (if I travel home for weekends) is still out of my reach unfortunately.

I am not assuming meals to be expensive, rather explaining that covering the cost of meals and travel back home at the weekends will amount to a fair amount over 15 training days (3 weeks, minus the weekends, I do have to travel back at the weekends as the weekends at a hotel wouldn't be reimbursed).

Unfortunately, my only family is my grandmother and since she is a pensioner, I doubt she would be able to help. I will definitely try friends though, thank you.

PJQueen

Deleted%20User wrote: »

Why does it have to be JSA s problem.

I started in shady job and then the Employer has started asking me to drive places (like 50 miles) round trips to events - I asked the Employer how I was to manage this on no wages received yet - they soon had a re think.

If they have told you in advance - I dont know why you would shy away from explaining your quite understandable financial situation.

It isn't their problem. It is mine - I have explained to the employer I am unemployed and would struggle to meet the cost but obviously as it would be fully reimbursed (at least for initial travel to London, and hotel cost) they are paying for it - albeit in arrears.

I related to the JSA I received in case there are any government funding opportunities for people out of work.

sangie595

Why wouldn't the employer also cover travel costs of this is all on the up and up? It makes me wonder what this "training" involves, especially given the fact that you haven't mentioned pay - and legitimate employers would expect to have to pay people that they've employed, in training or not.

PJQueen

sangie595 wrote: »

Why wouldn't the employer also cover travel costs of this is all on the up and up? It makes me wonder what this "training" involves, especially given the fact that you haven't mentioned pay - and legitimate employers would expect to have to pay people that they've employed, in training or not.

They will reimburse the initial travel to training, however not the expense of travelling home in-between.

Training is paid, but again, it is paid monthly so wouldn't be paid upfront. Although, there are three exit points at the end of each training week, whereby an exam has to be taken to progress to the the next week. I assume that if I was only there a week (hopefully not) I would be paid that at the end of the month.

sangie595

PJQueen wrote: »

It isn't their problem. It is mine - I have explained to the employer I am unemployed and would struggle to meet the cost but obviously as it would be fully reimbursed (at least for initial travel to London, and hotel cost) they are paying for it - albeit in arrears.

I related to the JSA I received in case there are any government funding opportunities for people out of work.

I'd add "payment in arrears?" to my list of reasonable doubts about this so called employer and their so called training. This screams that there's something wrong here.

You've only been claiming JSA for a couple of weeks. Most schemes that will help are for the long term unemployed.

sangie595

PJQueen wrote: »

They will reimburse the initial travel to training, however not the expense of travelling home in-between.

Training is paid, but again, it is paid monthly so wouldn't be paid upfront.

So you are getting paid? In which case overdraft or ask the employer for a sub

PJQueen

sangie595 wrote: »

I'd add "payment in arrears?" to my list of reasonable doubts about this so called employer and their so called training. This screams that there's something wrong here.

You've only been claiming JSA for a couple of weeks. Most schemes that will help are for the long term unemployed.

Yes, so I would be expected to pay the cost upfront and then that would be reimbursed when receiving my first months wages.

Thanks, I thought it may be the case that as I hadn't been claiming long I wouldn't be eligible. I will speak to my work coach when I next attend though.

And unfortunately, the thing I worry about is that if I decline the job offer, I may be sanctioned as I didn't think you could refuse job offers whilst on JSA. The company is national, but I applied for a job local to my home, and whilst it did specify there would be a 3 week training period, as I was applying for a job near my home I had assumed it would be at the local location, not residential.

PJQueen

sangie595 wrote: »

So you are getting paid? In which case overdraft or ask the employer for a sub

Overdrafting for hotel costs and travel home at the weekends seems a little financially irresponsible when I may only be there a week - I would receive the pay for that week, yes but it may not cover all of the expenses. Thank you for the idea though