UC Work Coach Being Unreasonable

tomtom256

You need to ask your work coach what regime you are currently in.
If you are in Intesive Work Search, the work coach has no choice but to bring you in, as that is the current senior civil servant ask.
They have no discretion over this at the moment.

wilfred30

TheMsTeale said:

I have found a temporary full time job, but am still on UC credit. The work coach is still insisting on weekly appointments - they have even made one dragging me in on a Saturday. He claims that he has to give me the next appointment that comes up on his system, but I know this isn't true - in the past I have had work coaches who have been flexible & gave telephone appointments instead of face to face & with a 2 or 3 week gap. If I am working 5 days & they drag me in on a Saturday, this means I don't get a weekend. I thought they were supposed to help people get back into work, not make it more difficult. Is there any way I can go above their heads on this as I really believe they are being unreasonable on purpose.

How about you phone up and ask to speak to their Manager?

Own_Worst_Enermy

If it’s any help, from my experience when this happened to me last month, got an appointment to attend during actual working hours and when was nearly about to receive a full month’s wage, the WC actually reversed the decision in the end to make me physically attend the Job centre.

NedS

TheMsTeale said:

spanishtiger said:

Chris_English said:

I feel very sorry for the work coach. The OP’s flinging put false accusations on here at people who are just trying to help; I can’t imagine being their coach is easy.

OP, why not just ask to change coach again if you are upset at yet another one actually doing their job properly?

Exactly my thoughts.

My point is, in my view they were not doing their job properly or at least were inconsistent. I am beginning to think that this forum is populated by ex work coaches, as you seem to assume that they are always in the right. 

There is no concept of right or wrong - a work coach has the discretion to book you in for an appointment every day if they consider it appropriate. There is nothing in legislation that dictates the frequency of appointments, only that they are at the discretion of the Secretary of State (or those acting on their behalf). Now that may appear to be inconsistent to you, but that's probably just because the law does not legislate for consistency.

theoretica

How temporary is the job?  If you start a post that lasts a year then requiring you to job hunt would make much less sense than if you have a job that lasts only weeks. 

Spoonie_Turtle

For what it's worth, I would be very annoyed if I were working full-time and still expected to attend appointments, especially on the weekends.  That said, there is no reason to take out frustration on people on the internet - and without wanting to 'tone police', help is usually much less readily forthcoming both on the net and offline when people feel defensive.

poppy12345

Spoonie_Turtle said:

For what it's worth, I would be very annoyed if I were working full-time and still expected to attend appointments, especially on the weekends.

Indeed but as has been advised at the very start of the thread, if there's not yet been any earnings received then this maybe the reason for the appointments but the OP hasn't confirmed this.

Spoonie_Turtle

poppy12345 said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

For what it's worth, I would be very annoyed if I were working full-time and still expected to attend appointments, especially on the weekends.

Indeed but as has been advised at the very start of the thread, if there's not yet been any earnings received then this maybe the reason for the appointments but the OP hasn't confirmed this.

My point there was just that I can understand the OP's frustration, that was all - we are human here (whereas the benefit systems are not!)

I wonder whether reporting a change of work is supposed to trigger anything, or if it does rely solely on wages received.  Admittedly I lost track of the thread and can't remember whether that was specifically addressed or not already.

It would be helpful for the work coach to have explained the reason why appointments are still needed though - but that would require them to understand the system which, as we know, many of them don't due to inadequate training (especially since the influx of UC claims at the start of the pandemic and hurried redeployment of staff to deal with it).

JonVarnas

poppy12345 said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

For what it's worth, I would be very annoyed if I were working full-time and still expected to attend appointments, especially on the weekends.

Indeed but as has been advised at the very start of the thread, if there's not yet been any earnings received then this maybe the reason for the appointments but the OP hasn't confirmed this.

I had a temp job at towards the end of last year and this is what happened. The day I started the job I updated my UC account (you can't update before your actual start date, the system won't allow this). All it asked for were my hours and rate of pay. That was it. A couple of days later I got a notification on my journal that my next appointment had been cancelled and had no further contact with the jobcentre for the six weeks I was working. Then, when my job ended, I updated my UC account and a couple of days later I started to get booked for appointments again. Real simple and easy.

TheMsTeale

Spoonie_Turtle said:

TheMsTeale said:

NedS said:

TheMsTeale said:

spanishtiger said:

Chris_English said:

I feel very sorry for the work coach. The OP’s flinging put false accusations on here at people who are just trying to help; I can’t imagine being their coach is easy.

OP, why not just ask to change coach again if you are upset at yet another one actually doing their job properly?

Exactly my thoughts.

My point is, in my view they were not doing their job properly or at least were inconsistent. I am beginning to think that this forum is populated by ex work coaches, as you seem to assume that they are always in the right. 

There is no concept of right or wrong - a work coach has the discretion to book you in for an appointment every day if they consider it appropriate. There is nothing in legislation that dictates the frequency of appointments, only that they are at the discretion of the Secretary of State (or those acting on their behalf). Now that may appear to be inconsistent to you, but that's probably just because the law does not legislate for consistency.

Actually you are completely wrong - the government legislated for fortnightly signings which were changed to weekly in some instances - there has never been DAILY appointments - you are just making this up as you go along.

A source for that claim would be useful.

A source for the claim that the work coach "has the discretion to book you for an appointment every day" as stated by Chris would be equally useful - or is it only certain people you ask for proof?