Missed UC appointment due to train delay

Dreamscometrue

Langerhan said:

is that with the Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card, or have you not hit the three month mark yet?

I'm unlikely to hit the 3 month mark thank goodness. I'm usually cool but 3 months of them might send me into a rage!

Puddings

The JC rules really annoy me, my mum has to go to a branch further away than the closest one as 'you're in our post code'. I have to take her as she physically, mentally and financially can't get there on her own which means i have to take time off from work. She's signed off as unfit for work by her GP so it's all a complete waste of time right now. Rant over! 

I'm so glad you got woken confirmation you won't be sanctioned.

Dreamscometrue

Puddings said:

The JC rules really annoy me, my mum has to go to a branch further away than the closest one as 'you're in our post code'. I have to take her as she physically, mentally and financially can't get there on her own which means i have to take time off from work. She's signed off as unfit for work by her GP so it's all a complete waste of time right now. Rant over! 

I'm really sorry to hear that. At least I'm reasonably healthy so I don't mind walking 30 mins to the station. In your mum's case it seems ridiculously unfair for her to be made to attend.

TELLIT01

As you are getting nowhere with the JobCentre this is something you might want to raise with your local MP.  Sadly it is often only after their intervention that common sense prevails.  How much is the train costing?

Dreamscometrue

TELLIT01 said:

As you are getting nowhere with the JobCentre this is something you might want to raise with your local MP.  Sadly it is often only after their intervention that common sense prevails.  How much is the train costing?

It cost £10.80 - £15.80 depending on the time.

tomtom256

Its not your local jobcentre that has to agree to a move, but the jobcentre you want to go too.

Some managers just won't take extra claimants not in there catchement, regardless of reason for the request. Its frustrating for staff as well.

Dreamscometrue

tomtom256 said:

Its not your local jobcentre that has to agree to a move, but the jobcentre you want to go too.

Some managers just won't take extra claimants not in there catchement, regardless of reason for the request. Its frustrating for staff as well.

Useful to know.

Dreamscometrue

Any idea what happens if I repeatedly miss the appointments due to trains. I will always leave home at least 90 minutes before an appointment as I have to allow 90 minutes to get there.

NedS

Dreamscometrue said:

Any idea what happens if I repeatedly miss the appointments due to trains. I will always leave home at least 90 minutes before an appointment as I have to allow 90 minutes to get there.

It will get sent to a Decision Maker to decide if you had good reason for missing the appointment or if you should be sanctioned for failing to attend a mandatory appointment. Repeatedly missing appointments will not help your case. Being late for an appointment is not good reason in itself. A claimant is expected to take reasonable care to arrive on time. If the reason for missing the appointment is due to the first train running late causing you to miss the connection for the second train, you would have to spell that out very clearly and that would probably be allowed as good reason. If it happens repeatedly, it may be reasonable to expect you to take the earlier train if the connection is so tight that you are repeatedly missing it, as that could be deemed that you are not taking all reasonable steps to make sure you attend your appointments. At that point, exceeding the 90 min travel time may come into play.
Ask yourself, if you repeatedly arrived late for work because you missed your train connection, would you expect to keep your job? Or would you reasonably be expected to catch the earlier train to ensure you were not late?

Spoonie_Turtle

NedS said:

Ask yourself, if you repeatedly arrived late for work because you missed your train connection, would you expect to keep your job? Or would you reasonably be expected to catch the earlier train to ensure you were not late?

But it would have been their choice to take a job that ends up being 2hrs+ commute either way in the first place.  It's not their choice at all to attend this particular Jobcentre.