Contributions based JSA

[Sparklez30]

Sorry this is going to be a long one but I want to make sure I give enough info for people to be able to advise

I am having a nightmare with the job centre! The day after I was made redundant I filled in the JSA form online and the next day I received a call and made an appointment for the following week regarding JSA.

I went to the appointment and was told I would get contributions based JSA. As i was on holiday in devon the week after the arranged me another appointment the next day to sign on.

The day I was going on holiday I had an interview and during the holiday I found out I had got it starting a week after I returned from holiday.

On the monday I returned from holiday I completed and sent off the form informing the Job centre I was going to be starting work. I then telephoned my local branch and asked them if under the above circumstances I still needed to keep my appointment on the wednesday to sign in with the job centre. They said No but I should also phone the main number. I did this straight away explained the circumstances and asked again if I needed to go on wednesday as I would have to arrange childcare to get there. They again told me "no" I was advised all i needed to do was send back the form which I had already posted that day. To make sure I wasn't missing anything I asked if there was anything else I was expected to do and was told "no" just send back the form.

I started work on 30th June and to my surpise on the 1st July I had a message from my local job centre telling me to come in on 26th June to sign off. Obviously as that date had already passed I couldn't do this. The same person rang me back again and I took the call. They explained I must come in on that day or the next to sign off. I explained I couldn't as I was now working on the other side of town and couldn't get there. She told me therefore I would only be paid for the 1 week up to the last time I signed in! This annoyed me and I promptly informed her of my previous conversations and that therefore I did not accept this descision. She said there were no notes on her system and she would have to pass the complaint onto a manager who would get back to me.

After a week of hearing nothing I sent in a complait in writing highlighting the above and informing them I would expect to be paid right up to the date I was working as it was through no fault of my own that there was now a problem. I had no idea I would need to sign off as have never claimed before!!! And to top it all off I gave them my P45 which had my earning details from my previous work (and it was in this tax year) and they have sent me a new one now with an emergency tax code no earning details and just the small amount of money they have given me listed under benefits! I don't understand why they have not updated my previous details thereby keeping my tax details for the year correct?

Can anyone advise on what are my rights taking into account the only reason I have an issue is because I was misinformed twice by them and they took too long to process my details and never informed me I had to sign off until after I had started work?

I believe they are short paying me around £200 in JSA I am entitled to because of thhis and am not happy to let it lie!

[old_andrew2007]

bump

[BeauBrummie]

Hi sparklez30,

You have made the right moves so far in writing a complaint letter, i suspect that you will just have to wait for a reply to that and take it from there.

Regarding your P45.... dont pass this on to your new employer, ask your employer for form P46, and fill that in ticking box "B". this will have the effect of putting you on tax code 543L Wk/Mnth 1, while this is not ideal, it will stop you being taxed so much as a "BR" tax code.

You should also remember that when DWP eventually do give you a P45 with the correct figures on it, (as they must) you will get any tax back that has been overpaid to that point.

Hope this is of help to you.

BB

[Sparklez30]

Is there anywhere else I can write to make my complaint as my local job centre has not responded to either the original phone call or the two letters I have sent. Its been 5 weeks and I have received no response at all!

[GLADSTANES]

Dear Sparklez,

This may not be relevant.

However, it is worth remembering that you will not be entitled to JSA if you are not available for work during a period of claim.

If you were on holiday then you were not available for work.

Regards

GLADSTANES

[Sparklez30]

Actually thats one thing they did tell me - as my holiday was in the UK I would still be available for work and job hunting but anyway as they said it would involve extra forms they got me to sign in the next day instead so that I wouldn't miss a signing in and therefore they actually never marked down that I went away anyway!

[Sparklez30]

Finally I have sorted this - thought I would update here in case anyone else has the same problem! After 8 weeks and no response I finally found on the jobseekers website that if you write in with a complaint you should receive a response within 10 working days. If not it said to write to the chief executive and any jobcentre employees could give the contact details.

I rang up and asked for these and they suddenly became very helpfull. The manager rang me back that afternoon when he was back in the office, he agreed i had been misinformed and told me he would contact the payment team and see if they could pay me the 2.5 weeks I had been short changed by.

3 working days later I have a letter from him confirming I would receive my money the next day and also a letter from the job centre confirming it. And today - The money has gone in YIPPEE!

So I have learnt if all else fails - ask for the chief executive lol

[emmaf01]

Great news- and great advice for anyone else with JSA problems.

[BeauBrummie]

Great news Spaklez30 but..........

Have they given you a P45 that now reflects your income and tax position correctly?

Beau

[Sparklez30]

No but I have in writing that they are dealing with this separately and will get back to me. As it happens they put me on a 543L W1 code but my new employers in their wisdom put me on a BRM1 tax code (which is much worse) so I'm having fun all round with the tax codes and already had overpaid tax for 4 years without knowing - i fear that whole saga is going to take a while to sort but the tax man is looking into the historical bits for me so just the jobcentre and my employers left to sort