Hey, I was wondering if anyone here could answer a question or two I have regarding Jobseekers Allowance and Rapid Reclaim.

A month or so ago I was apart of New Deal and sitting in a classroom with a bunch of absolute idiots, being taught about irrelevent things instead of actually looking for work - which by the way is exactly what I was and would rather be doing. I decided to sign off and did so, then went and found myself an Agency (which I despise) out of desperation to find some kind of work.

The Agency in two weeks have found me two days work which I've been paid for but this isn't enough for me to survive. I need to sign back on again but I do not want to sit in that classroom again being taught pieces of information I already know which infact help me no end towards getting a job - whilst also being treated like I'm some kind of idiot. I'm afraid that if I attempt to sign on again, it'll be classified under rapid reclaim and I'll be thrown back on the 13 week course.

The questions I have (yes I've sort of beaten off the path a bit) are if I sign on now, after having worked for two days yet having only signed off for a month or so, would I sign back on via Rapid Reclaim and be chucked back on the course or would I start my claim over.

Also, I understand that a change of circumstances can restart a claim, if this is true, what possible change of circumstances besides from being on this agency could qualify me for a new claim instead of being rapid restarted and is having signed onto the Agency a change of circumstances enough?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Dean.

Hi Dean

My son was on jobseekers then signed off to do agency work. When that finished he rang to sign on again and was apparently a rapid reclaim (took about 3 weeks to get any money)

He has done this a few times now getting work when he can and signing on when he can't. Each claim starts a new.

Hope that helps:)

The period between claims for a Rapid Reclaim is 26wks, so if you sign off and make a new claim within 26wks it will be under rapid reclaim and you will have to go back to the new deal training that you were on.

Working isnt classed as a change in circumstances, the only thing that is considered as a change requiring a new claim would be something like a change in address, marital status or something of that magnitude but even that wouldnt stop you from being registered back on the training course because you have to complete them.

Monx perhaps you might be able to clear something up for me (sorry for hi-jacking your thread MMS) my son has asked to go on training courses and has been told he has to be claiming for 6 months before they can help. So he gets a few days on agency here and there then reclaims. He goes back to the begining with his time claiming. Is it just the new deal traning that picks up where you leave off?

Thanks for your replies. I was though under the impression that it's a Rapid Reclaim up until 12 weeks - I think I read this on the jobcentreplus website or help site or something.

I'm seriously thinking about contacting my local MP or something. This is beyond stupid. How does sitting inside a classroom for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for three months doing litteratly nothing besides from sitting there or using a very slow, inadequate computer that my personal laptop runs circles around, help me get a job?

You can exhaust job options in looking within an hour of checking multiple websites, the phones aren't accessible besides from the fact you have to ask permission the rooms are generally noisey with bored idiots generally being idiots. You can't leave so going around town or general sites of construction or industry to hand out CV's is not a possibility.

The general reason behind this "course" is to have you sitting in their company for three months to bore the living **** out of you so that you sign off and stop taking back money I've been paying in for years of my ****ing life. Excuse my language but I'm getting furious even thinking about it. It absoloutely frustrates me that they dare do that to someone who genuinely just wants a job that's suitable in wages enough to pay his bills and have him actually worth working which generally isn't minimum wage.

It's a disgrace.

I feel your frustration at this pointless excercise by the powers that be. I am picturing 'The League Of Gentleman' comedy show with Micky the dimwit and Pauline the jobcentre 'lady'

Is it like that in real life them MMS?

I'm afraid that your MP will not be able to do much about it. They do not have the power to change legislation for an individual claimant, or to insist that a claimant be exempt from the conditions of claim. They can intervene where the law has not been applied or where there are other errors, or delays in processing a claim which is caused by a fault on the part of the DWP, however they cannot change regulations. Part of the conditions of receiving this benefit is that you attend these workshops etc. Every claimant has to comply with the conditions of claiming, regardless of background.

I can appreciate your frustration though. I'd feel exactly the same in your position. Like you I know how to complete application forms, how to search for employment and how to compose a CV. What I would do in your position is I would make an appointment to speak to a New Deal advisor about the situation. I'd explain that I am quite competent at what I am being "taught" at these workshops and do not feel I am learning anything I don't already know, and far from assisting me in securing employment, it is preventing it as I have no time to search for suitable work or to train/volunteer in an area that would add to my CV. I would ask if there was any alternative training available where I could be taught something I don't know, for example if I wasn't proficient in the use of a PC I'd ask if there were any IT workshops. Or to gain experience in another field to broaden my expericence I'd query if there are any participating employers for the voluntary sector that would be interested in taking on a New Deal claimant. I'd explain that what I was being taught did not benefit me and was taking that place away from someone it could be of benefit to.

You do have to attend some form of training or voluntary work at some point as a condition of your claim, however if you speak to your advisor about how you feel, they may be able to find something that is more suited to you.

Hi there, I know this is an old thread, but it's exactly what I was looking for....sort of! Hope someone is still subbing to it!

My wife is soon to be in the exact same position. She was made redundant from a nicely paid job, and is soon to end contributions based JSA. She did a rapid reclaim following a weeks holiday (!) when she had to sign off, and now the adviser in the job centre has told her that she will soon have to go on some kind of course whch, by the fantastic description above, sounds like a New Deal training course.

Again, like musicmysaviour, she is more than capable of looking for work, but finding a job that is sufficient to pay the mortgage etc will not be easy. We are currently receiving mortgage payment insurance, which will pay out as long has she has an active Job Seekers Agreement, but she can only have an active agreement if she goes on this New Deal farce.

The JC adviser said she'll be more qualified than the person running the course, and that she'll be in a room of losers and junkies (his words!) and that she'll hate it...

She is currently volunterring 2 days a week (less than 16 hours) at the local hospital, which is totally different to what she used to do, but its in the hope that she can learn some new skills and hopefully be in the right place if a job were to come along. We also have a 1 year old child - he goes to my mums on 1 of the days, and we pay for him to go to nursery the other day.

The problem we have is that I recently started my own business, so not earning much, and we need the mortgage insurance to help us survive. She can only get the insurance if she has the active JS agreement, and she can only have that if she goes on the course.

I guess my questions are:

1. Will she still have to go on the course if she is "retraining" at the hospital? If so, will they make her stop volunteering, or will the make her go the other 3 days? and:

2. If she does have to go on the course for 3 or 5 days, what would happen about childcare? We can't afford to pay for nursery, and if they pay for it, it'll be more expensive than paying out the J.S.A!!!

Finally, I have a question about rapid reclaim. When the adviser restarted her claim following the holiday in August, her claim was "reset" so she will have to go on new deal from February - 6 months after the reclaim. This sounds unusual, but she's not complaining! If her claim were to finish before February, say for a weeks work, would the subsequent Rapid Reclaim give her another 6 months?

I hope all that makes sense, but if anyone can give their thoughts I'd be grateful!

Cheers

BL

I feel your frustration at this pointless excercise by the powers that be. I am picturing 'The League Of Gentleman' comedy show with Micky the dimwit and Pauline the jobcentre 'lady'

 

Is it like that in real life them MMS?

Reece Shearsmith (he played the smart one on the course who always annoyed Pauline) co-wrote the sketches with Steve Pemberton (Pauline) and he based (although somewhat exaggerated) it on his time on JSA and the courses he was made to attend.

Why bother signing off if when working for any agency theres the obvious risk your not going to get full time work ??

Better to just take what they give you surely then declare any earnings on your next jsa vouchers thereby obviating the need to go through the "not so" rapid re-sign dross !

Basically the deal with DWP/JSA is they say jump and you say how high !!

Comply or die (financially).

I`m not aware of the ins & outs of "new deal" but been involved with the new "Work programme" with it`s association with the Quango "Ingeus".

One advisor was great, tried hard to find suitable jobs/work, after a set period of time I was passed over to some jobsworth who after only a short term with Ingeus went off sick for 5 weeks and then quit !!

The annoying thing about a so called "Rapid re-sign" is that you have to fill in all the same forms, give all the information all over again when it`s still on the DWP/JSA advisors data-base one finger push away !!

Hello chevyrecycler and welcome to CAG.

This thread goes back a while. If you have issues you'd like advice on, I suggest you start a thread of your own and I'm sure the guys will do their best to help you.

This thread is being closed.