just wondering if the everyone on jsa has to create a universal jobmatch account from monday and what will happen if they don't? i apply for loads of positions every week and each time i go to sign on my jobsearch form is always full. if i applied for the same amount of positions without using universal jobmatch would i be sanctioned?

It won't be mandatory from Monday but when you next see your adviser you will agree a date to make an account and start using it.

New claims taken in the JCP from Monday will have to agree to set up an account by the first adviser appintment.

It won't be mandatory from Monday but when you next see your adviser you will agree a date to make an account and start using it.

New claims taken in the JCP from Monday will have to agree to set up an account by the first adviser appintment.

thanks, so basically universal jobmatch is going to replace advisers matching claimants to positions?

There's alot going on online regarding this at the moment. It may be that creation of a Universal Jobmatch account will be mandatory BUT signing consent/giving permission to the job centre to access and use your account cannot be mandatory under threat of sanction as this would contravene the data protection act. They may play this down, the form I have seen so far does not give the option not to sign consent, perhaps relying on ignorance re the data protection act. None of this is yet certain however as the DWP and job centre appear to be moving the goal posts in their favour. I don't really see how they can demand consent to use of personal data though. A very good source of information re this and related matters is consent.me.uk (hope I'm allowed to post that link, I'm not affiliated with this site, it is just a very good resource).

There's alot going on online regarding this at the moment. It may be that creation of a Universal Jobmatch account will be mandatory BUT signing consent/giving permission to the job centre to access and use your account cannot be mandatory under threat of sanction as this would contravene the data protection act. They may play this down, the form I have seen so far does not give the option not to sign consent, perhaps relying on ignorance re the data protection act. None of this is yet certain however as the DWP and job centre appear to be moving the goal posts in their favour. I don't really see how they can demand consent to use of personal data though. A very good source of information re this and related matters is consent.me.uk (hope I'm allowed to post that link, I'm not affiliated with this site, it is just a very good resource).

i just checked the site and it's given me some useful tips i think this whole universal jobmatch thing is gonna cause a whole lot of trouble for both the goverment and the dwp.

You will have the choice if you want to give the JCP access to view your account, but if you refuse to do that then you will be required to print off your job search activities from the universal jobmatch for each attendance at the JCP (both signing and advisory appointments), if you are unable to do that then you wil be referred to DMA to consider if a disallowance is appropriate (not a sanction which will also remove housing benefit, council tax benefit, free school meals, prescriptions etc and also mean that you won;t qualify for job grants and budgeting loans)) as you won't be able to prove that you were actively seeking.

You will have the choice if you want to give the JCP access to view your account, but if you refuse to do that then you will be required to print off your job search activities from the universal jobmatch for each attendance at the JCP (both signing and advisory appointments), if you are unable to do that then you wil be referred to DMA to consider if a disallowance is appropriate (not a sanction which will also remove housing benefit, council tax benefit, free school meals, prescriptions etc and also mean that you won;t qualify for job grants and budgeting loans)) as you won't be able to prove that you were actively seeking.

Are there guidelines that refer to this, where does it say that claimants will have to print off jobmatch activity or else? Not being sarcastic, just interested. Also just saw on twitter a recent letter from Lord Freud to another MP about Universal Jobmatch saying that claimants would be encouraged to create an account but would be their own choice whether to give the job centre access to that account.

There is something that I have read at work, and it does state that if permission is not given to view the account that customers will have to print off the jobsearch activities from their Universal Jobmatch account to prove that they have been actively seeking.

tbh I haven't looked online to see if it's already out there for general viewing sorry.

Yes it will be your choice but will have to be on the other, I think the new print JSAg specifies about the Universal JobMatch account and providing proof etc but as I'm not in work now I can't be 100% certain.

I've just read a document to contractors running UJ which states:

"10.7 When the Services are implemented, Jobcentre Plus customers (including potential jobseekers) will not be mandated to register and create a profile. Discussions are ongoing with the Authority and Ministers, and requiring customers to use the services may be introduced at a later date. The Contractor shall ensure the design of the Services is such that they are scalable in the event of such a change in policy.

10.8 At implementation of the Services, Jobcentre Plus customers will be encouraged to use the Services, via their ongoing interactions with Jobcentre Plus staff.

10.9 For the avoidance of doubt, there is no requirement to migrate any Jobcentre Plus customer information to the Services to create a profile/record."

Unless this has already changed. It appears they are saying one thing while doing another. They can't have it both ways. It either is mandatory or it isn't. If it is mandatory then that would surely breach the data protection act. What about the coming mandatory 35 hour per week job search which will follow on the back of registering with Universal Jobmatch, which will be enabled by that? How on earth will anyone be able to comply? If they don't/can't it'll be be 3 year sanctions all round. That will create an army of desperate and angry people with absolutely nothing left to lose.

Some info on the Public and Commercial Services Union site

Not Compulsory

 

It is not compulsory for jobseekers to use UJM though a direction to do so could be applied if an adviser deemed it to be appropriate. While DWP can not specify how claimants prove they are actively seeking work, as all vacancies registered with DWP will be on UJM, DWP would be likely to expect jobseekers to register in order to apply for those jobs.

thanks, so basically universal jobmatch is going to replace advisers matching claimants to positions?

So they won't be needing so many Advisors at the JobCentre?

I sign on tomorrow and have an appointment with a personal advisor so will find out more about this universal jobmatch thing.

From the horse's mouth:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/universal-jobmatch-faqs.pdf

Q8. Does everyone have to register to search for jobs?

No, but if not, jobseeker’s will not be able to access all the facilities listed in

question 7.

 

 

I'm not unemployed but I am tempted to create a fake account and have a go.

just wondering if the everyone on jsa has to create a universal jobmatch account from monday and what will happen if they don't? i apply for loads of positions every week and each time i go to sign on my jobsearch form is always full. if i applied for the same amount of positions without using universal jobmatch would i be sanctioned?

Although creating a Government Gateway Account may be mandatory, and after validating the email address, candidates may then create a Universal JobMatch Account, in order to create that account, you have to agree to Mandatory Terms and Conditions of using the site... which includes a Section concerning Data Protection (Section 6)

6.1 Information you provide to Us may be passed to relevant service providers, including government departments, agencies or authorities, for example in order to respond to any query you have made with Us or process any application you may have made. Your information will be managed in accordance with the law, including the Data Protection Act 1998. For further information please read Our Privacy Policy.

 

6.2 We will comply with our legal obligations to keep your information safe and secure, but we cannot guarantee the absolute safety of any information that you send to us. This means that you send Us information at your own risk. We will not pay you any damages to cover any loss that has resulted from someone accessing the service without permission or making changes to information on the site, except for where Our employees or agents are at fault.

There is another optional tick box which, when you create an account, authorises that the DWP may access the Universal Jobmatch Account....a spurious option given that §6.1 may be used for that purpose.

Given that the company delivering the service cannot guarantee security of any data on the site, nor give a categoric assurance that users may not be spammed with mailware and viruses, I suggest that users create either a yahoo or hotmail account.

Already many claimants who have visited the site have complained it is worse than the old jobs direct site – a feat that would barely have been thought possible. It’s clear that any money that’s been spent on the new website has gone into the behind the scenes snooping powers it now gives Jobcentres. Spying on unemployed people, with the aim of sanctioning benefits, is far more important to the DWP than providing a website which works and actually contains a decent amount of genuine vacancies.

It’s hardly a surprise that the website is such a mess. The new service was built by Monster Jobs – an international online recruitment firm. The company already has an extensive online jobmatching website. They were hardly likely to develop a better one for the DWP.

Monster Jobs must have been laughing all the way to the bank as the DWP paid them huge some of tax payer’s cash to effectively knobble any competition to their business from the Jobcentre.

You will have the choice if you want to give the JCP access to view your account, but if you refuse to do that then you will be required to print off your job search activities from the universal jobmatch for each attendance at the JCP (both signing and advisory appointments), if you are unable to do that then you wil be referred to DMA to consider if a disallowance is appropriate (not a sanction which will also remove housing benefit, council tax benefit, free school meals, prescriptions etc and also mean that you won;t qualify for job grants and budgeting loans)) as you won't be able to prove that you were actively seeking.

I am sure that, if what you say is accurate and correct, then it will be the choice of JCP Administration Clerks to ignore a Job Search Record which the candidate provides at the time of signing, to offer a defacto accusation of lying, and to require them to print off a record of vacancies that they have been matched to through Universal Job Match.

Of course, if candidates are on the Work Programme, then DWP may invoke the consent and authorisation which candidates provide when creating a Universal Job Match Account, and make available a candidates UJ Record to their W2W Pimp.

the "advisor" i just spoke to was just showing me how to use the new site he couldn't even use it himself. I Said like "go on browse jobs there's no northwest, type in Liverpool it's showing jobs in Bolton.."Then the page half loaded. His excuse for that "its only just launced it will be popular at the moment" erm then why havnt monster got something in place to cope with that?

"What security is in place to secure my details?" Couldn't answer. "Monster have assured us it's secure. really then how come there own site has been hacked more than once? why is there a disclaimer on the site saying they cant guarantee your details won't be passed to a third party? you know how easily it will be for hackers to plant Trojans then the whole system will be in chaos? nice big database like that is a hackers dream". To that he said "God help us all" and "I set up a new email and used bare minimum details for my account" even the job centre staff know its not secure!!!

He implied I HAD to sign up for it and didn't ask for permission to view what I'm doing on there!!!

Absolute farce

You will have the choice if you want to give the JCP access to view your account, but if you refuse to do that then you will be required to print off your job search activities from the universal jobmatch for each attendance at the JCP (both signing and advisory appointments), if you are unable to do that then you wil be referred to DMA to consider if a disallowance is appropriate (not a sanction which will also remove housing benefit, council tax benefit, free school meals, prescriptions etc and also mean that you won;t qualify for job grants and budgeting loans)) as you won't be able to prove that you were actively seeking.

I read on another site that if you get sanctioned for 6 months for instance and you get Hardship payments, when you eventually go back on JSA

You have to pay back the hardship payment money?

No you are not required to repay any hardship payments but ther processing of hardship is changing and now every scrap pf proof requested in the hardship application has to be provided before a decision can be made