hi there,

i hope i have posted this in the correct place, if not please could someone let me know where to post it

i became un employed in january 2012, after six years of working for a decent company it was made impossible for me to return to work after suffering from reoccurring depression. Since then i have been applying for at least 6 jobs every week for the past nine months with very few interviews and responses for potential employers.

about a week ago i was offered a job as a web designer in an up and coming local company where i was more than delighted to accept with the understanding that i would need to have a better off calculation worked out to ensure i would be in a better position than when i was on benefits. To my excitement even with the extra travel costs i would be bringing home an extra 100 pounds at the end of each month so i quickly accepted.

this is where the problems begin....

i approached the job centre and after giving me lots of greif about how ive filled my form in wrong and how now i might not get payed my next payment i was told that because i have now been put on the work programme for being signed on for + nine months im not entitled any access to the "flexible support fund" and that as far as their concerned i no longer get any support from them.

after creating quite a bit of fuss i was finally told that it was my work programme provider that would have to support me financially and after asking my provider i was told that they dont have any funds they can offer me!!

so basically im now in a position where i have a decent job (which pays on the 1st of the month) with future potential that i start this coming monday however if i start work then i will no longer get any financial help from the job centre. this wouldnt be a problem but i will only be able to work 2 weeks in december because their office is closed over the christmas week and i have no holiday to use and on top if this they are taking a week in hand which means i will have to wait until the first of feb for a full months wages!

im really looking on what i can do next either for help on my situation or to show the job centre / local authority / government or who ever is responsible for this stupid situation up for the hypocritical idiots they really are. to me its really becoming clear why all the people that want to work find it so hard to get back into work!

ive also managed to get the office number for my local mp and i want to give him a call to see what he has to say but at the moment im not sure quite how to approach him?

any advice offered would be great fully appreciated as i fully intend to start this job on monday and if there is no support from the government that surly this needs to be raised as an issue

Hello there.

I think this is more of a benefits question, I'll move your thread to that forum and hope the guys will be able to help you.

My best, HB

Hello there.

 

I think this is more of a benefits question, I'll move your thread to that forum and hope the guys will be able to help you.

 

My best, HB

thankyou HB

surly someone has some ideas?

surly someone has some ideas?

Most people that help out on the forums work full time. Your thread will be looked at when they have some free time. Maybe you should wait just a wee bit longer that 1hr for a full response!

Who/what is the work programe provider ?

What help do you want from the job center ?. Financial help untill you receive your first pay packet ?

I know that the transition from signing on to a job can be a pain, and sometimes you are left in the lurch financially, Ive just started a job and just phone up JC to find out about my last payment, why does it take so much longer to receive than the normal JSA ?. Im now had to wait 2 1/2 weeks to receive it and the cost of travelling to the new job alone is approx £250.

Andy

Can you get working tax credits?

You should get the job grant?

Unfortunately you were advised correctly, the flexible support fund in the JCP is not available to work program customers.

Any financial assistance you require needs to be requested from your providers.

this govt is making it more and more harder, even if you get a job, you then get virtually no help from JCP working tax credits are now taking up to 12 weeks, mine took 8, but when i rang the other day they told me that there is currently a 12 week wait!! plus most companies now pay monthly so you can sometimes depending on when you start have only a week or 2 of wages to last a month....this also happened to me month before last.....the funding is now virtually non existent, and i believe the 100 quid back to work payment is being stopped next april all together, along with sanctions for not accepting work if you are jsa, is making people vitually destitute...

I applied for WTC when I started working in august but had to wait until the end of September to get my employee number from my payslip so they didn't receive my completed forms until mid October. I received my first payment 29th November backdated to mid September so it can take a shorter time than 8-12 weeks. And, in my case, they also had to wait while a post office card account was opened!!

For the OP, wouldn't they qualify for the back to work payment (and hopefully, as they are signing off, they won't be sanctioned for the job search paperwork thing!!)

Feebee_71

they would qualify if no break in claim for 26 weeks