I am in the process of sending a letter of complaints. The only problem is it's getting longer by the day so I haven't had the chance to send it yet. The complaints procedure would also take too long, as by the time I have completed that the time limit I have for a reconsideration and an appeal will have expired. Yes. But without knowing the reason I've been sanctioned I can't appeal against the decision.

For more details see this thread. Here's a quick summary: I've been sanctioned, but the reason on the letter is incredibly vague. It just says that I 'cannot be treated as actively seeking work'. After five attempts at trying to find out the reason I finally got told the content of the sanction doubt that was sent to head office in Newcastle, however this is incredibly vague too. It only says that I haven't 'adhered to my job seeker's agreement'. I arranged a reconsideration meeting at my local branch yesterday through Newcastle, which my local branch pretended didn't exist when I attempted to arrange through them, in order to find out the reason for my sanction. However, they kept me waiting for almost an hour, pretending the advisor was busy with another jobseeker and would be unable to see me. The appointment was booked in advance, so they knew they needed to be available at this time and I happen to know the advisor I was supposed to be seeing and the entire time I was there I did not see her speak to another job seeker. JCP are clearly refusing to let me know the reason as they know they don't have a leg to stand on and without me knowing the reason for my sanction doubt I'm unable to get either a reconsideration or appeal against it. Is there another body I can speak to about this in order to get JCP to tell me the reason for my sanction? There's a time limit on the amount of time I have to get a reconsideration and appeal against it, so something needs to be done soon.

There's been a rather interesting development today. Since a decision had already been made I wasn't sure if I was still able to do the reconsideration stage prior to the appeal, so I phoned them this morning to find out, discovering that I was still able to do it. There was a lot of toing and froing when I requested the list of reasons for the decision having been made. Both head office in Newcastle and my local branch declined to provide me with it. Newcastle initially claimed that as my local branch had dealt with issuing my sanction (obviously a lie ) they would be unable to send me it and I would have to get it from my local branch instead. My local branch told me Newcastle would have to send it. During the initial phone call with Newcastle they informed me that they would be able to make a reconsideration appointment for me with my local branch. I declined the offer and told them that I would do it myself shortly. During the conversation with my local branch they told me that there was no such thing as appointments regarding reconsiderations. Obviously someone was lying. I phoned Newcastle again and this time the lady I spoke to agreed to send the list of reasons to me and made a reconsideration appointment at my local job centre for later on today. Also, for the first time ever, on the fifth time of my asking, I was actually provided with the information for why I have been sanctioned. However, the person I spoke to herself said that there was 'surprisingly very little detail' and that as a result she couldn't be entirely sure of why my benefits were sanctioned. All the sanction doubt said was that I 'hadn't adhered to my job seeker's agreement'. I informed the person on the phone that I had done everything within my job seeker's agreement but the advisor I spoke to last week told me that she didn't feel I was doing enough to look for work and I asked if this was what the reason might be. She told me it was possible, but she wasn't so sure. She then went through my job seeker's agreement asking me individually if I'd done the various tasks. I told her that I had done them all until she asked about signing on with an agency. I informed her of my previously stated reasons for not being able to complete this process and that I assumed the issue had already been resolved. She agreed with my reasoning and then proceeded going through the rest of the tasks of my job seeker's agreement, this time listing them without waiting for a response as to whether or not I had done them, instead asking me at the end if there was anything I hadn't done. Now this is where it gets interesting. One of the things she listed was that I am required to visit four companies in person a week. At no point have I been asked to do this. So this means that at some point somebody has modified my job seekers' agreement to make it appear as though I am supposed to be doing this, possibly in the last two weeks in an attempt to justify their decision to sanction me. I have a couple of questions surrounding this. I have a copy of my job seeker's agreement from the last time I was aware of it being modified. However, this was back in February. Given the long period of time between now and then, would this still be able to stand up as evidence for me not being aware of this modification? Also, if someone makes a change to a person's job seeker's agreement would it show who did it in some sort of change log? Thanks

The letter just arrived confirming that I have been given a two week sanction because for two weeks I "cannot be treated as actively seeking work". This is a very unspecific reason in my opinion. They've failed to provide me with the GL24 form, so I'll have to collect it from the job centre. This is completely different from happened the last time a doubt was raised. The last time my money was paid while the doubt was raised and I was allowed to state my case before they made a decision. This time my money was stopped immediately and they've decided to sanction me without allowing me to state my case. How should I appeal against this? Would something along these lines be sufficient: During the stated period I have been doing everything in my job seeker's agreement to look for work. This involves looking online, looking in newspapers, looking in shop windows, contacting companies via telephone and asking friends and family if they are aware of any job vacancies. I am not aware of any other methods which would be effective in helping me find work nor have I been made aware of any. When I was first informed by an advisor at JCP that she felt I was not doing enough to look for work I asked her what else there was I could be doing and she was unable to provide me with an answer. Should I make a point of how if they haven't put something in my job seeker's agreement, or in writing, then they can't complain that I haven't done said 'something else'? I'm not sure how I would go about wording this.

This is ridiculous. I've just received two letters in the post. The first is about the sanction doubt being raised. Apparently it isn't about the fact that I didn't join an agency back in February like requested, but is because they don't think I've been doing enough to look for work. This is crazy. I'm doing everything realistically possible and then some. Even the advisor I spoke to last week was unable to think of anything else I could do to try and look for work. I haven't been given the opportunity to appeal yet as a decision hasn't been made. The letter just informs me that a sanction doubt has been raised for this reason. The second letter is nothing but a string of lies. It claims I used abusive language and made an insulting remark towards the advisor. Neither of which is true. The most offensive thing I said to her was 'Your name tag says advisor'. If JCP staff consider this offensive then we'd all better watch our tongues. They also claim that I refused to comply with a request to not use electronic equipment in their office. Again this is untrue.

Cheers. I still haven't received the letter but is it correct procedure for my money to have been stopped until the outcome has been decided? Last time they attempted to sanction me I still received the money while the decision was pending, but on this occasion my money has been stopped until the decision is made, at least according to the manager I spoke to at the job centre yesterday.

I didn't apply at all. I wasted two hours looking at a number of sites for local companies. I wasn't able to apply for them as providing the information up front was the first step in the procedure. I'm not stupid, so I'm not going to provide a company with a load of my personal information without knowing why they need it or what kind of payment they will be taking for the services. I haven't received the letter regarding the sanction yet, but when I do would something like this be enough?: 'I attempted to apply for a number of agencies in the list my advisor provided me with. However, I was unable to complete the application with them due to them requesting personal information without informing me of why they required it. I informed my advisor of why I was unable to join one of the agencies in February. She agreed with my reason and as such I assumed the request for me to sign up with an agency had been resolved.' It's similar to yours, but I'm saying 'attempted to apply' rather than 'did apply', which is the truth. Should I provide more information than this or would this be sufficient? There's probably some sort of law I can quote which says that no-one can be forced to sign a contract without being made aware of the terms and conditions and I wonder if I should include this in my response as well. Would making more of a point of how the end date for me having done this was back in February and they've said nothing about it until July, which is five months later, be worth including as well? I find it ridiculous that they are trying to sanction me for this. The only reason this has happened is because I have been doing the same things to look for work in the past two months, of which there is a lot. The advisor today told me that she didn't feel that I was doing enough. However, when I asked her what else there was I could do to look for work she was unable to come up with anything that I wasn't already doing.

I rang earlier and they confirmed what you just said. So advisors can pretend to be managers, but their lie is covered by having a "management" grade job. Lovely. I wonder how many people this works on... I'm also being made to go in again tomorrow to sign in again. I had a job interview that day, but I've had to cancel it as tomorrow is the only open slot at the job centre in the next five working days. The job centre hinder my search for employment once again. Brilliant. I wonder what would have happened had I not placed the phone call. A letter obviously would not have arrived on time and nobody would have been available to answer an early phone call tomorrow.

Delightful experience at the job centre today. The advisor I was seeing today went through some terms in my jobseeker's agreement. She asked me if I'd applied to an agency like I was asked to back in February. I told her that I hadn't as the list of agencies I was provided with requested personal information, including account details, without offering any terms and conditions as to both why they needed this information or what kind of payment they would be taking for their services. She then told me that she would be raising a sanction doubt as I hadn't adhered to the terms of my agreement. I informed her that this issue was from months ago and I was under the impression it had already been dealt with as the advisor I was seeing at the time accepted my reasons for not signing up with one of the agencies offered. She then requested the advisor's name, so I told her only for her then to tell me that that advisor no longer worked there so they would be unable to look into it. She then continued to fill out the sanction doubt, so I asked her if she would hand her details over to a company without being provided with any details. She declined to comment but told me that as I hadn't adhered to my agreement I can't receive my money until the issue has been resolved. At this point I asked to speak to the manager, to which she replied 'I am the manager'. Silly fool. I pointed it out to her that her name tag said 'Advisor' at which point she said 'I'll just go and get a manager'. When she came back she informed me that all the managers were currently busy so I would be unable to speak to one. I then asked for her surname as her name tag only provided me with her first name. She gave me her surname and I wrote down her name so that I wouldn't forget it. The moment I started to do this she then asked me to leave the building, which I did after I finished writing down her name. What happens now? I wasn't provided with any information. Do I go in as normal on my next signing on date? Do I have to wait for a letter from them? Should I phone them? Something else? I'm also going to make a complaint that an advisor impersonated a manager and I'd like to know the correct procedure for lodging such a complaint. Thanks

I thought so. Cheers. I will mention this in my complaint to ICE. Have to thank CDG for providing me with a confession even if they have bent the truth! There's no set timescale between appointments. They make appointments with you whenever they feel like. I was arranged weekly appointments with them, but I cancelled the last one and they've yet to reschedule a new one. I haven't been in for three weeks now! The worst case I've read is where someone was made to attend every day... This is assuming 'Personal Routeways' is the 'Work Programme'.

Something's just hit me. One of my complaints was that when I said I wanted to take a contract home with me and read it, getting consultation in the process, I was told that if I didn't sign the contract there and then I WOULD receive a benefit sanction. In the letter of response to my letter of complaints, instead of denying that such an incident took place it just says that the word 'could' was used instead of 'will'. Would a work programme provider telling someone they COULD receive a benefit sanction for this still breach the DWP guidelines? Given the nature of the incident this still sounds like a threat to me. If this does breach the guidelines then I've been provided with a confession in writing!

They're saying otherwise in their letter. But from the way it's worded it can be removed if I state that I've changed my mind. I have no idea why this is necessary or really makes any difference. Either way I'm still stating that I want that data be removed. It seems to me as though they're just trying to make me claim that I gave consent for them to pass that information on to my WP provider in the first place? Something which I did not. I only provided them with information they had already been provided with by JCP as foolishly I didn't see the harm at the time. The only new information I gave was the type of work I was looking for which was done under threat of a benefit sanction on my first visit. I've stood my ground when they tried this on two other occasions.

Cheers. I'll see if sending one of those letters off helps. I just received my letter back from my work programme provider about the six complaints I had against them. Firstly I find it absolutely disgusting that the letter was written by not only someone from my local branch, but one of the individuals who I was complaining about. I think I will make a complaint about this as well. As it's a new complaint do I have to send this to my work programme provider before I can inform ICO, or can I include it as the seventh complaint in my letter to ICO when I send it? Two of my three complaints about being told that my benefits 'WILL' be sanctioned have been completely denied. The response to the third complaint about this is off-topic. Instead of addressing that I was told that my benefits WOULD be sanctioned for not attending it just says that the job I was told to apply for is suitable. Despite that job being unsuitable for anyone I didn't complain about it all in the letter. Just that I was told that not attending the "interview" WOULD result in my benefits being sanctioned. I wonder if avoiding the subject at hand could count as admittance. My advisor also denies calling me names and attempting to bully me into signing the data protection waiver. They claim that the complaints procedure being on a board somewhere in their office is sufficient and that they're not required to inform me about it. I read otherwise somewhere, so I shall look for that again and include it in my letter to ICO. They inform me that my data can not be removed until after I have completed two years with them. I believe this information to be incorrect.

It's taken from here. Page 20. Later in the letter they go on to say this: However some sensitve personal data can only be processed where certain conditions are set out in schedule 2 of the Data Protection Act, are satisfied. You will have been asked to give your consent to the information being recorded and as such have the right to change your mind So if I'm reading this correctly, I can get this data removed? If so how? Apparently asking to have it removed isn't justifiable. But if I send another letter requesting the exact same thing but worded to say that "I've changed my mind" they'll remove it? o_O

I got a letter back from the job centre today regarding my desire to have my personal data deleted from my work programme provider's database. They've agreed to remove my e-mail address and CV (which they didn't have anyway), but they're refusing to make them remove my phone number and any other personal information. They've done this under this term: "The processing is necessary for the compliance with any legal obligation to which the data controller is subject, other than an obligation imposed by contract" What's the next step to getting the rest of my data removed from my work programme provider's database?

Yeah. I'm not going to apply for that job anyway. My action plan only required me to attend on Friday. It said nothing about actually applying for the job. I just rang CDG and they said that I could complain via post and my complaints should be sent to them and not Maximus. Any idea on what information I have to provide in the letter of complaint? Is simply my name and address enough or should I provide my NI number as well? Edit: I've just finished writing my letter. If someone would be willing to read through it and let me know if I should make any adjustments that would be great. Thanks

This is interesting news to hear. I will definitely be covertly recording all meetings there from now on. The job isn't in a fixed location. Instead it is at various events throughout the country. I'm not sure if Scotland and Wales are included in this or whether places like the Channel Islands or Isle of Man are included, but I know for a fact that the Isle of Wight is as this was listed as one of the current known locations along with Leeds. Using Leeds to the Isle of Wight as an example we're talking £115 for the train ticket to Portsmouth and then an additional £15 for the hovercraft to the Isle of Wight. As it's a minimum wage job I'd need to work for 20 hours just to make that money back. It's not so much wishing to see the personal information they hold. I simply wish to see one of the documents I signed so that I can see if it has been altered afterwards as I suspect they may have done so. I made sure not to sign those forms. They weren't happy about it but they didn't threaten me to try and make me sign those two. On the first visit I only received a threat of benefit sanction for not wishing to fill out an optional questionnaire. I sent the other two letters from that site to have the work programme provider remove my personal data but so far they have not removed it. I'll call their customer feedback number and ask if I can make an official complaint via letter to the address on their contact page, finding out which of the two companies I'm required to make my initial complaints to in the process.

I believe I've managed to find the correct procedure for making complaints myself. First I make a complaint to the work programme provider, then if I'm not happy with the response or I don't hear from them for eight weeks I make a complaint to ICE. It seems as this raises another complaint as I should have been informed about the complaints procedure by them rather than having to work it out for myself. The closest I have to them informing me of it is a 4 page A5 booklet (or a double-sided A4 booklet folded in half (whatever you'd call it)) which on the back specifies how I go about passing on feedback. No mention of the word 'complaints'. It seems as though I possibly have an additional complaint about my work programme provider for not providing me with this information. As Maximus have teamed up with CDG I'm confused about which company I should be making the complaint to. Maximus sent me my initial, and so far only, letter, but it is CDG who I have attended the induction, a meeting and a so called "interview" with. I assume I'm supposed to complain to CDG as these are who I've been dealing with directly. However, all I can find on their website is this page: http://www.cdguk.org/contact-us It says "If you have compliments, suggestions or complaints about any of our services, please let us know by using the suggestion boxes in our centres, by emailing or by calling the number below". While an address is listed it doesn't specify that I can use this to make my complaints, which strikes me as a little odd. Should I stick with sending a letter with recorded delivery? It seems to be the best way of proving that I sent the letter and it was received. But as this isn't specified as being a way of making a complaint... Something else has just hit me. During my induction there was a form with a number of checkboxes at the top, which were required to be checked if I was informed of various things during my induction. As I was dragged off into another room to speak to a manager due to my not wishing the data protection waiver I missed the vast majority of the presentation, only witnessing the very end of it as it was being wrapped up, which provided me with no useful information whatsover. Anyway, on the bottom of this form I was asked to put my signature and I did so. I made a point of asking if I was supposed to check the checkboxes as my advisor addressed the corresponding points but he informed me that it didn't matter as that section didn't need to be filled out. It's possible that there was more on the page then just the checkboxes and an area for my signature, but I can't be 100%. The only thing that I can be sure of is that not a single checkbox was checked at the time I signed it. I'm now wondering if these checkboxes were filled in after I signed the document. If this did happen would this be considered forgery? If so how should I go about getting a copy the document so that it can be used as evidence. I worry that if I requested a copy of it they might realise exactly why I wanted a copy of it and would refuse to do so. One of these checkboxes may have been one saying that I had been informed about the complaints procedure. By having signed this document and then it having been altered afterwards I'm not sure how a complaint that I wasn't informed of the complaints procedure would stand.

Today's "interview" was not an interview at all. All that happened was a manager gave me a form to fill out with a large number of pages. I informed her that before filling it out I'd like to take it home with me and get consultation on it. She then told me that if I didn't fill the form out there and then my benefits would be sanctioned. She refused to let me record the conversation of course. This is my third visit to Maximus now and on every occasion I've unlawfully been told that my benefits WILL be sanctioned if I don't do something. I have the names of the people who have made these threats, but sadly I have no evidence and it's just a case of my word against theirs. Today's incident was done in front of two other jobseekers. However, when I asked them if they'd be willing to confirm that the manager did indeed make such a threat they both said that they wouldn't be willing to do it. What is the next step I have to take to make a complaint against Maximus? I think I should at least try and do something even if it is unlikely that something will be done. She said that on Tuesday I have to meet her at a train station so that she can purchase a ticket for my long travel to the actual interview on Wednesday. As I've been given nothing in writing I shall just claim to not have been informed about this. As it happens I've genuinely forgotten both the time I'm supposed to meet her on the Tuesday and the time of the interview on the Wednesday. I also have no idea where the job interview is supposed to take place other than the name of the city. So it looks like I couldn't go even if I wanted to. My action plan only mentions having to attend the "interview" on Friday. It makes no mention of me being required to do anything else regarding this "job opportunity". As suspected anyone who applies for the job will automatically be given it. The manager said that all you had to do was fill out the form and attend the interview and you'd be guaranteed the job regardless. Flicking through the form the job looks even more delightful than I first expected. They expect the employees to pay £130 for their own uniform! You're also required to give over your bank details before even being offered the job. Wow. Just wow.

Other than today's interview, which I'm hoping to record, no. The only document I've been provided with about it simply tells me that it's an interview. It doesn't even specify that it's a job... I was provided with very little information about today. I'm still unsure as to whether it's simply a job interview, or if I have to sit through a presentation prior to this. I know that I don't have a set interview time and there'll be a number of people attending at 13:00. The piece of paper I was given to look at while I was there didn't even mention the company name. Part of me is wondering if this is in fact a mock interview they've disguised as a real one as the job just seems too horrendous to be real. I'm still a little unsure about whether or not I should attend. While I was told I'd receive benefit sanction if I didn't attend I didn't sign the action plan to agree to it and I'm not sure if this gives me any strength to not attend or whether it's still a requirement. I also sent a letter last week requesting that they remove my personal data. I haven't heard anything back yet, but when I was there yesterday I saw that they still had the data on their system. I don't know how long I should expect it to take for it to be removed, but it seems as if I might have to take legal action against them soon and I wonder if this would exempt me from visiting them until the issue is resolved.

Ah I should read up on this. Cheers. I might also raise that I get queasy rather easily if the opportunity allows it. Simply being close to the toilet on board a train sets me off. Being inside a port-a-loo, never mind cleaning one, will cause havoc. I'm sure I can phrase that in a way which won't make it seem as though I'm sabotaging the interview. I could ask if they have any measures to prevent this. I'm not sure covert recordings would be beneficial as they wouldn't stand up as evidence in a court of law. You need to have the person's consent in order to use it. Of course the work programme companies will surely refuse to let you do so... Interestingly enough my local JCP have banned the use of laptops, mobile phones and anything else that could be used as a recording device inside their building. This wasn't an issue prior to A4E being outed...

Excellent advice. I think I'll attend tomorrow and do exactly this. I'll also raise travel costs as an issue as well as some other things which may come up. If worse comes to worst and they still offer me the job, by refusing it I surely can avoid being sanctioned by JCP on the grounds that the job would see me haemorrhaging money left, right and centre correct? Work Programme schemes only benefit if I actually get a job right? Simply having a job offer, which I rejected wouldn't see them make a penny out of me would it, even if it was directly through them? Then instead of pulling a sicky to avoid the CV writing course I'll inform them I need to keep myself available for a pending interview on that date, which wouldn't exactly be entirely untrue.

Exactly! So my CV doesn't even need to be changed... They've probably given it to a number of work programme schemes throughout the country knowing that they can force people to apply for the job. They'll probably accept anyone who turns up at the interview tomorrow, aware of the fact that some people will feel taking the job is the only option as they might otherwise risk a benefit sanction. Evil. Pure evil. I think I'll just phone in sick both days as I'm not sure if I have a way out of it even though I didn't sign the action plan.

Delightful day with Maximus today. My advisor looked through my CV and was impressed with it. His only complaint was that he'd have put the longer personal statement about my interests at the start rather than the end. Personally I disagree with this as the employer would surely want to know my skills more than my interests, which I already have in my opening paragraph. Despite this I've been placed on a three hour long CV writing course next week to show me how to reorder my CV. Despite applying for more than the number of jobs I'm required to apply for a week they're also forcing me to attend an interview there tomorrow for an incredibly unsuitable job. It's a company who are looking to hire people to clean port-a-loos throughout the country. One day your in Southampton, the next Leeds, then on to Newcastle, etc. The company don't cover your travel expenses (which will be about the same as your daily pay if not more), but they do provide you with accommodation. A large tent to share with the other employees. So on top of spending all my wages on the travel I'd be required to spend more money on a hotel for the night. I pointed out the unsuitability of such a job to my advisor, but of course he didn't care. He told me that I'd receive a benefits sanction if I didn't attend the interview tomorrow. Unfortunately I forgot to record our conversation, so it will just be a case of my word against his again. As I disagree with both of these things for obvious reasons I refused to sign the action plan. Is it possible to get out of attending either of these things which are both clearly nothing but a waste of time?

Yeah, I didn't give JCP permission to pass my details on to Maximus, but they did so anyway. At the time I didn't see the harm in filling out the form with that information as they'd already been provided with it. It wasn't until later that I realised that by providing I'm effectively giving them consent to spam my inbox and harass me over the phone. Good to know there's a way of possibly fixing this. I'll write the letter, then when I go in next week if my data's still there I'll request for it to be removed again in person. I guess I'll just show them it as it is then, with list of colleges and university blacked out. Yeah. I'm happy to sign if if I don't have a problem with it, but when they ask me to do something that invades my privacy or wastes numerous hours of my time I'd be reluctant to sign it if I don't have to and there's no real dangerous consequences. Cheers. I'll send those letters off then. There was. Thanks!