I know you were being serious (not funny); I was meaning what you said was true, but laughable that they can spend so much money on UJM, yet not be able to improve the clarity letters they send, or even send an email or SMS to remind people! For the record: I got my JSA reinstated. They found the letter they had allegedly sent to remind me about the 7 Jan interview. It had been indeed been sent... sent to the floor accidentally and kicked under a desk!

Thanks again flumps1976! I have an interview there tomorrow (Mon 28 Jan 2013). I will raise the topic and insist they check. I really don't think the staff at my JC office are trained in the best/correct way(s) of advising people of their rights in such circumstances. Perhaps it's more the system that's overly fallible, as opposed to any wrong-doing/dirty tricks. At least, I like to think that's the case. LMAO! Your line there is humorous, san_d, but also a seriously true and valid point! Thanks to all of you! You've been of great help.

Thanks for the replies everyone! I will do that debt4get; I have an interview with them on Monday. flumps1976, now you have been much more helpful and informative in that one reply than the JC office has been. I get the impression they're out of their depth and don't seem to know the ins-and-outs (i.e. what the procedures are, my rights, their rights, etc.) IF they did actually inform me (tell me verbally, by letter, or whatever) and I had genuinely forgotten, then I will "take it on the chin" as the penalty for being so bleeding negligent. But I strongly doubt they did (I know you probably hear that billions of times, but I speak honestly - regardless of my chosen name on here!), as I am certain I would have written it both in my diary and on my calendar. I wish they had stated something like "you failed to attend an interview on 7 January 2013", or even better, something like "you failed to attend an interview on 7 January 2013 at am/pm with ", rather than the vague and easily-to-misunderstand/misinterpret "you did not attend to sign your declaration"

Yes, that's a good point; I certainly, as said above, do not recall anything like that regarding an interview on 7 Jan!

Any JSA experts that could perhaps light my darkness? I today (23 Jan 2013) received a letter (dated 18 Jan 2013) from the DWP stating that there had been a change in my circumstances; namely and I quote: "We cannot pay you an allowance from 5 January 2013. This is because: you did not attend attend to sign your declaration If you do not attend this office when you are meant to we cannot pay you Jobseeker's Allowance" I did attend on Friday morning (18 Jan 2013 - same as the date on the letter) for my fortnightly signing intervention, only to be told that signing-on for everybody had been cancelled due to concerns over people being able to visit the JC due to the recent snowy weather. When I went to query the reason for the letter at the local JC office this morning, I was basically told "It's not because of the signing-on being cancelled last Friday, it's because you failed to attend an interview with your advisor on 7 January 2013." I certainly do not recall being informed either verbally or in writing of an interview on 7 Jan (especially seeing I attended a signing intervention on 4 Jan - i.e. the Friday before my apparent interview!), and I have looked through my files to see if there is any mention in any form (appointment card, letter etc), but can find none. I doubt I would have forgotten to write on BOTH my calendar AND my diary. But the main thing that niggles me is surely, if I had missed an interview with my advisor, :- 1) it wouldn't take 11 calendar days to formulate a letter? (i.e. wouldn't I have received a letter sooner? [i.e. nearer to 7 Jan?]) and, more importantly, 2) would it not say something to the effect "you failed to attend an interview on 7 January 2013"? Stating "you did not attend to sign your declaration" suggests (to me anyhow) they are penalising me for not signing-on on Friday 18 Jan (seeing that also just so happens to be the date of the letter). TBH, I find it analogous to being charged with one thing (say, running a red light), when what actually happened was something completely different (say, parking in a no-parking zone) I have contacted the DWP and have an interview on Monday (28 Jan 2013) - hopefully I will have the situation clarified then. Any ideas/suggestions/advice/corrections-to-my-(mis-)interpretation(s) welcome!

Here's my tale about "A doubt has arisen":- I got one of those ES195REJP forms on January 2nnd this year (2011) about a vacancy the JC claimed I had not applied for/refused to apply for/failed to accept/etc. I knew for a fact that I had indeed applied for it, as 1) I recall the day and (approx) time of writing it out, printing out the CV and taking it to the local Post Office Counters branch to post, but also 2) because I scan every application for employment to keep as a record for myself. Basically, I had my 3 monthly review/interview on Friday 10th December 2010, and discussed other types of work I could do to maximise my chances of gaining employment. As I had done some office-type work during my last employment, I put that down. I was told of 2 vacancies fitting that description and was given a "Client Copy" relating to both of them. The vacancy which the "doubt" would "arise" over had a closing date of 14th December 2010, so I had to apply quickly to get it in on time. I actually completed both applications by end afternoon, so opted to send both via 1st Class Royal Mail. Friday 21st January, had just finished my 6 week run of a weekly signing period. Heard nothing at the JC, so I assumed that all was OK. The next day, Saturday 22nd January, I received the ES195REJP through the post, and noticed it had been dated 21st January, the day before... the same day I had been signing! I was puzzled why this had not been given to me when I signed, and angry because I had bleeding well applied for the vacancy! I printed off the scanned copy of my completed ES5JP application form as proof that I had indeed applied for it. Monday 24th January, I went to the local JC and handed over the ES195REJP and a copy of the application form. I was assured it was merely a formality and it would be sorted out. I decided to write it in my JSA diary that I had received the form and that I had been to the JC to sort it out. In fact the next day, Tuesday 25th January, I was phoned by the JC regarding a job opportunity that had just come up that day. I asked in passing about the "doubt", they said they had no record and it wasnt in the notes. Tuesday, 1st February, another letter regarding the "doubt", this time form ES48S. I went back to the local JC, saw the same advisor, but this time she was somewhat hostile, and tried to say 1) I had used the wrong form to apply, and 2) that I had applied with a pre-scanned copy instead of a hand-written one! I replied that I had applied with a hand-written application, to which they pointed out that the proof I had brought them last week was "clearly not hand written, it’s obviously been printed off."! i.e. she couldn’t figure out that a printout of a scanned copy (in essence a photocopy, to all intents and purposes) of my hand-written application would obviously be, well, a printout! I pointed out that 1) what I had given them was (in essence) a photocopy of my hand-written form as proof, and 2) the writing was obviously hand-written originally, as it was quite untidy. I stated that a computer is unlikely to be able to put such an obviously untidy typeface/font! 3) even if I had used the wrong form or not, that’s not the same as not applying! Why didn’t anyone get in touch to say so in that case?! She got quite annoyed and accused me of shouting. I apologised if I gave that impression, but I was quite annoyed at being presumed guilty when it was quite obvious I was innocent! I visited the CAB on Wednesday, 2nd February, and they were very helpful. I got the impression the JC staff member on the phone with the CAB volunteer was quite shocked! Thursday, 3rd February, I received another letter, this time form ES86B. This form had questions for me to answer on the reverse side. I opted to compose a word-processed document, as the answers I would give would be quite comprehensive. One of the questions asked, and even now I am amused/astounded they asked, was how come I had “a copy of the application form?”! Um… page 2 of the ES48S has a relevant point about that in “Guidance Notes”! I sent the reply with examples of copies of other vacancies I applied for, on Friday, 4th February via Recorded Delivery. I have heard nothing since then! I am glad to report that I am now in employment and have closed my JSA claim. But the moral of the story is to make sure you have/make a copy of any completed application forms for vacancies, and if possible get proof of their postage. I didn’t get proof of postage, but I am really glad that I kept scanned copies of my applications for employment; otherwise I would have been up the proverbial creek without the paddle! JSA - Doubt.pdf