I belong to Newham and the only way to meet someone is to call and ask for an appointment and someone will call you up and give you a time, well that is the way it is suppose to work. I have lived in London since 2004, I am from Sweden.

My contribution based JSA stopped on the 1st May and my income based JSA started on the 2nd May. They stopped my HB, the last payment I got was on the 23rd April. I was told that as soon as they knew what benefit I would be put on after my contribution based JSA was stopped, they would paying the HB again. It is now 9 weeks later, I have called them so many times and wondering why my HB payment havent started again. The answers I have been getting is, wait one more week and then call again, I asked for an appointment so that I could come in with evidence that I am on income based JSA now. They said someone would call me within 2 days, that never happened so I called again, the one I was talking to that time said, oh no you dont have to come in we can request that information from them, so he did that. Next time I called to ask what was happening I got the whole wait one week and then call again. I told him that things was getting very difficult, at that point I had not eaten for five days. He got angry with me and said that HB was not for food. I told him that I knew that but what was I suppose to do, I had to use the JSA to pay the rent. He was telling me that It was wrong of me and ended the conversation saying that I was wrong but that it was up to me. I have to pay the rent. I have borrowed money from everyone I know. The last call I made was last Friday. I told him I wanted to have an appointment, he said he were going to send a memo and that is how I found out that no one had actually read the previous memo where I wanted an appointment. He also said something about the person who were going to take care of my case was off on holiday, I said that someone else should look into it and he said no that it not how it works, the person who is allocated is the person who will deal with it. Sorry that it was long but here comes the two questions: Is it normal that 9 weeks later my HB is not back to normal? Was that man right, should I not have paid the rent and be homeless instead? Thanks

Hi, I am wondering if you would have to have been on income-based JSA for 26 weeks to get help with a months rent after starting a job? or does your time on contribution JSA count also? Thanks

Hi, I am wondering if you think that I should have been on contribution based JSA. 2009 Working Jan 2010 No income 1/2 - 22/3- 2010 working 23/3- 27/4 2010 No income 28/4- 30/10 2010 JSA contribution based 31/10 2010- 4/5 2011 JSA Income based 5/5- 23/6 2011 Worked 24/6 -29/10 2011 No income 30/10 2011 JSA contribution based. I think it is a bit strange that I was on income based JSA, worked for 6 weeks, had no income for 4 months and then when I apply for JSA I get contribution based. Thanks