I wont be allowing them access to my ujm and I'm sick of them asking Last time she wanted me to log on and go through it with her was to check my cv and searches were ok- so she said When I said they are set up fine and how I like it, I don't want it messed with and I don't have to allow you access that's when she said it could be classed as refusing help which I just laughed at She then said she was sending my job search of to a decision maker because I'd not done enough, when I pointed out to her I do the same amount all the time and you've always said your happy with it and now because I wont let you see my ujm your trying to sanction me again- she replied we like to push you to do more and you can't be sanctioned again when your already sanctioned (which I know is not true as I have had a sanction when I've already been sanctioned) Had my MWA letter and Its another charity shop - Shaw Trust This time the letter has a proper timetable showing 10am to 4pm Mon to Fri, so I hope they stick to these times One of the reasons I put in my last mandatory reconsideration was they are supposed to tell you the times you'll be working but on mine it said 8am to 6pm each day. This was done in August and I've still not heard from this Is there anyone in charge of the jobcentre who I could make a complaint to, to make them do things quicker and not leave me waiting for months. I don't know how they expect me to live on £35 per week, let alone do a placement on it

I have received a copy of the statement of reasons, some of the reasons it gives are * The Appellant attended the hearing. The secretary of state was not represented * The tribunal had the opportunity to speak to the appellant. She told the tribunal that when she went to sign on as usual she was not advised that she had missed a placement. She could not explain how the letter was not delivered but she was adamant that it was not delivered. She had complained to the post office but this was the first time she was aware that mail had not been delivered * The placement was in walking distance from where she lived and would of been very convenient for her to go there. There was no reason why she would not have gone if she had known about it * The tribunal believed the Appellant. Proving a negative - the non receipt of a letter - is of course difficult. The tribunal accepts, however, that on the balance of probabilities the appellant was telling the truth. The alternative, that she received the letter and chose not to attend or simply forgot, knowing what would happen, did not seem credible It says they have one month from the date of the letter if they want to appeal. I've not heard anything about it from the jobcentre and I'm still only getting hardship Went to sign on the other day and I've been put back on Mandatory Work Activity. Hope the letter actually turns up this time and if it does, that its not miles away which I can't afford to get to Also been told to bring in my universal jobmatch log in details because they want to go through it with me to see if its set up properly. They tried this before and when I said no they said it could be classed as me refusing help and my jsa could be stopped. I really hate that place

I have had a letter from the jobcentre today about the tribunal It says: About Your Jobseeker's Allowance Appeal I am writing to tell you that we remain unable to pay you any jobseeker's allowance for the period 01/05/14 to 30/07/14. This is because we are applying for a statement of reasons from the Tribunals Service for the decision made on 15/12/14 and may appeal against the first-tier Tribunal's decision. You have no right of appeal against this decision, However, if this decision causes you hardship please get in touch with us. If your circumstances change it may affect the amount of benefit you get. Please tell us about any changes in your circumstances. We will write to tell you what happens next. But if you want more information please get in touch with us. Our address and telephone number are at the top of this letter. An advice centre like Citizens Advice or a local law centre can also give you free advice. Yours sincerely Appeals Officer The letter has come from Norwich Post Handling Site not my local jobcentre Can't believe its still going on. If they had bothered to turn up at the tribunal they would of know the reasons I won the appeal Wonder how long I'll be waiting now before I hear anything of them

Thanks for that info Hopefully they wont appeal and everything will get sorted out quickly, I don't want to be waiting for months

Thanks for that info Hopefully they don't decide to appeal and everything goes ok. Suppose Its just a waiting game now, hope its sorted by the end of January I don't want to be waiting for months

Hi, I went today for the tribunal and it was just in a room sat at a table across from the judge, no one from DWP was there. I've won it! I've be given a letter of them which says: 1. The appeal is allowed 2. The decision is set aside The tribunal accepts that the appellant did not receive the notice to participate and that is the reason that she did not attend. The tribunal considers that to be a good reason. There should be no sanction therefore based on her failure to attend They said they would send the same letter to DWP So it is worth fighting them, even though I don't think it should of gone this far in the first place over a letter. I don't know what will happen now. I'm waiting to speak to the welfare person at the council, but shouldn't I get the money owed to me back and the sanction I'm on now changed from a 26 week sanction to a 13 week sanction?

Thanks Mr P for providing the link My tribunal is tomorrow at 11am, wonder what will happen? I don't know how I can be punished because of not receiving a letter. Having to go court over this, it makes no sense. I have been reading other threads on here about benefits and I'm horrified at what they can do to people

Thanks for your replies In the response from the jobcentre to the tribunal is a copy of the letter that was sent, but the jobcentre has wrote they do not have the original and enclosed in a copy, which makes me think no letter was ever sent. I do live in a apartment with a security door on the front of the building. The regular post man has a fob to get in, but if someone else is on they can't get in unless someone in the building lets him in. I've had post delivered in the past with 'no access' and the date written on them. The welfare person at the council did fill in a lost letter form online with royal mail for the mandatory reconsideration I will make a submission to the select committee, hopefully something will be done about these sanctions there giving everybody I'll read the other threads see what info I can find Does anyone know what tribunals are like?

I asked that last time I signed on and was told I could still claim if I worked 16 hour or less. But anything over I would have to sign of and reclaim again

Hi I'm after any advice I have posted on here before about MWA I had been told to go to. I was told to go to a charity shop and on the day my neighbour gave me a lift there, I was late and the woman was horrible having a go at my neighbour and I walked out embarrassed and ashamed (so was my neighbour - he was shocked that someone 'volunteering' would get spoken to like that) I ended up getting a 13 week sanction Then in April I was told to do MWA again. I got a letter from learn direct saying they'd be in touch for me to come in and see them. I signed on twice after that and was just asked if I'd heard anything yet to which I told them about the letter. Then the day I supposed to get paid there was nothing in my bank. I rang the jobcentre to be told I should of started MWA and I'd failed to turn up and told them I'd not had anything telling me to start. It didn't matter I got a 13 week sanction. I went to see the welfare person at the council who did a mandatory reconsideration and I applied for hardship I was then told to do MWA again, this time I got 2 letters telling me to start a charity shop on Monday (letters received Saturday) but this was in a different town and I'm only getting £35 a week and bus fare was much more than this so I didn't go. I've now received a 6 month sanction. I have sent a mandatory reconsideration for this saying the guidance wasn't meet - that I should have a timetable saying the hours. (but I know I wont win) But the sanction for the letter not received has not been lifted. I lost the mandatory reconsideration (which took about 2 months) because a letter is deemed to have been received 2 days after posting. The council welfare person has sent of for me to go to a tribunal which is next week and he thinks i'll lose because of case law about receiving letters. I have since spoke to other people who were sanctioned because of not receiving letters and have had them lifted once they've done a mandatory reconsideration, so why's mine different. I think they'll do this all the time now if they can get away with it. I have to send any letters to the jobcentre recorded because of the amount of times they've said they've not received them In the tribunal form which I have a copy of the jobcentre's response it says about the first sanction/mwa - that I was late and refused to do any tasks? it also says they overlooked the first sanction and now think I should be sanctioned for 6 months (for not receiving a letter!) so now will this last sanction go from 6 months to 3 years? I can't live on £35 a week. I am finding it really hard now. I am minus £60 in my gas meter and i'm freezing, my bed feels damp and smells musty when I get in it, I would really love a hot bath (I must stink) and electric seems to be running out quicker I have about £3 in that (emergency) which is to last till I get paid on Monday Any advice anyone can give would be great, I don't know what to do Sorry for the long post

I went to sign on today after being given a job seekers direction to provide evidence of my job search (which I always do anyway). My appointment was for 1pm (with the person who supposed to have seen me 3 times now but always passes me to someone else) well surprise they didn't see me today either, I was told to come back at 2.30pm to see someone else. After waiting outside for the time to slowly pass I went back in. The person I saw said I'm sending your claim to a decision maker because you haven't done the direction that was given to you, which I replied that I have and shown them everything written out including the dates, job id, email addresses and was told it wasn't enough and why haven't I given them access to my universal jobmatch account (I'm so sick of being asked that) after going on I got annoyed and asked to see the manager. He was a idiot to and told me its up to him whether he pays me or not and I've not done enough to find work. He went on universal jobmatch and was looking at jobs up to 40 miles away saying look on this page alone there's 1,2,3 and started counting them, to which I had to say a few times your counting apprenticeships, ones in the heading saying 18 to 24 year olds only, and your not clicking them on to see if experience is needed. He just said I'm sending it to a decision maker and told the women to start the claim and left. After the women was messing on the computer I signed on, was given a appointment for 2 weeks times and then she told me I need to fill in the booklet everyday of what I'm doing, how long, etc... if I don't she'll send it of to a decision maker again. I shown her the freedom of information act on my phone where it says it up to us how we provide evidence and she just said well its something to show the citizens advice, not me Can't believe their trying to sanction me again (well I can). My 13 week sanction comes to a end on the 26th of this month and all I'm getting now is hardship, which they are still taking nearly £15 out for a social fund repayment, so all I get is £70 a fortnight which I'm really struggling on. Don't know how I'll survive on this for another 6 months if/when the decision maker sanctions me again Back to the jobcentre tomorrow (yippee) for a assessment interview for a 3 week employability course, so that should be fun

I went to the job centre on the 22nd for my interview after being given a jobseeker's direction to allow them to see my universal jobmatch account. The interview was not with my advisor because she wasn't in that day and was booked with someone else. The person I was booked into see put my details into the computer, read it and then gave my book to someone else, who then put my details in the computer and called me over. She asked me if I had given them permission and I replied no, which she replied 'why not' while doing an exaggerated gasp. I told her it was up to me if I wanted to give them permission and their not allowed to issue a jobseeker's direction, Which she replied well I don't know about that, I never issued it, it was your advisor. She asked for my jobsearch which I shown her written down on paper like I always do, to which I was told I need to write down everything in the booklet they give to show I'm doing 35 hours jobsearch a week. What sites I go on, what day, what time and for how long. what jobs I've gone for, how I applied, who I spoke to, etc.... Another appointment was made for 2 weeks to see who I supposed to of seen today because my advisor was fully booked The next interview I had, the same thing happened again with them logging on the computer reading it then giving my book to someone else. In the end it was my advisor who saw me (I thought she was supposed to be fully booked up) she asked for my jobsearch which I shown her the paper with everything written down and she said I though you was told to write it in the booklet. She said she wants evidence next time of the jobs I've applied for (I thought that's what I've been doing and she's never said anything before in the 6 -7 months I've been seeing her) and they are going to ring up the jobs I've applied for. I have been given a jobseeker's direction for this now. It says: I will provide evidence of the jobs I apply for in order for my advisor to support me with my applications, and follow up to get some feedback on jobs I have applied for. I will bring this evidence to my appointment on.... (Which is with the same person who's supposed to have seen me twice now, but has passed me to other people after putting my details into the computer?) I have also been told to go on a 3 week employability skills course which I was given a letter to go for a interview with them first (Which I had to sign for) Its got the date but they have missed out the time and my advisor never signed it, its just been left blank

Thanks for that - they are always trying it on. It has been printed out in a letter and given to me with my next interview date and time which is not with my advisor, its someone else i'm to see? She hasn't signed it either, but i think she was writing it on the computer that she had given me this lettter

I am now receiving hardship which is £86 because of my sanction, but I've not had a letter yet confirming this I signed on, on Wednesday but because my advisor wasn't in another appointment was made to see her today. Today's appointment I have been given a jobseeker's direction that I will give DWP permission by 22/01/14 to view my universal jobmatch account. I have not been made to sign it and I've always refused in the past to allow them. The letter says the same crap everything else does: your jobseekers allowance could be stopped for a period of time if you do not comply with this direction. Is this going to be another problem now for me and another sanction if I don't allow them access

I didn't like the idea of going the council to get the vouchers but the woman in there was really nice, smiling, and said hello. So different from the jobcentre where they make you feel like **** and I don't think I've seen any of them smile