Yeah looking back that would have been the best thing to have done.

The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 2013, Section 14 (2), sets out in statute the specific limitations on travel to work time. This also makes it clear that the same limitation applies to "a work search requirement and a work availability requirement."

 

Work search requirement and work availability requirement: limitations

 

14. (1) Paragraphs (2) to (5) set out the limitations on a work search requirement and a work availability requirement.

 

(2) A work search requirement and a work availability requirement must be limited to work that is in a location which would normally take the claimant—

(a) a maximum of one hour and 30 minutes to travel from home to the location; and

(b) a maximum of one hour and 30 minutes to travel from the location to home.

 

Those Regulations were introduced as a 'Statutory Instrument' which means it's the law.

 

Here is a DWP explanatory note about the Regulation:

 

Travel to work time

Claimants must be willing to travel 90 minutes each way to work, by a route and means of transport appropriate to their circumstances (for example, car for some, public transport for others, walking etc). Limitations can be agreed due to health conditions or caring responsibilities where it means that a shorter distance is necessary.

 

The claimant's travel to work time is recorded on the 'Availability' section of the claimant's record.

 

The claimant's travel to work time is recorded by selecting the drop-down menu in the 'Travel Time In Minutes' field and selecting the appropriate time. This will default to 90 minutes but can be changed if limitations have been agreed.

 

I agree with Mr P. that if one is reliant on public transport the time required to get from home to bus stop, or station, and the time from bust stop, or station, to location of job has to be included in 'travel time'. Also to include would be time between buses if more than one was required. As would be the prevailing conditions at the time of the journey. If one could get to work in one hour on a bus, that would be irrelevant if one was to have to get to work before buses start running in the morning, or the location was not on a bus route. Obviously if one had a helicopter one could get farther in 90 minutes, that is why the law stipulates 'in your circumstances'.

 

Now here is a conundrum that a lot of claimants may not have considered:

 

A careful and accurate interpretation of sub-section (2) has to be that "A work search requirement and a work availability requirement must be limited to work that is in a location which would normally take the claimant—".... means that I, as a claimant, must, must no less, limit my work search requirement to "(a) a maximum of one hour and 30 minutes to travel from home to the location; and (b) a maximum of one hour and 30 minutes to travel from the location to home."

 

Failure to comply with this legal requirement would leave me at risk of a sanction for not actively seeking and not making myself available for work as the law says that I 'must'.

 

If then, as a claimant, I am given a 'work search requirement', told or 'mandated' by an adviser to sit at a computer and undertake work search activity, that adviser would have to ensure that the computer must be prepared for my individual circumstances every time I use it, by which I mean only jobs that fall within the limitation that my circumstances dictate are included.

 

Searching for work outside those limitations would put me in breach of this part of the law. Making me search for work outside those limitations would put him/her in breach of that part of the law.

 

The adviser, therefore, must prepare that computer for my individual use every time I use it, and has to ensure that s/he has only included jobs that I, in my circumstances, can get to in 90 minutes. Consideration here must be given to, for example, if the location of the job is on a bus route, if shifts are involved with starting or finishing time when no buses run, etc.

 

I wish I had thought of this when I was on the Work Programme and been able to test it on some unsuspecting flunky.

When i was on the work programme my advisor would constantly give me jobs beyond the 90 minute traveling time. She would forget that i didn't have a car (I do have a driving license though) and say things like "This job is only 45 minutes away" It wasnt until i would look at how to get there by public transport that i found out it was over 90 minutes. I would tell her this and then she would just say "can't you apply anyway or get a car from somewhere"

In 90 minutes i can be on the outskirts of Birmingham or in Bristol. A bit far for me to commute everyday. I would assume that walking to a bus stop/train station would be in included in the 90 minutes traveling time? The train station nearest to me is a 35 min walk.

I had a situation a few years back when a Work Programme course clashed with my signing on time. We were all told at the start of the course on the Monday that we were excused from signing on that week. It turned out we were not and were still expected to attend the Job Centre to sign on.

Thankfully i had the foresight to go down to the Job Centre during a lunch break on the first day of the course and speak to my Job Centre advisor who told me what the work programme had said was rubbish and that we still had to sign on.

I went back and told everybody on the course that we still had to sign on. Had i not gone and double checked with the jobcentre then the 10 people on the course would have received a benefit doubt.

In that case you won't be sanctioned. As for the (CWP) i don't know too much about it. I was going to be mandated to do (MWA) but my advisor has held off making me do it and advised me to find my own voluntary posistion I thought the (CWP) was for 6 months and for 30 hours a week. Someone on here who knows more about it than myself will know.

If the job centre mandated you to attend the British Heart Foundation and you decided to stop attending then yes you may well end up with a sanction.

If you found the work experience placement yourself then as far as i'm aware you can't be sanctioned.

Why do you have to send your jobsearch log off somewhere? I just show mine when i see my advisor. If somebody in a customer facing role spoke like that to me then they would be getting a piece of my mind.

My advisor has advised me to look for some voluntary work otherwise i'm going to have to do MWA. Just emailed my local Oxfam to see if they need volunteers as that has to be better than been sent somewhere you don't want for 4 weeks.

I was on JSA and then i signed off. A month later when i had to sign back on i had to go on UC.

No i'm not back on the work programme. I will have to do MWA though although my advisor is given me time to find myself some voluntary work so that i don't need to do MWA.

Finally got round to posting the question on Whatdotheyknow. Will let you know what the reply is.

I did have a look last week but couldn't find much about it. Some people on UC have to attend the jobcentre every day so surely they must get their travel money back. If i had to do that it would cost me £17.50 a week.

All appointments don't get travel refund on UC? Seriously?

They should when it's non-signing on ones I would have thought

Afraid they don't cause i asked my work coach that very question. You do not have a specific sign on day either.

If you get an answer to this could you let us know? The rule for JSA was that you're expected to cover the cost of travel to your fortnightly signing out of your benefit. Any other mandatory attendance is reimbursed. I'd be interested to hear how that's handled on UC.

Antone just to let you and everybody else know that you do not get any travel reimbursed for any appointments you have when on Universal Credit even if you attend weekly.

Hello Dazza ,

 

thanks for replying, if i don`t allow access to the UJM account how do they know i have used it. Is there a log or something, please forgive me if that is a stupid question but i am very new to all this. I do & will continue to search Reed, Indeed + all the rest of the web sites, i have applied for 3 jobs this morning & have the confirmation email replies. Just to clarify , we do have the legal right to choose if we want to give them access ? . I expect they will try to put pressure on if we refuse but if it is a legal right then ultimately it is our choice. Can we claim money for printing off our job search as i will use my local library & get a receipt rather than use my own & at my cost. What about bus fares & travel costs ?, as i no longer have a car [ ahem ] i will be out of pocket in this respect too.

Thanks once again for your help.

 

Harry.

I am not sure about travel costs. I have only just signed on to Universal Credit. I am going to ask my work coach when i am at the jobcentre Monday. When i was claiming JSA i would get travel money back for any appointment that was not my signing on appointment.

Off & running,

 

i tried to fill out the claim form for UC online but it kept crashing, so i rang them & did it over the phone. The lady i spoke to was nice enough but it is a big shock from the last time i had to claim any benifits . I am now waiting for them to ring me to arrange an appointment at the job center, i only gave them my home number, i refused to give a mobile number or email address . I don't have a car as of now [ thank you Mr P ] .

 

Can i ask about this agreement & what i have to do in regards to show my job search please. I am actively seeking work , i want to be back in work but i have certain skills & wage requirements, obviously that may change according to the jobs available but for now i would like something in my field or close to it , its not the best time of year to be looking for a decent job but i will get through Xmas & hopefully i will get off this thing altogether. What can i expect in regards to showing my job search. I am happy to show applications , confirmation of applications but what else will they require?. I will not allow access to UJM , so i think it will mark me down as a problem " customer " but i want to protect myself from sanctions & find out what they won`t tell you as in a legal sense. Once again , thank you all so much for all the advice.

 

Harry.

It normally takes 2 or 3 days before the Jobcentre contact you to arrange your first appointment.

At my very first appointment with my work coach (hate that term) the first thing she said was "Is there a reason why you are not allowing acces to UJM" Spent the first few minutes after that arguing about it. Every thing i do to look for work has to be writen down on UJ. I also keep a paper copy as well as i don't trust UJ and i could see me going in to sign on and when the work coach looks at what i have done it has all disappeared off UJ. I normally just print out and show what jobs i'v applied for.

If you get an answer to this could you let us know? The rule for JSA was that you're expected to cover the cost of travel to your fortnightly signing out of your benefit. Any other mandatory attendance is reimbursed. I'd be interested to hear how that's handled on UC.

Yeah i will ask about travel being reimbursed when i go to the jobcentre on Monday afternoon. I sign on weekly although actually you don't sign anything anymore.

I posted this on another thread but this will give you some idea of what to expect at your first appointment. The below is what i have to do.

Had my UC interview. Tried to get me to allow access to Universal Jobmatch which i refused. Demanded me to explain why i have not allowed access. Told me that i have to record all my jobsearch activitys on Universal Jobmatch which i wasn't happy with but agreed to do although i am also going to keep a paper record as well in case UJ dosnt work the day i sign on. Also have to log in to UJ every day. If my internet isn't working have to go to the local library.

I also have to attend the jobcentre once a week. I do not ever have to sign to receive payment of UC as in they don't need me to sign any piece of paper or electronic signing.

Have to do 35 hours jobsearch and was told not to just click on jobs on various job sites. Advisor would prefer that i do 10 proper job applications rather than just click on 50 jobs on job sites.

Have to contact agencys once a week. Send 3 spec letters/ emails a week.

Advised to register with linkedin and Twitter which i was not happy about.

Also expected to take any job including temp and part time work.

Basicly anybody signing on UC make sure you stick to your claiment commintment.

So if your internet connection goes down on a Sunday, where is the nearest library that is open ?

That's a very good question. I didn't think of that. I expect they would say ask your neighbour/friends if you can use their internet or some other daft suggestion.

The other thing i meant to ask my work coach (which is what jobcentre adivisors are now called at my jobcentre) is about having travel reimbursed as i have to go to the jobcentre every Monday.

Had my UC interview. Tried to get me to allow access to Universal Jobmatch which i refused. Demanded me to explain why i have not allowed access. Told me that i have to record all my jobsearch activitys on Universal Jobmatch which i wasn't happy with but agreed to do although i am also going to keep a paper record as well in case UJ dosnt work the day i sign on. Also have to log in to UJ every day. If my internet isn't working have to go to the local library.

I also have to attend the jobcentre once a week. I do not ever have to sign to receive payment of UC as in they don't need me to sign any piece of paper or electronic signing.

Have to do 35 hours jobsearch and was told not to just click on jobs on various job sites. Advisor would prefer that i do 10 proper job applications rather than just click on 50 jobs on job sites.

Have to contact agencys once a week. Send 3 spec letters/ emails a week.

Advised to register with linkedin and Twitter which i was not happy about.

Basicly anybody signing on UC make sure you stick to your claiment commintment.

Forget the above question. They just called me although typicly i missed the call.

I filled out the online form for UC on Monday afternoon and i am yet to hear back from the jobcentre to arrange the interview you have to have to complete your claim. Anybody know how long it normally takes for them to call you?

That is pretty much what I suspected. I would suggest reading a few of the recent threads regarding the Claimant Commitment so that you are up to speed on the things that are likely to be imposed on you. Print off some of the notes that posters such as Lapsed Workaholic have provided and hopefully, you can avoid some of the more odious requirements that are imposed on some claimants.

I will take a look. Still waiting for them to phone me to arrange an appointment although i only applied for UC yesterday.

Just phoned the Jobcentre and you can't go back to being a JSA claiment if you sign off and back on again if you live in a UC area.You have to claim UC. It also starts as a brand new claim.

If i do have to go from JSA to UC then will my claim be processed as a rapid reclaim or a brand new claim? Would i for example have to do the Work Programme again? I was on Post Work Programme support when i had to briefly sign off last week.