I am on the post work programme support and have been since August last year. At my last appointment by adviser told me that as it had been six months since I started post work programme support and because I hadn't work for so long and that was the reason I wasn't getting interviews that I would be referred for mandatory work activity. I was told that unless I could find my own voluntary placement I would be placed wherever who I was referred to could place me. I have catering qualifications that I have not used since I left catering college but have been offered a place in a local restaurant to see how things work out for me, but this would be me volunteering as they wouldn't pay me until there were sure of my skills, been told this could be a couple of months as they would place me on courses for certain things. Would I be allowed to take this on as it could lead to a paid job instead of mandatory work activity or would the job centre put a stop to it? Also what exactly would I need to tell the job centre? Thanks for the help

ATM, I'm waiting on a start date for a job so hopefully won't be on JSA allowance any longer. At my last advisor meeting last week, my advisor told me that if this job didn't pan out (did not know I'd got the job at that stage) that they should would either put on a two-day training or mandatory work. Now, since November 2013, I'd been doing voluntary work in admin etc which I firmly believed helped me get this job I'm waiting on and helped me get an interview for another job which I was unsuccessful for. But she said despite it being voluntary work, I'd have to do mandatory work. So potentially, had things not worked out for me, I would have had to leave my voluntary work to do a mandatory work scheme (am I right in saying that's basically the Work Programme and a placement at Poundland?) that won't have helped me in getting work in the field I'm experienced in? Madness to me if that's the case. Shame some logical thought can't go into these sorts of situations when a person is actively heloing their chances for work and it could be hampered by leaving that for his mandatory work scheme.

Hi all I am contracted to work 40 hours per week and only get paid 40 hours regardless how many hours I work. I did not have an issue with this until the new boss started. It has always been give and take, we work long days usually without a break but we also got shorter days which made up for it. Since the new boss started everyday is getting longer and the shorter days are few and far between. My issue is that once a month my boss is holding compulsory meetings which last for a minimum of 3 hours they are always held late afternoon after my shift. Due to the nature of the business I start work between 5 and 6 in a morning and get paid for 8 hours a day. At the last meeting one of the managers made a very derogatory remark about us which we all took exception to and I was singled out and shouted at in front of about 30 people. He was bang out of order and I told him so in front of everybody. He later apologized but it was very insincere and totally not meant. Since then every time I see him I he gives me filthy looks. I get knots in my stomach and dread going back to the yard in case hes there. They have now called another compulsory meeting but have stated that all work has got to be pulled in before we attend which would put most of us over our hours and they do not pay us for it. I do not feel comfortable attending after how I was treated at the last one so what would happen if I didn't attend.

I'm hoping perhaps antone or Mr P can answer this. As per my current sanction saga, I'm now considering going for a mandatory reconsideration because the one month response time is up on the 10th. I no longer have any confidence that the assurances of a resolve to the problem I've been getting from the WP liaison officer at JCP will amount to anything. However I don't want to burn all the bridges so, would asking for the reconsideration prejudice anything that the liaison officer might have achieved?

This morning i went to my first mandatory Jobs and Careers Fair in town, it's a FREE event, yet the staff at the JC treated us like common criminals with their threats of sanctions if we didn't go to it, but that's not all, once we filled in a form (local council housing?), we had to have our name checked off from the JC register (or sanction list as i called it!), we were then given a piece of paper where we had to write down 5 employers that we've met today and what we did, this was also written with the threat of sanctions if we didn't comply! Don't forget, this is a FREE event and everyone is welcome...unless your unemployed ****! 75 stands of which 10 were any use to me, most were agencies that i've already signed up with, loads of colleges trying to entice 18-25 year olds to join, and only 4 proper companies looking to recruit people! Didn't like the attitude of the DWP staff walking around asking random people if they've found anything useful yet! Oh well, at least i got lots of free pens from it!

Well it happened today, my first month of claiming job seekers allowance and i have been put on this mandatory work activity. i will not go into the draconian attitude of the benefit Adviser, but i need a bit of advice. She thrust a piece of paper under my nose to sign, it was a Data Protection Act waiver to the MWA provider ATOS. I declined signing it and all she said was it does not matter as they are our approved provider What personal data can the DWP pass onto the work place provider ATOS, without my express consent many thanks

I have to attend a training course for my part time job. I am happy to do this. However, the available course is on a Saturday, for 6 1/2 hours, and I have been told that I will not get paid for this. Is this allowed? As it's grating a bit that I have to give up a Saturday to do a training course for a job that I do for 3.5 hours a week, term time only, and not even get paid! I haven't had a contract yet, have been in post for 8 weeks, so can't check that. I have Googled but can't find anything relevant. Can anyone point me in the right direction if there is any information I should know? Thanks in advance.

So the motion was passed and it comes into force this April. Lord Fraud made some interesting comments during his submission. Yep it's all the claimants fault for withholding evidence at the onset of their claim and then flourishing it like a rabbit from a top hat at the tribunal, utter cobblers. How quickly? JC+ are happily going to accept claims from people that have been found not-fit-for-work by their GP are they? The claimant could claim UC. Really? How does one go about claiming a benefit that has not even been implemented yet? Alternative sources of funds are available, where Lord Fraud? What kind of funds Lord Fraud? Lord Fraud did not feel the need to enlighten the house on this one. The government have hesitated, hedged, and mumbled about this change for months 'we remain undecided' was the stock reply, they bloody well knew what the intention was going to be, and that was to scupper the appeals process. Full transcript of the motion to approve here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/text/130213-0003.htm

I have been on jsa for 9 months, before that I have either worked or been in full time education. I have been sent for 2 interviews to enquire about optional courses at entry level 3, I have a degree and a postgraduate qualification so felt these courses would not help. After seeing my advisor at the job centre I am told I am due to go onto the work program in April so I must gain some work experience to fill a gap on my cv, by going on the MWA scheme, if I don't I beleive I get sanctioned. This would be my first "offence". I was told by the advisor she has to get me a job before the 12 month deadline, because of her targets. I have already received a letter from the placement provider so am expecting a call to go and see them. They are going to send me on an unpaid work placement for 30 hours a week. The 30 hours is just work no time to do jobsearch, so I'd be doing that in the evenings (if the placement is not working nights) I feel like I have been sentenced for a criminal offence and am very depressed about the whole thing. I am attending inverviews so will they let me go to the job interviews whilst I'm working for free? Anyone else been in sentenced to do MWA? If they sanction you for not going can they keep sanctioning until you do go? I beleive I would be eligible to apply for hardship payments? Is there any point in appealing? I'm hoping that the employment agancies will find me work but I have just applied for a new crb so that could take some time.

Ive successfully refused to sign the data protection waiver and the other form that lets them harass any future employer for money, but i havent been confronted with this "action plan" yet. Ive read from the doNOTsign website that it is not mandatory and i dont have to sign it although i do have to complete mandatory activities, however this thread makes mention of the action plan after 13 weeks: Shoot i cant post links until i hit 10 posts. Its a thread titled "Can my Work Programme provider force me to apply for jobs?" and as of right now its at the bottom of page 4. Does that just apply to people who have signed the action plan already? I can safely refuse it and stick with my original JSAg right? PS Great site guys! Especially that ingeus thread, although im paired up with a sub contractor of working links the knowledge ive gained through reading everyone's posts and experiences has armored me with confidence when dealing with these work programme edited they will find me quite unprofitable in or out of work!

i bought some rather large disco speakers from an online store and half way through the first use they packed in, but since have started working again. As i gig frequently this kind of reliability i can not afford so i contacted the store and explained i would like to return them under the distance selling regulations and the store apologised, agreed and arranged a courier to collect them. since they have been collected over a week ago though i havnt heard anything from the store and neither has my bank account been re-credited. is there a time frame in which they have to reply with either a reason to not give me a refund and then send the product back or issue me a refund?? regards, G

Just reading another thread and someone said there is now mandatory work experience when you are in the WRAG within ESA, is this correct? Do you HAVE to do this? What if you can't? I thought the only mandatory part of the WRAG was to attend 5 work focused interviews with an advisor.