Hi all new to the site so I'm sorry if I'm not doing this right. Right so I've now been on JSA for 12months and on Friday I went to sign on as normal but was sent to the back of the office where you see the proper advisers without warning and not the normal signing on people. She didn't ask me about my job searches for the last 4 weeks (was excused from the last sign on day as it was good Friday) but she shoved a bit of paper at me saying I had been referred to the work program which had the name of the company on saying they'd be in touch. She never said when. I asked her what it was and what it involved, she was trying to rush me off (probably because it was Friday afternoon and she wanted out of there). She told me she didn't really know what they do exactly and how often I'd have to go or what was involved just that it lasts for 2yrs even if you get a job and that they could want me to go daily to job search (I do this at home just fine why I do need to go in an office to do it?) and they might put me on work placements but she had no idea over all. I never knew this even existed until Friday. Can anyone tell me how long they take to get in touch with you to give you the first appointment to go see them and how long this initial appointment/consultation takes as I might need to arrange childcare if it's more than say 20minutes. Also what the hell happens on this work program? How many days a week do you have to go and how long for? 10, 20 30min? Or hours? Are you allowed to rearrange appointments with them? If you can't turn up one day because say you have to be 100miles away to view a property will they allow you to do this if you give notice? How quickly do they try to get you on a work placement and do they give you enough time to arrange childcare etc... and do they help with childcare costs? Do they take into account any work limitations you may have such as bad wrist, bad leg etc... like the Job centre do? Do you know if they will help me with my business plan to go self employed as I was actually supposed to be getting referred onto that next month (after I've moved house well over 100 miles to be closer to a support network of family and friends but they threw me on this instead without warning). Are the meetings one on one or in group settings (I have social anxiety so this is worrying me) Has anyone had any issues whilst on this program? What are peoples reviews of their time on the program? Positive or negative? Is there anything else you think I need to know? Thanks xx

Hello, I'm in the process of dealing with a friend's JSA claim and possible claim for Hardship Allowance. My friend suffers from pretty bad depression and, although he has informed the DWP about this since it started nearly two months ago, has struggled to keep both appointments with his GP concerning treatment and with the Work Programme he was assigned to. This has essentially arisen from the passing of a family member which he mentioned around a month and a half ago when he failed to attend an initial Work Programme meeting, which they were fine with. They scheduled a follow-up appointment via post which he failed to attend as he received the letter after the scheduled appointment time. He submitted a letter for this and they were again fine with this overall. But they made another appointment for the Work Programme on July 26th which he failed to attend (one of the coexistent symptoms is insomnia, so he woke up late). While waiting for someone to get in contact with him concerning rearranging the appointment again, he received a letter stating he was to be sanctioned for four weeks starting from August 1st. As the letter arrived Friday he was unable to do anything about it immediately and this has caused him a great deal of stress, which is why I've agreed to help him sort everything out. So, here's where the questions come. Firstly, after reading the relevant parts of Chapter 35 of the Decision Maker's guide online, I've pieced together that he should be able to claim Hardship Allowance following an initial 14 day period, so for the final two weeks of his sanction. This would involve filling in form JSA10 from the Jobcentre which he is going to collect tomorrow. However, I've read on another post here that people sanctioned due to the Work Programme are unable to claim Hardship Allowance at all. Is this correct? The letter doesn't state that the sanction is due to this, but it's pretty much assumed since the Work Programme was the only appointment he missed. Secondly, I am also planning on launching an appeal for the sanction on his behalf. I'm unsure how much of his depression has been noted by the DWP but I know he has disclosed this information on the previous two occasions mentioned and they have been fine with this. I've downloaded form GL24, with the aim of completing it and handing it directly to the Jobcentre tomorrow. It mentioned I can request a Statement of Reasons to outline why the sanction was imposed, but that limits the time to appeal down to just 14 days from when the request is received. Is it worth requesting a Statement of Reasons before launching the appeal? Also, how long does it take to receive this? And can they provide information behind the reasoning of the sanction over the phone? This is all a little new to me. I've had one sanction myself before but I successfully appealed it straight away and there was no noticeable impact on my own benefits (aside from a slightly higher phonebill from having to nag them constantly, hehe). Thanks again for reading this and for any/all help provided in advance. Chris (PS. I feel obligated to mention that MachoShirts is actually an anagram of my name. I just realised the name sounds a little bit yob-ish.)

i've just signed in to my emails and discovered a company had invited me to attend interview last friday, it's not a vancancy i was matched to by my advisor but i did apply for it off the directgov website. will the jobcentre find out and if so will i get sanctioned? please help, advice needed

This is a very interesting FOI request I've found http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/interventions_guidance_of_jobcen#comment-29044 Lots of interesting JCP manuals and guidance to read here. Interestingly there's other options other than the WP available if you know how to get to them.

Looking for advice please... I have just attended a WRAG introduction and assessment. The whole thing has left me feeling extremely concerned and anxious. I was a self employed person who built their business around their illness. I have M.E.(managed for the most part of 20 plus years) and now diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Gerds and anxiety and just over a year ago I started to go into remission the worst I have ever been. I started claiming in ESA in January for the first time, as I could not do any work and it was back dated to October last year. I had my ATOS examination back in April and passed (don't know how many points) I was the awarded the higher rate of ESA and told to attend a monthly group. When I attended first phase at JC, I was told we don't have a monthly group, and to wait until called as the government is conjuring up new initiative. Then asked to attend 2nd meeting with JC months later and told I am now being referred to WRAG. Everybody was but warned I had to attend otherwise my benefits would be affected. Well, I was very poorly with virus that son brought home so missed WRAG induction, informed them and was told I would be informed of next date, wasn't, so rang to find out as I did have another appointment. It was being covered by someone else as the original guy was ill, so the replacement decided to do both that day. It was exhausting for me, I barely sleep anyway and I had only 5 hours that night and still recovering from bug, I went through the mass of forms which I have to say your not given enough time to read and sign. What I was signing I have no idea I could barely focus anyway. It lasted an hour, I was given a break of 45 mins by which time I already totally exhausted, then asked to do the next stage which lasted far longer than it should have done. Even the guy said it was his longest. During that time, I was asked what my employment goals were. I told him to get better, if I was better then I would resume my own business, he pushed and pushed. I tried to explain what I go through daily, the pain and tiredness etc, that I was not able to work, I am just too exhausted and weak, I wasn't fit enough, I was told you "look well to me" I was also told I was a challenge and that he was putting me down as "work ready". He's not a doctor! Also, talk about false pretences! I was told when I applied for jobs and got an interview not to tell them I had an illness. Let them find out...Hello, I struggle to do the normal duties of life, think it's gonna be pretty much evident if that was the case, and so I will be back at square one within no time... Quite frankly I think that is totally unacceptable and goes totally against my ethics. If I was employing someone, I would want to know and not be messed around. If I could work I would, I would dearly love to be self sufficient again and I will, but I have had no time to come out of this remission, and only just getting support from my doctors and consultants for treatment. I thought being on ESA we were not meant to be forced that this was supposed to be support? I am out of my mind with worry now which is exacerbating my illness and set me right back. If I don't comply I am going to lose the only income I have to survive, I will lose my home as I rent and not all of it is covered. I am thinking of complaining about KS, but now I am not so sure if it's going to be a strike against me. Can anyone advise me?