JSA sanction question

[elfieb]

I have recieved notice this morning that I am to be sanctioned for not applying for a job the job centre provided me with. This is all very well and good excpet I did apply, and have a copy of the email to prove this........will this go in my favour if I appeal??

Also how long am I expected to wait for a decision from the decision maker?? Do I carry on signing on in the mean time? Will I still recieve payments??

[PinkPixy]

Hi, I've just had a similar thing I've posted about on behalf of a friend of mine (if you look for a thread started by me 'Jobcentre syaing have not applied for a job - may suspend JSA' you will see they seem to trying this a lot!)

 

Is the letter saying that the decision has been made, or is it the letter that says something like 'a doubt has arisen' and you have to fill in the back and explain your side? I'm sure that having confirmation from the employer would put it beyond doubt that you did apply and they would be unable to prove otherwise which would mean they can't impose sanctions?

 

Is this some kind of new technique to get rid of claimants, does anyone know?

 

Best wishes

 

Pixy

[frank_begbie]

Did they ask you if you applied for the job when you signed on?

 

Or did they just send the letter out of the blue?

[ErikaPNP]

Having an email as verification that you applied should most certainly go in your favour. You do need to continue with signing in the meantime, and need to continue satisfying the conditions of JSA - though if the sanction is in place, payments will not be forthcoming until either the sanction period passes or your appeal suceeds (whichever comes first). If you stop signing on, your claim will be terminated entirely.

 

To appeal the decision to sanction, complete form GL24, setting out the reason their decision is wrong, i.e: 'I disagree with the decision to sanction my Jobseeker's Allowance on the grounds that I did not apply for a vacancy, because I did in fact apply for the position in question. Please refer to the attached print from my email account, which I submit as evidence of my having applied' (attach a print of the email).

 

Pinkpixy - this isn't new, unfortunately. It's been something that has been in place for years but I have seen an increase in the application of sanctions (some very much unjustified)_- and there was a recent scandal revealed where management had been setting targets for staff to seek claims out to sanction. After this initially being denied, it was admitted and a public apology was given (bit late!). With these targets in place, sanctions were on the rise. Sanctions are designed to deter those who have little to no intention of seeking or securing employment, but as with much benefit issues, the innocent are often caught in the crossfire.

[whitecraig_wizard]

May I also suggest that you write to your MP, asking them to raise it as a formal complaint, sometimes it can help keep them off your back in the future. Good luck

[flumps1976]

The procedure is as follows.

Customer is "matched" to a job vacancy and is advised that as the vacancy mayches their Job Seeking Agreement they are required to apply for the vacancy. This can either be and advisory appointment, fortnightly signing or by someone in the JCP who will be matching vacancies and JSAGs (mostly if an employer asks the vacancy to pushed as a priority). When the vacancy has been either suspended (time limit reached or quota of submissions reached for that vacancy) or filled.

A JCP officer will then contact the employed to enquire if any of the customers who were actually matched to the vacancy applied, offered interview, job offered etc. Based on this information "refusal of employment" action is taken.

Form ES195RE is issued either in person if the customer is due to sign within 48 hours or it is posted and due to be returned within a specified time (I don't actually issu these letters so don't know if it's 1 or 2 weeks sorry).

The case is sent to the DMA team for a decision whether this form is returned or not and the DMA look at if a sanction is applicable or not.

 

What I suggest that you do is write a letter to request a reconsideration of the decision and attach a copy of the email showing that you did apply for the vacancy.