incorrectly stopped job seekers allowance

[oblivious]

Hi all, I just wanted to ask the question of where I stand in regards to a stopped claim for job seekers.

 

I made a claim for job seekers on 1st July which was not processed untill the 18th July. On the 15th July my doctor signed me off sick for anxiety and stress due to problems with my teenage daughter. I was told to make a claim for ESA, however having hearing about the rigmorole I thought it would only add to my stress so never signed the application form they sent me or sent in my sick note and I decided to just continue looking for work, as I am a student it would only be for a few weeks untill I go back to uni.

 

I went to sign on as normal and was told I would be paid on 26th July. I did not get paid that day so waited untill today and I have only been paid one weeks money. I then rang them to ask why they told me the claim had been closed from the 14th July. I spoke to a guy in proccesing and he told me that because I enquired about ESA they are allowed to close my claim for job seekers he was reaaly rude and just put the phone down on me. I was told to make a rapid reclaim, which from what I was told by the lady is no quicker than a new claim.

 

Can they just close a claim down without a copy of the signed application form or a copy of my sick note. The guy said it was assumed I would be going ahead with the claim so closed down my jobseekers is this allowed?

[Seriously_Silky]

Am I correct in saying you did initiate a phone call to make an ESA claim? If so, at the point of the phone call your JSA claim would have been closed.

[oblivious]

yes I did I answered the questions. I didnt know what ESA was so i looked on the internet and saw all the problems people had been having with it so I decided not to send back the form. The question I want to ask is how can they close a claim down without first checking if the forms for ESA had been submitted. The claim was not even processed the day I called about ESA. I have no money and now will have to wait again for them to process the rapid reclaim. Seems a very stiff penalty for just chaning your mind.