JSA Job Grant - quick question

[backofbeyond]

My husband has been claiming income-based job seekers allowance for just over 6 months for the family (me, my husband & 2 children). It looks as though he *may* (fingers crossed) have a job offer - I have read up about the "job grant" and it says on the direct.gov website that we should get £250 and it says it gets paid automatically. My questions are:-

 

1) He signs on every other Monday - does it matter when he signs off? I.e. should he sign on on a Monday and then sign off for example on the Tuesday or does he sign on and sign off at the same time (worrying about losing out on money etc as he won't have had a wage).

2) Does it actually get paid automatically as every benefit we've had we seem to have had to beg for? How long does it take to come through / be processed?

 

Sorry if these seem like silly questions but prior to January this year we have never claimed JSA etc

[caledfwlch]

Possibly bad news

 

I asked for a small grant to get some shoes for interviews as my shoes had died a few months ago, and was told the Job Grants/discretionary Advisor Funds had been gotten rid of, due to the age of Austerity and Cutbacks.

[backofbeyond]

Do you know what that wouldn't surprise me in the slightest the lady told my husband that it was £100 on Monday but direct.gov website says thats for single people or couples without children, £250 is meant to be for families. God knows, am sure we will find out. Wouldn't expect to get any help from them, I mean they didn't help us in January when we were absolutely stoney broke it appears in this country if you've never claimed benefits you don't get the help! Sorry for the little rant lol

[caledfwlch]

Do you know what that wouldn't surprise me in the slightest the lady told my husband that it was £100 on Monday but direct.gov website says thats for single people or couples without children, £250 is meant to be for families. God knows, am sure we will find out. Wouldn't expect to get any help from them, I mean they didn't help us in January when we were absolutely stoney broke it appears in this country if you've never claimed benefits you don't get the help! Sorry for the little rant lol

 

Its complete stupidity. As usual, the minority of workshy and fraudsters have ruined this for everyone else, I expect.

 

I missed out on loads of jobs because I needed to already be in possession of a clean CRB certificate - Jobcentre said they can only fund a CRB check if your actually offered a job - but the jobs won't offer you a position, unless they can see a clean CRB check!

 

Same for various other training and qualification possibilities, Safety Cards and so on. Because the workshy abused and milked the funding, because it made them look like they were trying to find a job.

 

My advisor told me to wear my trainers to interviews.

 

It is a fairly recent thing though - last time I had a bit of work about a year ago, when I signed off, they gave me money for my first 2 week's travel, AND vouchers to go to Burtons to get shirts, trousers, ties etc.

 

Not fun having to go shopping with a DWP voucher, but better than nothing, but even thats ended now due to abuse.

 

When I had my first ever one, in 2005 after getting a permanent job after 6 months hunting, I got £300 cash for clothes!

[backofbeyond]

Oh don't we know it - my husband has had the same trouble as he needed a CSCS card and public liability insurance for a job - do you think we got help?!?!?! NO!

 

To be quite honest though I don't know how the work shy get away with it, I really don't as when my husband signs on it is like the spanish inquisition and I wouldn't mind but he writes down all of the jobs he has applied for etc and he always follows them up. It is as if the Job centre only want to prove they are doing their job with the people who are actually looking for work - it seems (to me anyway!) that the workshy just get left to their own devices and the money keeps rolling in.

[Nystagmite]

I missed out on loads of jobs because I needed to already be in possession of a clean CRB certificate - Jobcentre said they can only fund a CRB check if your actually offered a job - but the jobs won't offer you a position, unless they can see a clean CRB check!

 

That is ridiculous. I mean, how many jobs would allow people to have the job before they are CRB checked?

 

My advisor told me to wear my trainers to interviews.

 

Which you'd only get away with if they're plain (and I mean plain - no coloured logos, etc) black.

[backofbeyond]

Just keeping on with the CRB thing - I didn't think you could apply for one yourself? I thought it had to be a potential employer that applied for you?

[caledfwlch]

Just keeping on with the CRB thing - I didn't think you could apply for one yourself? I thought it had to be a potential employer that applied for you?

 

That's what baffled me at the time, as afaik you cannot do that, so how the companies expected you to have one didnt make sense - not to mention it would be out of date, technically speaking as soon as it was printed - you might have faced all sorts of charges and prosecutions since you got your clean one

[backofbeyond]

Mmmm sounds a bit fishy doesn't it?!?!?! I have just started volunteering at my daughters school so had one done for free and it came really quick, I want to retrain to be a Teaching Assistant so guessed experience would be way to go. Oh but whilst I am having a moan about job centre - a college brochure came through today and there is a teaching assistant course so I called and as my husband claims JSA for me and my daughters I cannot get funding for it so I have to pay! I am just hoping this job works out and then I can stick 2 fingers up at the job centre lol.

[caledfwlch]

Mmmm sounds a bit fishy doesn't it?!?!?! I have just started volunteering at my daughters school so had one done for free and it came really quick, I want to retrain to be a Teaching Assistant so guessed experience would be way to go. Oh but whilst I am having a moan about job centre - a college brochure came through today and there is a teaching assistant course so I called and as my husband claims JSA for me and my daughters I cannot get funding for it so I have to pay! I am just hoping this job works out and then I can stick 2 fingers up at the job centre lol.

 

It was generally Temp Agencies obviously trying to save a few quid.

[flumps1976]

OK the Job Grant does still exist.

When you husband is offered the job and given a start date he needs to continue to sign and attend all meetings up to the start date of his new employment. His last date for JSA will be the day before he starts work.

When he closes his claim he will need to declare if the job is expected to last 5 weeks or more and if it is then the job grant, housing benefit and council tax run on will be paid automatically. It is £250 fo the Job Grant as you have children.

 

If he has to work a week in hand then you will need to consider ow you will budget before he is paid, as JSA will end the day before as I already stated so he needs to consider asking his employer if he can have an advance of his monthly salary or you need to approach your bank and either request an overdraft or extend an existing overdraft, if you cannot be acceoted for this then you can apply for a crisis loan which will be considered on yu individual circumstances and requirements.

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Employedorlookingforwork/DG_10018789

 

The adviser discretionary fund has been removed as well as the travel to interview scheme but has been replaced by a very meagre budget called Flexible Support Fund. When the budget for that mont has been allocated there is no money for anyone until the next month so it is very strict as to what can be awarded. You are also correct that CRB checks are no longer considered unless there is a job offer.

[Seriously_Silky]

In our area the Flexible Support Fund has been fairly generous and paid for all sorts. Obviously it is not used willy nilly, for instance if you already have smart trousers from a previous job fairly recently you wouldn't get help for a new pair. But on the other hand if you haven't worked for a while/put on weight and they no longer fit, then you would get help. Basically, all things are considered if you have a firm job offer (within reason) and if you don't have a particular ticket/card, eg CSCS card/digital tacho, then our JCP will reimburse you.

[backofbeyond]

Thanks Flumps 1976 for the in-depth clarification, that really helps.

 

Seriously_Silky - the JCP in our area do not seem interested in helping in the slightest, whether that is because we do not know the system or what? My husband has asked and asked about help for the CSCS card and they have said there is nothing available apart from a training course which is over 16 hours a wk so that means he wouldn't receive his JSA!!

[flumps1976]

We are very fortunate in this area and we have a local college which runs the CSCS course, not everyone can be referred to that course only people who need the card renewed or who have recent experience but need the actual card to allow them to work on site. Does your local JCP office not have a local college nearby that offers this course. When our clients are referred it is because it will help to improve the chances of gaining employment and that course is allowed despite being over 16 hours er week as they are transfereed from JSA to Training Allowance.

Could it be worth approaching your JCP office to enquire if the course can be offered on the Training Allowance.

[backofbeyond]

My husband was told that he could get the CSCS card paid for if he could prove (on letterheaded paper) that he would have a job if he got the card. That to me is just daft! He has approx 13 years experience being a floor layer both commercially and domestically so its not as if he is just wasting the JCP time.

[sillygirl1]

There is a way around the CRB fiasco, I am going to volunteer at a care home and they HAVE to CRB people, you don't get charged for it so it is a good thing. I am filling in the forms on Friday when my freind brings them round. Its a place where they do a lot of rehab craft stuff and is just my sort of thing. Maybe you can look round locally for somewhere who needs a volunteer, (it can be as little as an hour a month) to do a CRB.

 

I'm hoping to hear that I have a job for 2 weeks, went for an interview yesterday and the place suits me, easy to get to, nice guy doing the interviewing, hopefully it might lead to more regular work from the agency involved. They said they would be able to give me more work with a CRB check so the volunteering has a double use.

 

As far as signing off goes, you sign off the day you start work, regardless of whether it is a signing day or not (horrible place we have locally, Helena House, known as HELLena House!!!!). Don't forget to let the council know as well and ask very very nicely for an 'extension' of the council tax and rent payments til you receive your SECOND paycheck (it is in the council tax rules that they can extend payment for long term unemployed).

 

I think the payment of £100 or £250 is a 'local' arrangement and you need to ask somebody other than a signing on 'processor', in our job centre there is a bank of phones and you can call free of charge to get various things dealt with, they also have a scanner there so you can scan docs in and get it on their system - much better than sending stuff which continually 'goes astray'. (I've had five lots of the SAME doc go missing until I scanned it and made sure the person I was speaking to actually got it in their mailbox).

 

If there is anything else I can help with I will let you know. I'm due to have one of those "Why haven't you got any work" interviews next week, if I get this two week assignment it will stump them! I've applied for 30 odd jobs this last fortnight, and got told "We need at least six things on your forms...." I told the idiot girl "There are 27 job applications on the form so I've done far more than 6, can't you read properly?"

[backofbeyond]

I've applied for 30 odd jobs this last fortnight, and got told "We need at least six things on your forms...." I told the idiot girl "There are 27 job applications on the form so I've done far more than 6, can't you read properly?"

 

LMFAO to be honest it is a good job my husband signs on for us all as I would not have the patience with them. When he comes home and tells me it is as if they speak to him like he is a lower class citizen and they are very patronising!

[Nystagmite]

Don't forget to let the council know as well and ask very very nicely for an 'extension' of the council tax and rent payments til you receive your SECOND paycheck (it is in the council tax rules that they can extend payment for long term unemployed).

 

There is a 4 week run on if you've received cctb for 26 weeks due to unemployment.

[Seriously_Silky]

Sillygirl1 ~ The job grant or one off payment of £100 or £250, depending on your circumstances, is not a local thing. The same rules apply anywhere you sign regardless. You do have to be signing for 6 months continuous to qualify. Bear in mind that if yOu have had a sanction this will affect it.

[backofbeyond]

We've had no sanctions or anything so should by the sounds of it be straight forward then - just keeping fingers crossed for my husbands job!!

 

With regards to HB/CTB - will I in effect get 6 weeks run on then? I.e. 4 weeks extension and then the 2 weeks in arrears that they pay it? Just wondering as we private rent and when when we first claimed it we were told it was paid fortnightly in arrears - because we didn't want to fall into arrears with our landlord we used what little money we had to keep it up to date. C

[backofbeyond]

Well my husband has called today and "signed off" - they said he should be eligable for the job grant but wouldn't disclose how much. Does anyone know how long it will take to receive his last payment / job grant?? He signed off today at about 4pm.

 

Also I asked the question earlier with regards to HB / CTB but haven't had an answer - does anyone know???

 

With regards to HB/CTB - will I in effect get 6 weeks run on then? I.e. 4 weeks extension and then the 2 weeks in arrears that they pay it? Just wondering as we private rent and when when we first claimed it we were told it was paid fortnightly in arrears - because we didn't want to fall into arrears with our landlord we used what little money we had to keep it up to date.

[backofbeyond]

Just to update incase anyone comes across this thread whilst searching for answers.

 

The Job Grant in my husbands case was NOT processed automatically. He called up and they had processed his final JSA payment but "forgotten" (their words) to process the job grant which he was entitled to. After several phone calls they agreed to make a same day payment.