Job centre have stopped my JSA

[louise2012]

Hi everyone, I'm new here and after some advice. I was made redundant from my job last September through no fault of my own and been signing on ever since.

 

However, before Christmas I had an appointment with my advisor at my local job centre and gave me details of a job to apply for but 2 weeks ago I received a letter saying that they are going to stop my job seekers allowance from the end of January to the middle of march. I have since appealed the decision in writing but when i went to the job centre today I had to fill in another form and explain again.

 

I know it was my fault for not applying for the job, but I always complete the booklet and attend the job centre on a regular basis to sign on.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks

 

Louise

[cobee33]

They have obviously applied a sanction to your JSA for not applying for said job. As long as the job is one for which your are suitable essentially you need to apply for it. If there was any reason why you were not suitable the Jobcentre should not apply any sanctions. I assume you simply forgot to apply or was there any other reason ?

[louise2012]

I had a few appointments with some recruitment agencies during that time and the job was for something that i hadn't done for several years and wasn't recent enough.

 

I guess I'll have to wait and see now to see what happens.

[cobee33]

Good luck with the appeal. It all seems rather harsh, unfortunately Jobcentre Plus is really not the kind of place, in my view, really designed to get you back into work !

[dickybird]

as i understand it, if you have an interview arranged by the job centre and you fail to attend then you are probably seen as not actively seeking employment, and the benefits you recieve are made on the basis that you are actively seeking work, anyone can put any rubbish in their sign on book such as looked in papers looked on internet, looked in windows for work etc etc, and as genuine as i am sure you are, the job centre is aware of all those who are not and will stop you payment, but of course i hope have it all sorted now

[louise2012]

Just to give an update still not heard from the Job centre re the sanction of my JSA, but since I last posted I started a temp job yesterday and going to send my booklet off to them tomorrow.

[dickybird]

hope it all goes well for you, good luck

[louise2012]

A few months I posted on here about the job centre stopping my JSA, however since then I've now got a job and was wondering what i should do about appealing against decision as I've received a letter today from the tribunal service.

 

I know it's my decision at the end of the day, but just wanted some advice.

 

Thanks

[insyder]

You appealed it at the time so you must have felt strongly about it. Do you still feel like that?

[louise2012]

You appealed it at the time so you must have felt strongly about it. Do you still feel like that?

 

I felt strongly at the time about the decision but still unsure about pursuing it further by going ahead with the tribunal.

[insyder]

Think of it this way: What would stop you going ahead with the tribunal?

[louise2012]

Well since writing this post, I found out yesterday that my temp job will be coming to an end next month .

Edited May 20, 2012 by louise2012

[louise2012]

I last posted here on this site at the end of November last year, but unfortunately my temporary job I had has ended so have to go back to my local job centre to sign on etc

 

Has much changed since then re how many jobs you have to apply for etc with the universal job match system being in place.

 

Thanks

[citizenkain]

youll find out soon enough,lol,it changes for every different person,basically the same!

[louise2012]

oh right, thanks!!! just hate going there though.

[citizenkain]

going there is the bit that will never change,hope you get something decent in the near future.

[louise2012]

I registered with a recruitment agency last week and because I have been unemployed during the last three years (off and on due to having done temporary work), the agency wants a letter confirming the dates that I claimed JSA. I had a appointment with a personal adviser at my local job centre and she gave me a letter of the dates. However when I went to the agency they weren't able to accept it as the dates were wrong as instead of being June 2012, the job centre put 2013.

 

I went back to the job centre to try and get it sorted but have only been able to give me the dates from last year and was given a 0845 number to ring up. I rang them up and said that they would send the details through the post but the agency said the job centre should be do this for me instead of having to ring the 0845 number.

 

Has anyone had issues like this before between the job centre and recruitment agency?

 

Thanks

[jasta11]

Hi Louise

 

It sounds very strange that the agency is wanting proof of you claiming JSA - I'm registered with various agencies and though they naturally ask for a cv, none of them have asked any questions whatsoever regarding my benefits or how long I've been claiming.

 

Have you tried asking the agency - and the jobcentre - why this information is needed?

[Mr.P]

It sounds very strange that the agency is wanting proof of you claiming JSA.

 

Have you tried asking the agency - and the jobcentre - why this information is needed?

 

It does indeed sound a little odd. I've only ever been asked by one body for proof of JSA dates, and that was by HMRC as part of an income tax review. The only reason I can think of for an agency asking is to check on gaps in employment that might point to time spent in prison.

[sillygirl1]

I've signed on to many agencies since being unemployed (and long before then) and this is the first I have heard of them wanting confirmation of dates of JSA entitlement - sounds very very wrong.

 

Ask them why they want this information and then report them to local Trading Standards - it is not a requirement of a DRS (used to be CRB) check to cover periods of unemployment that I am aware of.

[Surfer01]

Every time you signed off you should have received a Tax notification P45? from the job centre or the agency. Perhaps the agency has been a bit naughty and not supplied this at the time and now require it for tax purposes.

[louise2012]

This is what the email said from the agency regarding JSA:

 

3 Years reference details from date of registration. Please have with you the following:

 

* Previous Employers and dates you worked there (From and to), Contact Details, i.e.; Contact Name, Address, Telephone and Fax Number, Email Address etc

* If you have been claiming JSA please bring a letter with you to prove your claim. ALSO please ring the Job Seeker Line NOW and request a “Date of Claim” letter covering the last 3 YEARS.

 

* We cannot have a gap with no proof of what you were doing for more than 3 months.

 

* If you have been in university you must bring with you your certificate of degree and transcripts as well as a contact email address for your tutor.

[Surfer01]

This is what the email said from the agency regarding JSA:

 

3 Years reference details from date of registration. Please have with you the following:

 

* Previous Employers and dates you worked there (From and to), Contact Details, i.e.; Contact Name, Address, Telephone and Fax Number, Email Address etc

* If you have been claiming JSA please bring a letter with you to prove your claim. ALSO please ring the Job Seeker Line NOW and request a “Date of Claim” letter covering the last 3 YEARS.

 

* We cannot have a gap with no proof of what you were doing for more than 3 months.

 

* If you have been in university you must bring with you your certificate of degree and transcripts as well as a contact email address for your tutor.

 

I think my suspicions are correct as the agency are supposed to request a P45 when you start working for the agency. The P45 is issued to you by the Job Centre when you stop claiming. It should be all the prrof the agency require. The agency have slipped up and are now trying to squirm out of it.

[sillygirl1]

You can sign on to an agency WITHOUT having a P45 from the Jobcentre, I think wires have been crossed here.

 

They state that they cannot have a gap with no proof of what you were doing for more than 3 months - sounds unreasonable to me as they are (I hope) purely there to help you find work rather than you working directly for them.

 

If this is the case give them a CV highlighting where you were unemployed and state that that is it, if they continue asking for paperwork to cover periods ask them for the same and see what they say then!

[Surfer01]

You can sign on to an agency WITHOUT having a P45 from the Jobcentre, I think wires have been crossed here.

 

They state that they cannot have a gap with no proof of what you were doing for more than 3 months - sounds unreasonable to me as they are (I hope) purely there to help you find work rather than you working directly for them.

 

If this is the case give them a CV highlighting where you were unemployed and state that that is it, if they continue asking for paperwork to cover periods ask them for the same and see what they say then!

 

Just to clarify, there is no issue with signing on but if the agency find employment, then a P45 from the Job Centre should be handed to the agency and they should process it as it gives the tax bracket otherwise you end up paying "emergency tax" which is at a higher rate. You do not have to hand it to the agency when you start work, but should do so at the earliest opportunity. A check should show that a P45 was issued by the job centre every time you signed off.