WRAG rules tightening up

[worried33]

As some of you may already know there has been discrpency been given to job centre staff been able to defer interviews.

 

According to my advisor who I have an appointment with and now confirmed by my local welfare rights a email has been sent out earlier this month telling job centre staff they can no longer defer interviews or do over the phone.

 

I spoke to the job center today as well and the lady dealing with me does seem nice but I will know more about how strict things are going to be when I have my interview next week.

 

I find this hard to believe its a reccomendation of harrington as he even stated claimants werent been treated well enough and that job centre staff should have more leeway not less, so I feel the government when stating they implementing reccomendations arent been honest about it.

[Nystagmite]

Deferring interviews / doing them over the phone is a reasonable adjustment...

 

What happens if you can't get to the job centre due to no fault of your own?

[Inmysparetime]

I am accompanying someone this afternoon for their first interview with the Job Centre - he should be in Support Group, not WRAG!

[worried33]

Deferring interviews / doing them over the phone is a reasonable adjustment...

 

What happens if you can't get to the job centre due to no fault of your own?

 

Probably a decision is then made if good cause or not.

 

If good cause then no sanction. Otherwise sanctioned.

[SWLABR9]

Of course they can defer inteviews. Of course they can do them over the phone. They're dealing with people who are in some cases very ill, ill in hospital in some cases.

[Lilly_Monroe]

I have been told I must attend all interviews, even though I suffer from depression and hardly go out.

To get to my job centre is a 45 mile round trip, as I no longer drive this is a bus journey, and I have to go alone, as I have no one to go with.

You can imagine the state I am in when I arrive for my 9.30 appointment...but I cannot afford for my money to be stopped.

So it is the lesser of two evils, that dreaded journey/interview or no money and lose everything.

Some choice to have to make when you are not mentally competent - with no one sitting with you to defend your rights.

[reallymadwoman]

When the job centre is full of people behaving 'oddly' and for whom it is clear that the staff can do nothing, they may have a rethink on this one.

[flumps1976]

Stopping telephone interviews?

Thats news to me and part of my job role at JCP is rebooking appointments for the personal advisers.

I can understand the possible deferrals being phased out due to ESA customers being referred to the work program but can't say that I've seen any email guidance alerts to state that is what's happening. The only changes we have been notified about (that I can recall anyway!) is the sanction referrals that were introduced for ESA customers from last week.

[udaymorjaria]

I am accompanying someone this afternoon for their first interview with the Job Centre - he should be in Support Group, not WRAG!

How did interview go please do share exp. with us as I have one tomorrow thanks

[worried33]

Stopping telephone interviews?

Thats news to me and part of my job role at JCP is rebooking appointments for the personal advisers.

I can understand the possible deferrals being phased out due to ESA customers being referred to the work program but can't say that I've seen any email guidance alerts to state that is what's happening. The only changes we have been notified about (that I can recall anyway!) is the sanction referrals that were introduced for ESA customers from last week.

 

So either I have been lied to (and the welfare rights guy I talked to who got told same thing) or maybe the policy is regional rollout only.

 

I will report back on this site after my interview next week if I attend.

 

Seems more like I got a hard ass advisor who personally making excluses because she wont give any leeway.

[flumps1976]

It simply isn't acceotable for some people to attend the office due to their disability.

If someone is reliant on oxygen then they aren't expected to attend or if someone is plaster following an accident or surgery (just a couple of examples)

I know that those n the wrag are now asked to attend the office as part of the referral to the work program but the advisers have discretion on whether they can be interviewed by telephone, if someone has an ailment that doesn't stop them from leaving the house then of course they are expected to attend. but the wrag group is for people who are expected to be ready to start looking for work within a specified period of time 6 months to a cuple of years, those in the support group are looked at differently again.

[worried33]

It simply isn't acceotable for some people to attend the office due to their disability.

If someone is reliant on oxygen then they aren't expected to attend or if someone is plaster following an accident or surgery (just a couple of examples)

I know that those n the wrag are now asked to attend the office as part of the referral to the work program but the advisers have discretion on whether they can be interviewed by telephone, if someone has an ailment that doesn't stop them from leaving the house then of course they are expected to attend. but the wrag group is for people who are expected to be ready to start looking for work within a specified period of time 6 months to a cuple of years, those in the support group are looked at differently again.

 

So whats the excuse for someone lieing to me about an email thats telling them they no longer have leeway, I expect people to be honest with me as I am with them, if she had decided she didnt want to allow it using her discretion thats exactly what she should have told me. Also the work programme expects people to be looking for work now not later so it contradicts what you just said, is refferal to the work programme now garuantueed for everyone who attends an interview?

[mekongmarcus]

When i received the letter i rang to ask for my WFI to be conducted over the phone as i have mobility problems.I was told it was permissable.If you are able to get to the jobcentre then they will assume you can get to some workplace.

[Lilly_Monroe]

When i received the letter i rang to ask for my WFI to be conducted over the phone as i have mobility problems.I was told it was permissable.If you are able to get to the jobcentre then they will assume you can get to some workplace.

 

What about if you suffer from mental illness that stops you using the phone.

Basically there are no right or wrongs - it is down to them.

If you can conduct a telephone interview they may view you fit for call centre work - that is how ludicrous it all is.

[worried33]

When i received the letter i rang to ask for my WFI to be conducted over the phone as i have mobility problems.I was told it was permissable.If you are able to get to the jobcentre then they will assume you can get to some workplace.

 

then there is inconsistency, I have mobility problems but was told I had to attend or lose money.

 

Your comment is also what scares me, I expect if I attend no matter how hard it is for me, they will see that as evidence of able to get to a work placement.

[fightingback99]

then there is inconsistency, I have mobility problems but was told I had to attend or lose money.

 

Your comment is also what scares me, I expect if I attend no matter how hard it is for me, they will see that as evidence of able to get to a work placement.

 

Not necessarily worried. You're looking at the worst case scenario. As someone said if you can go to GP appointments etc, they probably will want to see you in person at some point. But on seeing you in person, they may decide to defer subsequent meetings until later.

[udaymorjaria]

Not necessarily worried. You're looking at the worst case scenario. As someone said if you can go to GP appointments etc, they probably will want to see you in person at some point. But on seeing you in person, they may decide to defer subsequent meetings until later.

Yes they do defer subsequent meetings once they look at you and see you medical notes if you have this with you

[caledfwlch]

Is it right they can make you attend every 2 weeks? I have been told that having just gone into the WRAG, it seems a bit pointless since the provider cant make me actually do anything, except attend? They seem to be treating me more like I am on JSA - indeed the "induction programme" was def for people on JSA.

[mekongmarcus]

Is it right they can make you attend every 2 weeks?

 

I was told that it would be once a month.

[osdset]

I fail to see just what the pimps hope to gain from this apart from a raft of attachment fees, from where I am standing they have simply looked at the possibility of claiming a £13,000 outcome fee for a very, very tiny percentage of WRAG claimants that they might just get into employment, and have missed sight of the bigger picture in terms of a difficult-to-help workload in addition to the huge one they currently have now.

 

Unless they have a raft of lucrative courses they can send the WRAG element on to, it would seem to be a rod for their own backs, most of the WRAG element will end up parked.

 

As has been stated before the pimps cannot meet the basic government requirement for the abled bodied that are referred to them, what chance will they have with WRAG claimants?

Especially if they follow the lead of those on JSA that have been referred and refuse to sign the data waiver.

[debt4get]

os you have just hit the nail on the head so to speak....i can see a raft of courses for wrag claimants, such as 'returning to work' .....'budgeting for beginners'.....barriers to work'....sickness!! its a state of mind!!' and so on and so on....alll nicely charged to the poor taxpayer....the simple distribution of wealth that the tories are so good at...

[caledfwlch]

Had my first meeting with a Provider today, having been put into ESA's work group.

 

Them "What jobs have you applied for recently?"

Me "I am on ESA so.... None"

 

Them "Is there any reason you cannot work at the moment"

Me "I am on ESA"

 

Them "Have you got suitable clothes for an interview or to work in"

Me "I am on ESA, so no as spending money on such things has not been a priority"

 

And so on.

 

Anyway, I am it seems going to have my ESA sanctioned because I refused to sign either of the data protection waivers.

[Nystagmite]

That's ridiculous. Surely they should know you claim ESA. Therefore, you have no obligation to apply for work?

[debt4get]

My brother in law who is in the wrag group, Im in the support group at the moment. Well my brother in law has been given the choice of doing courses or going on to work activity of some kind. He just said yes to everything at his wfi and did not ask questions.

So am I to take it that those of us who are too ill or disabled to work have to do a course or work programme in the wrag group? Can we not decline their kind offer of these unfair T4 programmes without being sanctioned?

 

dont think under the new rules that you can decline their kind offer without being sanctioned, though, you cannot be sanctioned for refusing to sign their data protection waiver...if you do this at least the pimps won't be able to get any money from any future employer should you be lucky enough to find one that will take you on...

[caledfwlch]

dont think under the new rules that you can decline their kind offer without being sanctioned, though, you cannot be sanctioned for refusing to sign their data protection waiver...if you do this at least the pimps won't be able to get any money from any future employer should you be lucky enough to find one that will take you on...

 

I would have thought arranging a work trial would be very difficult without the waiver too.