work programme after 2 years

[RebeccaPidgeon]

I have my exit review tomorrow, however I also have two job interviews. One this Friday and another tbc. I received the email that I had been shortlisted for interview, they just need to set up a time/date. To tell Ingeus or not to tell???

Given that you, presumably need a new Interview Suit, you have a basis for negotiation....but there is no need to indulge Ingeus by disclosing any employer. However, I am sure that if you are ofered a job, you will agree to divulge the information in due course.

[RebeccaPidgeon]

officially, with 2 weeks to go before your finish date, the DWP will notify your provider that you finish on a specific date. they then have 2 weeks to contact you, and finish you.

 

I attended for a regular appointment on a Tuesday, to be told when I was there, to go away, and come back on the Friday, where I would be part of a mass exit session.

 

at the session, between 20 and 25 leavers where there. 3 members of staff tried to get us to sign up for another 12 month - voluntary - scheme, funded by the local council. on raising the exit review, they knew nothing about it, and was told to get us to put out names, telephone number and email address on a piece of paper. we did, and I left - exit 'review' completed...that was 10 days ago, and I have a meeting with a DWP advisor a week on Thursday.

Strange behaviour.... and asking those in attendance to disclose confidential information which they already possessed.

[Chester6]

Strange behaviour.... and asking those in attendance to disclose confidential information which they already possessed.

 

Most likely they are too lazy to use a computer or unsure that some have voluntarily given contact details

[cubertf]

Strange behaviour.... and asking those in attendance to disclose confidential information which they already possessed.

 

quite - we all had our own piece of paper, and I had brought my own pen!...the others had to fight over the 2 or 3 they provided.

 

I assumed that as the record they had of everyone was 2 years old, and details never re-checked in that time, they wanted to confirm telephone and email numbers. I gave them my landline, as my mobile is for personal use only.

[Mr.P]

on raising the exit review, they knew nothing about it, and was told to get us to put out names, telephone number and email address on a piece of paper.

 

Time to make them squeal - Send them a letter reminding them that as per advice given in memo WP LR 106, you require a copy of the WPER1 that has been completed. Make sure to send a copy to the DWP (or hand it to the adviser on Thursday) and stand well back. If you don't get a copy within say ten days, write a formal complaint to the WP providers head office (and CC the DWP). Failure to comply with your request can then be escalated to the I.C.E..

[RebeccaPidgeon]

quite - we all had our own piece of paper, and I had brought my own pen!...the others had to fight over the 2 or 3 they provided.

 

I assumed that as the record they had of everyone was 2 years old, and details never re-checked in that time, they wanted to confirm telephone and email numbers. I gave them my landline, as my mobile is for personal use only.

Given that, if your personal details had changed, you would have reported this to Job Centre Plus, and the electronic record subsequently made available to any Welfare To Work outfit, the incidence of data collection seems somewhat spurious.

[physicsgraduate]

I'm thinking about declaring myself as self employed, freelance graphics designer. It's not far from the truth anyway. I know a lot of people make stuff up for this, but I wouldn't be, then I could live off working tax credits. Anyone know how this works and if I would be excluded from paying any council tax?

[Chester6]

My report was meaningless and had nothing of any worth on it

[cubertf]

I am going to tell the DWP person what the exit review was all about ( a group session selling us something) and ask him about my copy of the WPER1. I have printed the form out for reference if he does not know about it either.. he can then make enquiries with the WP provider.

[Dom86]

So on Wednesday, I turned up to the 'Post Work Programme Support' appointment, only to be told I turned up on the wrong day, the appointment was booked for Tuesday the previous day .

 

This was a genuine mistake! The same mistake an employee at the Jobcente made the previous Wednesday I signed on, by continually referring to the appointment here as being on a Wednesday.

 

On signing on day Wednesday before, I inquired about the date of the 'Post Work Programme Support' appointment as I also had an appointment with the Work Programme that day, and also questioned whether I had actually finished the Work Programme, as I was told by my WP adviser I wasn't due to finish until mid July. The employee @ the Jobcentre made some phone calls, and after, said No, I must attend the 'Post Work Programme Support' appointment on WEDNESDAY, she handed me the letter, I went to one side and read it all, saw the date 25 June, and thought yep that's Wednesday like the lady said, made a note of this on my mobile phone calendar. Got a phone call walking back from the Jobcentre from Work Programme, and they said, no don't attend any appointments we made for you now, you are off. Yesterday @ 18:30, got a text message from the WP saying I got an appointment with them tomorrow SIGH .

 

So now I await a decision on whether I will be sanctioned for this genuine mistake. How likely is it I will be sanctioned? Also surely I can appeal? oh and when I was writing why I missed the 'Post Work Programme Support' appointment, the employee at the Jobcentre put me under pressure to hurry up writing it (it was only 3 minutes)!!!!

 

As for this WP appointment, I wont be attending, because the WP adviser said I was off and finished, and all remaining appointments cancelled.

Edited June 28, 2013 by Dom86

[Dom86]

I'm worried about this, if I don't find a job, or some money, and get sanctioned I'm in big trouble! I wont be able to pay for electricity, buy food and drinks, plus I got a small overdraft which I have been paying off, its nearly paid off, and I wanted it cleared up before NatWest new terms come in (a lot more expensive!) on 12 July (I only obtained this overdraft due to an emergency I had a little while ago).

[Dom86]

Also, when I sign on (Wednesday), its a reasonable mistake to make, to also think the appointment here was also a Wednesday.

[physicsgraduate]

I was sanctioned by the job centre last year for missing two appointments at A4e, first time I called in sick and the idiot on the desk forgot to log it on the system. Then I miss my next appointment because they forgot to send me a letter or call me to tell when it was. I thought I had managed to sort it all out with no sanctions, the next thing two months later I receive a letter from the DWP telling me I have been sanctioned for two weeks. And all because I didn't register as ill with the job centre. They let me call for a crisis loan knowing I wouldn't get one. The crisis loan people mucked me about by first refusing to continue after I had been on the phone for half an hour because I couldn't remember the exact amount I was last paid or the date. I phoned them back and then got instantly told I was not eligible anyway. They then let me fill out and send a hardship fund application knowing that I wouldn't get one for the first two weeks anyway. I then had to come back and forth writing letters and getting things photocopied before someone 'upstairs' helped me out by 'moving things forward' and then somehow magically they lifted the sanction and I was paid. Meanwhile I had no money to live on so I complained to a4e who had earlier fobbed me off with £20. I went back and took my complaint to the manager, stood my ground and she caved in and gave me £50 tesco vouchers. Not exactly money but still good currency. In the end a whole deal of unnecessary crap had to be dealt with by everyone, I was £70 quid better off, and it would have been £120 if the sanction hadn't been lifted until the 2nd week.

 

I didn't realise you need a degree in law to sign on these days. Over 1 week now I have been suspended and no decision. What a complete and utter shower of inept morons that are running the country these days.

[Dom86]

ok gave my old WP advisor a ring, he said don't come, definitely off! That's one problem out of the way.

 

Going to give Jobcentre a ring now, with my last £1 of credit, to see about this sanctioning business. If I do get sanctioned wont be able to apply for jobs with mobile! But that will be the least of my worries.

[Dom86]

hmmm, they sent my 'reason' on Wednesday, and she said it wont be until at least Wednesday I will found out, she said I will get a letter, and with that letter I could appeal if not happy with decision. I said I wasn't happy with what I wrote, and the pressure I was put under, and she said only option is to appeal if not in my favour, and explain further on what I wrote, GREAT.

 

She said don't worry, lol.

[Dom86]

I was sanctioned by the job centre last year for missing two appointments at A4e, first time I called in sick and the idiot on the desk forgot to log it on the system. Then I miss my next appointment because they forgot to send me a letter or call me to tell when it was. I thought I had managed to sort it all out with no sanctions, the next thing two months later I receive a letter from the DWP telling me I have been sanctioned for two weeks. And all because I didn't register as ill with the job centre. They let me call for a crisis loan knowing I wouldn't get one. The crisis loan people mucked me about by first refusing to continue after I had been on the phone for half an hour because I couldn't remember the exact amount I was last paid or the date. I phoned them back and then got instantly told I was not eligible anyway. They then let me fill out and send a hardship fund application knowing that I wouldn't get one for the first two weeks anyway. I then had to come back and forth writing letters and getting things photocopied before someone 'upstairs' helped me out by 'moving things forward' and then somehow magically they lifted the sanction and I was paid. Meanwhile I had no money to live on so I complained to a4e who had earlier fobbed me off with £20. I went back and took my complaint to the manager, stood my ground and she caved in and gave me £50 tesco vouchers. Not exactly money but still good currency. In the end a whole deal of unnecessary crap had to be dealt with by everyone, I was £70 quid better off, and it would have been £120 if the sanction hadn't been lifted until the 2nd week.

 

I didn't realise you need a degree in law to sign on these days. Over 1 week now I have been suspended and no decision. What a complete and utter shower of inept morons that are running the country these days.

 

Ridiculous, I bet it cost more to sanction someone (administrative costs, wages for decision makers etc.), than it would to just pay JSA.

 

What a complete and utter shower of inept morons that are running the country these days.

 

These days, I think we've had nothing but bad government for at least 3 decades now. This current bunch are something special though!

 

My faith in things is very negative at the moment.

[Mr.P]

So on Wednesday, I turned up to the 'Post Work Programme Support' appointment, only to be told I turned up on the wrong day, the appointment was booked for Tuesday the previous day .

[...]Yesterday @ 18:30, got a text message from the WP saying I got an appointment with them tomorrow SIGH .

 

Can you find the original letter telling you about the appointment on the 25th ?

If it was just a phone call or text message, any attempt to claim it was a "mandatory" appointment would be in breach of DWP guidance - If you by chance get a sanction letter from the DWP, we can point you to the chapter and paragraph in the Provider Guidance notes to use as a defence. BTW: Can you remember exactly when it was you had your first appointment with your provider ?

If it was the beginning of June 2010, there is a chance that appointment would have been outside of the 104 week attachment period.

[osdset]

]Ridiculous' date=' I bet it cost more to sanction someone (administrative costs, wages for decision makers etc.), than it would to just pay JSA.[/b']

 

 

 

These days, I think we've had nothing but bad government for at least 3 decades now. This current bunch are something special though!

 

My faith in things is very negative at the moment.

 

It's not about money though. This government is prepared to fritter away millions so long as it validates the ideology.

 

It's very much about claimants doing what they are told, and making the process of claiming JSA as onerous as possible.

It must be obvious to all but the most blinkered observer that the main objective is to cripple welfare beyond healing by chipping away at it's foundations, a bit here and a bit there. And before you know it, welfare is history.

 

The ConDems have taken the carrot and stick approach, but have removed the carrot and loaded the stick with six inch nails.

[Dom86]

Can you find the original letter telling you about the appointment on the 25th ?

If it was just a phone call or text message, any attempt to claim it was a "mandatory" appointment would be in breach of DWP guidance - If you by chance get a sanction letter from the DWP, we can point you to the chapter and paragraph in the Provider Guidance notes to use as a defence. BTW: Can you remember exactly when it was you had your first appointment with your provider ?

If it was the beginning of June 2010, there is a chance that appointment would have been outside of the 104 week attachment period.

 

I got the letter for the 'Post Work Programme' appointment it says '25 June', I turned up the next day on what would have been correct time if date was right.

 

According to my calendar, I had a 'Work Programme Interview' @ the JOBCENTRE on 16 June 2011, and my first Work Programme attendance (12 July 2011), where I signed some document(s) with the WP provider, which I still have copies of.

 

I did say this verbally on two separate signing on days!, that I didn't attend my first WP until 12 July 2011. And the fact my WP provider made an appointment beyond 'Post Work Programme Support' appointment, would seem the WP thought I still had some weeks to go.

[Dom86]

James O'Brien on LBC radio station, I think is going to talk about the 'Work Programme'!!! Coming up after break (NOW).

 

LBC 97.3.

[Dom86]

It's not about money though. This government is prepared to fritter away millions so long as it validates the ideology.

 

It's very much about claimants doing what they are told, and making the process of claiming JSA as onerous as possible.

It must be obvious to all but the most blinkered observer that the main objective is to cripple welfare beyond healing by chipping away at it's foundations, a bit here and a bit there. And before you know it, welfare is history.

 

The ConDems have taken the carrot and stick approach, but have removed the carrot and loaded the stick with six inch nails.

 

Yep, bang on.

[Dom86]

If it was the beginning of June 2010, there is a chance that appointment would have been outside of the 104 week attachment period.

 

If it goes from first attendance at WP provider, then it falls short of 104 weeks.

 

12 July 2011 + 104 weeks = Tuesday, 9 July, 2013

[Dom86]

The back to work scheme that costs us £40k per job! Only one in ten on Government scheme found lasting role

 

The Daily Fail supported the Work Programme, now turning against it.

[Mr.P]

According to my calendar, I had a 'Work Programme Interview' @ the JOBCENTRE on 16 June 2011, and my first Work Programme attendance (12 July 2011), where I signed some document(s) with the WP provider, which I still have copies of.

 

It is the first appointment at the WP provider that is of interest - This is (usually) taken as the date of "attachment" and sets the 104 week clock ticking. (fag packet calculations) Your end date should be 11th July 2013 - But if the JCP have told you in writing that your time is up, take a deep breath.

[Dom86]

know your rights leaflet.