Run around.....

[Graduating Chris]

Hi, I hope someone can help me.

I have just finished my uni course (last Friday - end date on all paperwork = 8th June 2013) and went to ask about jobseekers at the local Jobcentre. (I would have gone earlier but my nan (who brought me up for the first 12 months of my life) died a couple of weeks ago and I was away from uni to see her in the Hospice and for the funeral (just got there the day before she died)

 

The Jobcentre gave me a leaflet and said I needed to claim online. I started the claim but it kept kicking me off so after numerous tries I had no option but to leave it till the following day and try again.

 

The following day I went down to the jobcentre and told them what had happened. I also asked which address they would advise I make my claim from because I had finished my course and had to be out of Uni accommodation in three days time, so would be back in my home town at the other end of the country when I was due to be asked to attend a local appointment.

 

The man at the jobcentre advised me to apply from the new address – the one I am due to move into on Monday – BUT (and here’s the thing) – when I went back and tried to apply online for the THIRD time, it wouldn’t let me enter an address that I haven’t moved into yet!

 

So I can’t claim from my Uni address because I won’t be here when the local appointment comes through and I cant claim from the new address because it won’t let me detail that as my address because I don’t take the tenancy up until Monday!

 

I don’t know what else to do and will end up losing a weeks money and a weeks contributions as a result. Does anyone know what I can do please to avoid losing more than I have already/explaining the delay?

 

I have also been told you have to wait until you graduate to claim JSA but the uni are saying that I should and must claim immediately as my course has officially finished last Friday... so what do I do about the address problem... I am rather hoping someone with benefits experience/a Decision maker maybe, will visit here or be on staff here and may be able to help?

 

Can anyone advise please?

 

Thanks in advance.

Chris

[honeybee13]

Hello and welcome to CAG.

 

I'll move your thread to the benefits forum where the guys should know the answers. There will be a short term redirect from this forum for you to follow.

 

My best, HB

[antone]

I would suggest you claim on Monday when you move into your new address. What you could do is ask for backdating to the 9th June - you'd be asked to give the reason why you didn't claim earlier and you could explain the situation. What I can't tell you is whether this request is likely to be accepted, as the Decision Makers look at backdating requests and consider each one on its merits.

 

You're right to get moving on this now, though - it's not correct that you need to wait until you actually graduate.

[flumps1976]

Personally I would apply now to get the claim up and running, I believe there is a section within the claim to add additional notes and you can then give the information that you are due to move and would like your new job seeker interview to be conducted at the new jobcentre.

[antone]

Personally I would apply now to get the claim up and running, I believe there is a section within the claim to add additional notes and you can then give the information that you are due to move and would like your new job seeker interview to be conducted at the new jobcentre.

 

A better idea than mine. Thanks Flumps.

[fightingback99]

My brother was able to do his claim over the phone a couple of weeks ago, due to 'exceptional circumstances' . His exceptional circumstnces were simply that the online application wouldn't accept his details as 1 part of them didn't fit their programme logic. Someone on the helpline gave him a 'claim over the phone' number to call once he'd explained the problem, and told him to tell whoever answered he'd been advised by the helpline to make claim over the phone due to except circs.

[jasta11]

I made my initial JSA claim by telephone too and although I wasn't keen on doing it that way, it actually went fine. Afterwards I got an appointment to go to the JC in person, just to finalise the details and sign stuff. Mine wasn't an 'exceptional circumstances' case either, just a normal one. Don't know if they still do it this way though.

[flumps1976]

Our local area no longer accept JSA claims by telephone under any circumstances.

If a claimant has no access to the internet at home then they are referred to alternative access.

[fightingback99]

Flumps ,

 

It wasn't due to lack of internet access. There's a flaw in the online JSA programme, which meant the system couldn't process his details. When he explained what was happening to an advisor at the helpline they realised the 'flaw' existed. Advisor said the only way round the programme logic would be for him to enter incorrect info which wasn't a good idea. He was given a phone application number to call and told to say the help line referred him due to exceptional circumstances. This was just 3 weeks ago. Understand they're insisting on online applications but if the system doesn't cover an individual's circumstances then I suppose they have to allow another option and this was it. Imagine it doesn't happen very often.