Notification of Customer Compliance Office Interview

[Mr.P]

Ask (insist) for a mandatory reconsideration on the grounds that:

a) It is unsuitable for you for health grounds.

b) It does nothing to improve your prospects of employment in your chosen occupation.c) You are still in the initial 13 week period of a new claim and it is too early for this type of intervention.

 

As for your CV, you do not have to include everything, and I for one would not mention any experience gained from a MWA.

 

 

Do you have any restrictions in your JSAg/CC limiting the type of work you can do ?If so, mention this when you ask for the MR. If you don't, then you need to get your JSAg/CC ammended as soon as possible to include any restrictions on health grounds.

[UnmoderatetheNet]

Thanks for the advice. I still believe my only possible chance of getting justice is I am inside the 14 weeks of a claim.

 

What do you think my chances of success are given the little information you have?

 

I can see them easily arguing that 'It does nothing to improve your prospects of employment in your chosen occupation' is irrelevant.

 

Lets be fair about the MWA program its a punishment or its dished out by lazy JSP employees, nothing more.

 

Anyone can see it does zero to improve job prospects.

 

If I am forced to do it, how will my job hunting be affected?

 

Will I still have to look for a job and if so how many hours am I expected to job hunt? Am I expected to search for a job more than 40 hours a week bear in mind that I am expected to complete 30 hours of MWA????

 

Its not that I have any health problems its just that I am not physically able to do manual work. I have spent 30 years working in an office based environment and now they expect me to move crates and lift pallets. Its insane.

[bcham]

im nearly 60 yrs old and im about to start a job placement and training in a warehouse,even though ive worked in warehouse work most of my life,its a joke.but what can you do. if you dont jump through the hoops you get sanctioned,

[Mr.P]

UnmoderatetheNet & bcham: MWA is supposed to be "of benefit to the community". If your warehouse labours are for a private company, this is another avenue to explore.

[tommy456]

Surely some of these hare brain ideas by the Tories are against our human rights?

[SabreSheep]

no human right to receive benefits.

you have the right to withdraw from the benefit system

[Lapsed Workaholic]

You will find the MWA Guidance in the following link invaluable and worth your while reading. Any queries arising; feel free to ask for further clarification.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/300734/pg-part-p.pdf

[UnmoderatetheNet]

I live in Glasgow and for the past six weeks signing staff have had no access to universal jobmatch, I don’t know whether this is connected to the fact universal credit was rolled out six weeks ago. Maybe a friendly local whistle blower can provide details and confirm this.

 

 

For me the past three signing sessions have gone back to pre-benefit reform days of signing taking less than four minutes, no difficult questions on my efforts to find work just sit down, sign and leave.

I noticed I am not alone, I have witnessed other signers doing so as well.

 

 

Today I bravely walked into the JCP having not spent the usual hour filling out my job searching activities on UJ, signed on and walked out. I did have a paper record in my pocket as a plan B but never needed it.

 

If this helps someone out I’m just spreading the news, but please don’t rely on this info I would hate for someone to be sanctioned if your office staff do have access.

 

I am slightly curious if this is a Glasgow thing and if so what is the reason being. Is there any friendly JCP staff who would care to comment?

 

I do not condone or promote abusing the system but if it helps someone worried about sanctions this might help

Edited July 13, 2015 by citizenB
spacing for easier reading

[jasta11]

Similar thing in my local Jobcentre, with people being rushed through signing without any checks on jobsearch evidence, but this is due to a lot of the staff having left as they're sick of the job. They're not happy with new technology reducing their work and also not happy with managers and the pressure they're under. The few decent advisers are leaving because they're sick of being told to try and trick people out of their benefits.

 

Makes me happy; the less time I spend there the better. I don't use the new electronic signature pads anyway but last week the whole system had gone down so everyone had to sign in the old way, by paper.

 

However, I'd still make sure you always have jobsearch evidence each time you go as you never know when they'll want to check it. Don't give them any excuse to find fault.

[Jmulv]

I've got couple questions about UJ, I avoided ticking the box when I last signed on before I got a job and i'll probably do the same again, however I do know that they can mandate you to log in daily, if you don't tick the box for them to check your UJ account are they able to see this? (Cause i'll be honest there is no need to go on UJ daily... it's a bad website and most of the jobs are pinched off of reed / monster etc anyway).

 

I'm just going to bring in printouts of jobs i've applied for as I have done in the past.

 

Advice would be appreciated.

[Chester6]

With no access they can't see anything on your account

This is why they try to persuade, manipulate and bully plus harass you into allowing access

As far as I am aware you can still provide proof in any means available to you

[Jmulv]

With no access they can't see anything on your account

This is why they try to persuade, manipulate and bully plus harass you into allowing access

As far as I am aware you can still provide proof in any means available to you

 

Yeah they tried last time I signed on till they were blue in the face.... I just gave in printouts to show I was actually applying for work, also applied for any jobs they gave me themselves.

 

Maybe i'm just being paranoid but I refuse to use UJ just based on principle. I don't need big brother watching me any more than they already do. I found work before without UJ I will do it again, but they're like a dog with a bone and NEVER shut up about it.

[trebormoinet]

Amazing how the way they operate varies so much, all the advisers at my local JCP tell us not use UJM to log activity history as they cannot access it half the time and use paper instead, I prefer to use UJM and not once has anyone ever logged in to check it in over a year, they just mumble about using paper next time and send me on my way.

[Chester6]

At both the ones I've been to locally they are pushing UJM as the bees knees and determined to get access by any means

I've now been told I have to allow access as everything is going online and not about paper

[Sparks_]

At both the ones I've been to locally they are pushing UJM as the bees knees and determined to get access by any means

I've now been told I have to allow access as everything is going online and not about paper

 

Ask them what regulation allows them to say the HAVE to have access to your UJM

[jasta11]

You're only required to have an 'online profile' to help in your search for work. The internet plays a big part in everything today so it's quite reasonable for the JC to expect us to use it.. but you don't have to use UJ; any other online jobsite is just as good (and probably less prone to crash and host so many fake jobs).

 

I refused to use UJ and instead I use Reed and CV-Library so I have 2 'online profiles' and the JC can't argue; I'm using the internet as required. UJ is the DWP's 'pet' system so naturally they want us to use it but it's only one of many similar sites.

 

They definitely still can't have access to your UJ account without your permission. They can't even make you show screenprints from UJ but you have to be careful to show them plenty of other evidence of using online sites. I screenprint all my applications from Reed and CV-Library as these sites put them all in a nice list so all I have to do is 2 weeks worth then hit 'print'. The JC can't argue as it's solid evidence.

 

Best way to deal with an adviser who tries to get you to give access to UJ is to tell them that you're going to report them to the Information Commissioners Office for a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998, trying to gain your personal data without your consent. Drop into the conversation that in cases like this, both the company (DWP) AND the individual (adviser) can be fined up to £50,000. Work Provider A4e were hit with a massive fine a while ago for just such an infringement.

 

Also record your adviser and get him/her to incriminate themselves.

[san_d]

Same here. We have UC but I am still on JSA. I was asked to produce a paper based evidence but I told them I logged it all on UJM. They said "ok" without even knowing my email address. How can they possibly check my search history if I have never given them my email address?

[jasta11]

Possibly they're not even checking at all. Staff at my JC have been leaving and the few remaining ones are so harrassed that they just sign people now and don't ask about jobsearch evidence.

 

If they have none of your log in details then they shouldn't be able to get into your account. I've always wondered though if, when they had the UJ site designed, they had a 'back door' built into it so they could look even if you denied them permission. I wouldn't put anything past the DWP, they're capable of every lie and deceit in the book. If they have done this it would be a serious breach of the Data Protection act.

[Chester6]

I doubt they've got a back door as that wouldn't be legal.

Not that legality matters to many who work there

[san_d]

I doubt they've got a back door as that wouldn't be legal.

Not that legality matters to many who work there

Yes, they have it and the Work Programme agent have it, too. But they can't be bothered to access it. Or maybe they are performing passive resistance.

[Chester6]

Any proof of a backdoor

[san_d]

Any proof of a backdoor

I've worked for a welfare 2 work company. The agent could log in UJM and send jobs to the "candidate". That was 2 years ago.

 

 

Can you please learn quoting?

[Chester6]

I've worked for a welfare 2 work company. The agent could log in UJM and send jobs to the "candidate". That was 2 years ago.

 

 

Can you please learn quoting?

I've never heard of that

Surely if they had backdoor illegal access they would not need to harass and con and manipulate people into giving consent?

[san_d]

I've never heard of that

Surely if they had backdoor illegal access they would not need to harass and con and manipulate people into giving consent?

It's not illegal access. Job coaches have access to your account to push vacancies on you. This is no secret. This is how the UJM was designed. Not all Jokecentres have implemented it but the possibility is there. If you are on Work Programme the agent has an admin account on UJM, unless they changed the rules in the last two years.

[san_d]

Here's a screenshot: