Advice Needed - Worried Sick

[JimboL]

Hello to everyone. I don't expect sympathy here but am looking foe a bit of advice.

 

I recently finished a Work Programme so have been referred back to the JobCentre. I suffer from severe anxiety and OCD and see a psychiatrist monthly and to say that this has gotten in the way of my life is an understatement. However, I have been determined not to go on any form of incapacity because I live in hope that the corner will be turned.

 

I went to sign on for JSA today and they kept my jobsearch. The thing is, it has been an awful month and I copied-down jobs which I hadn't applied for onto the form you have to fill-in to prove you are looking for work. They have kept it and I am worried sick - literally, I have vomited - that they will check, do me for fraud and that I'll be arrested.

 

Shall I just phone them or visit them and come clean?

[kirkbyinfurnesslad]

No it's normal for them to do this so just calm down and relax.they won't do anything. You are taking this far to seriously.

 

By coming you could get sanctioned for months so just forget it

Edited September 19, 2013 by kirkbyinfurnesslad

[JimboL]

Cheers for reply. But earlier this week I was in a group session where they said they will check-up.

 

I am done for, aren't I?

 

I have also done a search of this forum for fraud and when suspected, there are Police raids, computers, phones seized, relatives questioned and people in a state of limbo for months. I think that would finish me off.

[fkofilee]

Sorry About Your Damn Luck!!!

 

Or at least that is what the world would say.... We arent like that and want you to feel welcome

Right as for this.... They dont check up all the time... Employers dont have time to recieve a call from the JCP / DWP and check for each individual.

 

How many jobs have you applied for? How many have you told porkies about.... ?

Why not go on Indeed.co.uk Its an awesome site that helps, or maybe try Reed.co.uk

 

There is only so much you can do to find work and they dont expect the world

As long as you are genuine in your approach (Ie proactive) They should be fine

[JimboL]

Can they ask employers, "Has X applied for a job?" What about Data Protection?

[Mr.P]

Look at the numbers - There are 20,000 or more claimants handled by your local job centre. If each one hands in a job search record of say ten applications per week, that is a huge volume to check up on. If the JCP only select a handful of claimants to check, what are your chances of being picked ?

 

If it was only a couple of jobs requiring a postal or email application rather than having to go through that UJ thing, you have little to worry about. A potential employer is unlikely to be able to recall exactly who's application got binned when they are getting hundreds of letters for a single vacancy.

 

I would suggest doing nothing to attract attention and keep an accurate log in future. Also suggest recording everything you do, not just the job applications. e.g. Visit a web site for a business, click on the "work for us" link, record it as "contacted via web and checked vacancies".

[Mr.P]

Can they ask employers, "Has X applied for a job?" What about Data Protection?

 

As long as the JCP/DWP are not asking for personal information or copies of the application, asking this sort of question would not to be in breach of the DPA.

[kirkbyinfurnesslad]

You really are going over the top with this!!!.

 

As others say it isn't practical to check everyone. No one is coming from you in the middle of the night.

 

So once again. Relax and just keep accurate guide in the future.

 

And I'll ask this, why do people feel the need to bring irrelevent medical information into questions like this. It has no bearing on the facts.

[JimboL]

You really are going over the top with this!!!.

 

As others say it isn't practical to check everyone. No one is coming from you in the middle of the night.

 

So once again. Relax and just keep accurate guide in the future.

 

And I'll ask this, why do people feel the need to bring irrelevent medical information into questions like this. It has no bearing on the facts.

 

 

I don't know, I suppose it is just to explain my situation and why I ended up here.

[JimboL]

Look at the numbers - There are 20,000 or more claimants handled by your local job centre. If each one hands in a job search record of say ten applications per week, that is a huge volume to check up on. If the JCP only select a handful of claimants to check, what are your chances of being picked ?

 

If it was only a couple of jobs requiring a postal or email application rather than having to go through that UJ thing, you have little to worry about. A potential employer is unlikely to be able to recall exactly who's application got binned when they are getting hundreds of letters for a single vacancy.

 

I would suggest doing nothing to attract attention and keep an accurate log in future. Also suggest recording everything you do, not just the job applications. e.g. Visit a web site for a business, click on the "work for us" link, record it as "contacted via web and checked vacancies".

 

Thanks Mr P.

 

I am not so worried about having it stopped. I would survive, somehow, I have good family. It is just the other stuff I am incredibly worried about.

 

The thing is, when people sign-on normally, the adviser doesn't keep or record the job search like they have done today because I am post-work programme. So, there are fewer of us to check on.

[antone]

As others have said, you'll probably be fine. But even if they do find out somehow, your worst-case scenario is a sanction. They will not seek to bring a fraud prosecution because of this.

[jasta11]

According to the DWP guideline on Obtaining Customer Feedback (and I would assume 'feedback' would also include asking whether you applied for the job), they are only allowed to ask for feedback if it relates to a vacancy they found for you, ie a 'matched' vacancy (one you must apply for). Any vacancies you find yourself are not covered by this and they're not entitled to check up on - still best to have some sort of proof handy though, like email acknowledgements, as it proves you were actively applying. Extracts from the guidance here - important bits underlined;

 

'Feedback from an employer can only be requested where an advisor has matched a Jobseekers Allowance customer to a vacancy..'

 

'Do we have to obtain the customers permission to obtain feedback on matched submissions?

- No, obtaining feedback on matched submissions is covered by Section 3 of the Social Security Act 1998.'

 

'What happens if a customer complains that an employer has provided feedback to us?

We can only ask for feedback on JSA customers who have been matched to a vacancy and Section 3 of the Social Security Act 1998 covers JCP to do this.'

 

Sometimes my jobsearch log is kept by the advisor and sometimes it isn't. As has been said I can't see them having the time to plough through all the jobs and check each one - even if they were allowed to.

 

For future jobsearch, if you join sites like Reed.co.uk and CV-Library.co.uk, you can upload a CV and a short cover letter then when they notify you of any vacancies you simply log in, click on the 'Apply' button and it's done. One click, fast and simple..plus they automatically send an email to you acknowledging every application. Perfect proof for the Jobcentre; takes me 2 or 3 minutes to read and apply for half a dozen jobs