JSA Income Based - problems with Job Centre

[Karolina1987]

Hi, I have problems with Job Centre. It's a long and twisted story so I try to cut it short. My Contribution Based JSA has run out on 19/03 before has run out I've received forms for habitual residency test (as I'm from Poland) with some problems from side of jobcentre (as they didn't understand why I have received those forms and giving me 3 different information's) finally on 20/03 somebody took those forms plus other documents (included form for income based jsa) from me and scan them 2 the processing team, on the same day I've received call that everything is fine and I will get income based jsa.

 

I've received letter last Wednesday on which is written that from 20/03 'til 9th of April I will receiving £71 pw and from 10th of April this amount will be £72.40. Today was my sign on day so I went there and my adviser asked me did I fill form for income based jsa? as there are some problems I said yes and explain steb by step everything I've done.

 

So he told me he's gonna ring processing office then if there is a problem he's going to ring me back. As I was hurry to get to my job interview I didn't stay there. When I came back home I've decided to call jobcentre myself. One lady told me that they don't have my form for income based jsa but as I'm saying I gave all filled papers she needs to send message to other person and that person will ring me within 3hrs.

 

So I've received another call and that guy told me suddenly that he don't understand why somebody gave me information that I have been awarded jsa as they didn't have my habitual residency papers. As I'm saying that all papers were taken and scanned from me they need to take those papers back from the storage and then they made a decision if they going to award me jsa and at the moment they are not going to pay me any money on Monday.

 

When I ask how long will this process take, the response was couple of weeks. So now I'm suffering from somebody else's mistakes and I'm left without any income. If there is something I can do to make them look faster on my claim?

[rebel11]

Hi Karolina

 

Welcome to CAG

 

The guys will advise as soon as they are available.

 

Spaces added, 'bold' removed.

[Beatrice Bee]

There are free phones at the Jobcentre to call and ask if you JSA is in payment. Your adviser on the computer on your file shall see if it is in payment. She is the one who puts the money through when you sign on.

 

Habitual Residency Tests can take long. You can request an on-the-day payment when the money appears in your bank account within a few hours of the JCP authorizing the transaction immediately upon your request. Otherwise it takes 3 working days for the payment to clear and appear in your account.

 

You can apply for a short-term benefit advance when there is a delay in the processing of the claim and you are in financial hardship / short of money. Ask for the form to fill in because in a post up here it says for an Estonian girl it took 3 months to process the claim and the HRT.

 

It is confusing that you got a benefit allowance letter yet your adviser says they have not got the claim form. So ask the benefit delivery centre on the phone if your JSA is in payment. Press button for JSA on JCP free phone.

[Karolina1987]

I have rang them yesterday and they told that my jsa is not in payment until they have my papers back. I know it's all confusing. For me it's strange that 2 persons are saying they don't have jsa income based form and the third person says different thing that it's all about habitual residency test. I'm taking all my papers included letter saying that I've been awarded with income based jsa to found what's really going on. Like I wrote before it's not my fault.

[Karolina1987]

So I went to the jobcentre, for the start I've been told by the lady from the desk they cannot check what's going on I must rang processing team. I told that I've many many calls within last 3 weeks her response was they cannot help me 'til I made a call straight from jobcentre. So I've rang again, been told they don't have jsa3 form need to fill it again, he book me appointment to scan documents right away. After this need to call them to apply for short-term benefit advance, So I've done this, adviser who scanned documents also was surprised that I have problems like this as he saw my letter that i've received last week saying I'm entitled to income based jsa. When I came back home I've rang for short-term benefit. Within 3hrs I got response that they cannot help me as now they need to do my habitual residency test. I'm just so tired of this situation, why I got letter confirming my entitled to income based jsa then suddenly they don't have documents and no decision was made.