jsa , injury and cwp

[nexxusone]

hi im currently on jsa and the cwp (as some may know from my cwp post) anyway today i went in smartly dressed as requested by seetec staff (instead of jeans t-shirt , trainers)

after leaving seetec tonight I was walking home, it had started raining and I slipped (on metal drain cover) crossing road due to my smart shoes, now i'm not blaming seetec (for once) but the outcome after visiting the the 'walk in' medical center is severe bruising and possible aggravation of an old knee injury. Advised to rest , put up, cold pack in tea towel, should be ok in a few weeks and any further problems over next few days see my own doctor.

 

So just checking the correct order of things to do...

1) tomorrow morning phone job center about being sick and ask for jsa28 - start from 2/9/14

2) phone seetec and inform about sickness, tell them i have requested jsa28 and informed job center already

3) I will get missus to collect a jsa28 on 2/9/14 as on 3/9/14 (i know i should be excused ) its my sign on day, should i just attend and hand in? ( i have crutches)

4)As 14 full days is 15th sept, this means i will either have to attend from (inc) 16th sept any cwp appointments or get a sick note from doctor and go onto ESA?

5)i'm presuming a injury is classed as sick / illness for sake of jsa28 claim.

 

hope this makes sense..

[Mr.P]

From the CWP guidance as published by the DWP:

Acceptable Absences

4.06 Where the claimant has made contact prior to attendance of a mandated activity and

has stated they cannot attend you must investigate whether the claimant has an

acceptable reason for non-attendance. Acceptable absences are defined below.

[...]

Sickness

4.18 It is the claimant’s responsibility to notify JCP when they are sick. However if a work

placement host or jobsearch provider informs you, or you establish that the claimant is

absent due to sickness you must phone your contact in JCP to notify them that the

claimant is sick and allow JCP to check the claimant’s sickness record.

4.19 Where JCP informs you that the claimant has already had two periods’ (of up to 2

weeks each) absence due to sickness in the previous 12 months you must make a

DMA referral (at the end of the current provision week) detailing on the DMA referral

the date the claimant states they became sick and any other relevant information

(LMDM teams will then investigate further and request the claimants reasons for non-

compliance).

 

In view of the above, your steps would be the correct approach. You could also download a copy and save a trip in to the city (see below).

 

Note: the above quoted guidance also states that any sickness period (which would include an injury) counts towards your "sentence" for the remainder of the week:

 

4.23 In a provision week where a participant has a period of participation but then becomes

sick you may count this sickness period towards the provision week requirement (for a

maximum of the remainder of the current provision week only and you must ensure

you record this). For example, where a claimant fully participated on a Monday and

Tuesday but was sick for the remainder of the week, you may claim this as a provision

week.

4.24 Please Note: You may not start to claim for a subsequent provision week until the

claimant is fit to continue and returns to participating in a work placement.

 

Just to cover your back, I'd suggest getting written conformation from Seetec that they acknowledge your absence and the reason for it - No need to divulge the specifics of your injury as they are not qualified to make any medical assessments.

[nexxusone]

cheers filled in and on way to norwich jcp, seetec usual happy selves, telling me i would be notified as absent and sanctioned, so i told them no i wont as i've already phoned job center and filled in a jsa 28 and i was just being courteous by giving them a call as a heads up before JCP contacts them.!!

[nexxusone]

tbh early next week once im able to drive again, i will be hitting all local employment agencies to take any job going just to be able to rid myself of these idiots

[Mr.P]

PM sent about possible work of Christmas - Even if you are not fit & able at the present, use the time to apply now. Any vacancies get assigned on a first come, first served basis.

 

seetec usual happy selves, telling me i would be notified as absent and sanctioned

 

They really do need to read the appropriate guidance notes - You have followed correct procedure, and it is not their decision to sanction anybody (only an a duly appointed DWP DM can do that).

[nexxusone]

cheers for that, Today Seetecs head office attendance tracking team phoned me, i ignored lol till i was able to gather my notes and phoned back, got the usual you didn't attend question fired at me....

 

So i was like ' hold it, this it what happened' and explained about phone calls, jsa28 etc , to which i'm told 'sorry but we have nothing on system' so with a very smiley voice i replied ' don't worry about that, i have a recording of the receptionist telling me she was adding my statement to system' so i suggested some possible urgent retraining may be required. with this i got a complete change of attitude to nice and 'it seems you've done everything correctly and not to worry'.....

knowing im going to be public enemy no.1 when I return, I thought i'd get my partner to drop a nice letter into norwich seetec with a copy of jsa28 (with copy written all over in red pen AND through signature!!!) stating what days I would be off, when i expected to return and if they alter my appointments again can I please have this in writing.

The receptionist was quite rude and dismissive to my partner when she asked for the cwp managers business card, and would only hand over a seetec appointment card with the center normal phone hand written on it.

As I have a day all on own tomorrow, and will be virtually house bound I feel Letters and emails aplenty in pipe line.

[nexxusone]

well in my 2 weeks sickness i got 5 phone calls asking why I was not in.... and now 2 days after I returned to cwp i got a phone call asking again why not in?!!! err..... I am!, have been for 2 days now... total idiots

[Mr.P]

I hope you retain any/all evidence of attendance just in case they try to raise a benefit doubt.... Might be an idea to get a diary and insist that an "adviser" signs it as proof of your attendance.

[nexxusone]

I hope you retain any/all evidence of attendance just in case they try to raise a benefit doubt.... Might be an idea to get a diary and insist that an "adviser" signs it as proof of your attendance.

I do as in job logs and printouts of jobs applied for which are date and time stamped

[essexmat]

Also, with JSA 28 - you get 2 periods of up to 14 days - my advice is, even if fit and well after say 6 take the full 14 - no benefit change so take the full whack!

[nexxusone]

I took ALL 14 days.......... think that annoyed them

[essexmat]

I was much better after around 8 days BUT was advised by hospital (back problem) that I should take the full 14 - no penalty whether 1 or 14 days so I don't understand not taking the full whack. You can have 2 periods of JSA28 in a year so say you took 1-2 days and became well then later in year took another 1-2 days you would have say 4 days on JSA 28 when you could have got the same payment as 28 days - don't understand not taking the full whack - you can still job search and carry on as normal