My First Workplan Book - Do I HAVE to sign it?

[Mcall]

Hello, I'm after some advice please. I've recently moved London Boroughs and duly told JCP. I've done the live transfer claim and had to sign the new "Claimant Commitment". All fine. The lady at the interview booked me in for my regular signing day (tomorrow) and gave me this booklet called "My Work Plan".

 

I've read around this forum and understand it's not mandatory. (I downloaded the excellent FOI requests linked on another thread and have printed it off ready to show them tomorrow if they get shirty). But I have two questions please.

 

1. Although completion of the My Work Plan is technically not mandatory, do I have to sign the front page that looks like an extension of the CC and also has other important statements I must agree to (including info on my next signing date, etc). But if I do sign it, aren't I also accepting to use the My Work Plan booklet implicitly?

 

2. If I kick up a polite stink and stand my ground, then I might win this battle, but isn't there a danger my card will be marked with my new adviser as a trouble-maker and she will then seek to stick me on daily signing, some community work bulls**t, or whatever is the worst within her power to otherwise stitch me up to the letter of the law? Am I therefore just better off giving in and completing this damn waste of time, infantilizing and pointless booklet?

 

I currently use UJM "Activity History" box daily to record all my searches, and always print off a Hotmail screenshot of all the jobs I've applied for (at least 10), so I honestly feel I do enough to jump through their hoops to get my pittance. This Work Plan book is just a step too far.

 

Thanks for reading this far, and any specific legislation or FOI facts you could point me to would be really appreciated. I'm grateful too if you can only offer opinion, but the fear of being sanctioned and left with no option but to steal, get criminal record, ruin my life, die, etc, means that opinions are of no use. I need cold hard facts to battle these vindictive, power-crazed secretaries at JCP!!

[Lapsed Workaholic]

Hello Mcall and welcome.

You are obviously aware of your right not to use this work plan booklet. Unfortunately, if I read your post aright, you have already signed a CC. This is going to make your task now a bit more difficult.

The CC includes 2 paragraphs that refer to this booklet therefore it would appear that you have also already agreed to using the booklet.

As to your questions:

1. Personally I would not sign anything else without scrutinising every clause, disputing them and having them altered to comply with claimant rights.
   

1. Kicking up a stink will more than likely have consequences of the kind you mention but deciding to go along with what is being imposed on you will not guarantee en easy ride in future. They used to try and con claimants that signing up to and allowing access to UJ was going to be the ultimate in recording and monitoring job search activity.
   
   

I appreciate that your circumstances may prevent you from raising the stink that you would like to raise. Such circumstances as yours are what DWP rely on to inflict such unreasonable conditions on claimants.

Before going any further you could ask at your next appointment about the ‘My rights’ clause in the CC. For example, can you exercise your right for a review without the threat of a sanction? Why were you not informed of your right not to be compelled to use that booklet? Etc.

I have an active thread running about CC, feel free to browse through it.

[Mcall]

Thanks for the advice LW. I read through the CC carefully before signing it and couldn't see any explicit reference to the Work Booklet so I thought it safe to sign. I don't have a problem agreeing to reasonable requests in return for receiving JSA, and to be honest I don't have a problem allowing DWP access to my UJM (it's their little toy, I just use it). But I really take exception to this blasted Work Plan Booklet - it achieves nothing far as I can see, just wastes the time that I could be using for genuine jobsearch.

 

I'll have a read of your CC thread. Cheers.

[Lapsed Workaholic]

You say that you couldn’t see the following 2 paragraphs on your CC:

“I understand that detailed planning for how I will undertake these activities is essential to give myself the best chance of success. The 'My Work Plan booklet' will help me to plan and manage how I will do these things and anything else I think will help improve my chances of moving into work. My Coach will work with me on this.”

 

“I know I must show that I have done all that is reasonable to give myself the best prospects of securing employment. I will keep evidence of what I have done and take this with me every time I go to the Jobcentre. My Work Plan booklet will help me do this.”

 

If they are not on your CC then you could ignore any reference to the workbook and tear it up.

[Mcall]

No, you are quite right. I've just double-checked and sure enough tis there. What is confusing me though is that in the DWP staff handbook it clearly states that use of the Work Book is NOT mandatory, (so long as claimant shows sound evidence on UJM or other mutually acceptable format), but refusal to sign the CC will close my claim/cause sanction. And explicit in the CC are the above two paragraphs saying I will use the Work Book.

 

I'm confused!

[Lapsed Workaholic]

That is why I suggested that you are now in a much trickier predicament than I am. Your only recourse, as far as I can see, is to insist on your right to a review claiming that you were ‘misled’ or ‘misinformed’ when you signed your CC

[Mcall]

I'll play it by ear and see how she reacts tomorrow when I show her the DWP handbook saying 'not mandatory'. I've not met this new adviser yet. Maybe she'll be a reasonable, professional human being with compassion and common sense... Maybe!!!! (No, fat chance, I agree

 

Thanks for advice LW. I'll let you know how I get on.

[Mcall]

Update: Went to sign on in new JCP, have to say the new adviser was lovely. I was rendered speechless with shock! I showed her my UJM entries and screenscrape of Job applications, she simply presented me with the slip to sign to authorize payment and we were done. "Any question? See you in fortnight".

 

No mention of the "My First Work Book" or crayons to colour it in. In and out in under five mins! Thank God!

[Mr.P]

Update: Went to sign on in new JCP, have to say the new adviser was lovely. [...]

No mention of the "My First Work Book" or crayons to colour it in. In and out in under five mins! Thank God!

 

Some JCP staff, like many of us, want an easy life and see no point in being nasty. If you make a point of being polite to this one, she will probably continue to return the favour.

[essexmat]

Some are polite and want an easy life, some are naturally vindictive, a bit like anyone in a workplace. Saying that, I would urge you to be cautious as I would not trust ANY JCP employee with information I was not happy to be made public or shared. Remember, if their managers get nasty with them they will in turn pass on this to the claimant as their jobs depend on it. You know, sanction targets and all that - yes, THEY DO exist even if you are told they DO NOT.

[Mcall]

Thanks for the heads-up Essexmat. I've had my fair share of spectacular a-holes at JCP over the past few years I've had to sign. But I take as I find, and this lady seemed genuine and nice. Trouble is, she pointed down the line to a woman at another desk and said I'd be seeing them for my next signing, so not sure if she's to be my regular adviser. I'm happy to share anything about me with them that's already in the public domain, but this Work Plan booklet would have pushed me over the edge!!! I finished primary school and got a gold star for colouring in way back in the 70's and don't wish to repeat the experience! ha!

[jasta11]

Glad to see you appear to have a decent adviser Mcall - they do exist (though still be wary!)

 

Note how vaguely the DWP have worded the Workplan blurb; 'will help me' and 'can help me', etc. Nothing to say it's compulsory at all.

 

I had my CC interview a while ago and immediately told the clerk I wouldn't be using the Workplan as A) I was already well-organised and quite capable of managing my own jobseeking B) I can show jobsearch evidence any way I choose and the Workplan isn't compulsory and C) Why should I hand-write pages of jobsearch when I already show loads of screenprints which can be done faster?

 

Never had any argument off her - though I imagine many who didn't know the guidance have now been lumbered with it.

[Mcall]

Forewarned is forearmed and all that Jasta, I totally agree with you. I think DWP have this perverted instinct that everyone is swinging the lead and it's "guilty until proven innocent" - probably because of the national mood which seems to increasingly reflect the Daily Mail. I've always been grateful for the pittance they give me and have always jumped through their increasingly absurd hoops like a good little doggy to get my belly tickled with £68pw, (despite having paid tens of thousands in tax over the years previous).

 

What really irritates me is that in my situation I'm brutally skint - if they sanction me again I've absolutely got nothing, and nowhere to borrow, so I must be careful with how much I "enforce my rights" - as said previously, we can win the battle but lose the war. I swear to God though, if I ever win the lottery I'll immediately give ££££££££ to set up a fund to help people get by whilst they were sanctioned for standing up for their rights.

 

I don't blame the JCP staff, (they are probably living in fear of being the other side of the desk too), but I blame the system that tars everyone as a ****** trying to play the system, when in reality it is probably one person in every ten thousand, etc.

 

Still, I'm grateful for the kind adviser today - so much so I actually shook her hand at the end and said thank you for being human. It's an increasingly rare thing these days.