JSA Reconsideration

[STS]

8 weeks ago I missed an appointment at the job centre through sickness. I went in the next day to fill out the sickness form. I thought that was it sorted.

 

I asked when my next signing time would be and they told me that they would be in touch. The day before my signing time I still hadn't heard from them, so I made a phone call to find out what was happening. They told me not to worry about it and they would arrange one for two weeks time.

 

Just before the two weeks passed, I received a letter in the post, telling me that my claim had been closed the day I missed a signing due to sickness as I had failed to attend an appointment.

 

I then opened up a claim again, backdating my claim to the day I was sick, giving the reason that I filled out a sickness form, but the staff at the job centre had failed to send it off, which was not my fault. I then told them that the reason I didn't reclaim immediately was because I didn't know that my claim had been closed until four weeks later.

 

They have since replied telling me two things:

 

1. I have not satisfied the Labour Market conditions for Jobseeker's Allowance

 

In total I checked three different websites for work during the week. Two of these were checked daily. One was checked three times a week.

 

I contacted an agency once a week.

 

I checked a local weekly newspaper each week.

 

I applied for a minimum of one job per day.

 

In total I took a minimum of 26 steps a week to look for work. This exceeds the steps laid out in my claimant commitment during my previous claim.

 

How have I not satisfied the Labour Market conditions for Jobseeker's Allowance?

 

2. I have not shown good cause for the delay in making my claim.

 

There was a delay in me making my claim because THEIR staff failed to do their jobs adequately. As I do not work for them, I cannot be blamed for this. I re-opened my claim as soon as they told me that they had closed it.

 

I will be seeking a reconsideration over this.

 

Is there anything I can cite in my letter to give me a better chance of winning against this?

[jason2723637]

seems DWP has ......as usual...best thing to take it to appeal if the MR don't work out (if you feel its worth it to do so) hopefully others on here can help you on what to cite

[sillygirl1]

Send them a copy of your jobseeking for the period concerned, and also state again that you went in the following day and fillied in a sickness form.

 

All this 'automatically cancelling claims on day' is a time-wasting exercise all round. I had similar with DWP claiming they hadn't received ESA50 form. Luckily I had photocopied it and was able to take it to local office where they scanned it in and a week later the money is in my account.

 

Corporate inefficiency comes to mind here. Too many people doing tick box forms for the sake of it and not being able (or its 'not in their job description) to check that something further has happened.

Keep the letter to one page if possible and bullet point the steps eg

 

 

• On x date I was sick and telephoned x office
  
• On x date (the following day) I attended x office and xxxxx
  
• Your letter states that I did not take adequate steps - here is my job log for evidence.
  

[STS]

It gets better. The reason I haven't satisfied the Labour Market conditions for Jobseeker's Allowance is because the job centre haven't bothered to send off the form I filled in!