JSA Sanction, Help please.

[upthereds]

Hi,

 

I've had my JSA sanctioned due to not attending a A4e appointment, This appointment i never received a letter for or even booked it with them. I've rang Padge road and they've gave my explanation for not attending this appointment to which they've sanctioned my benefits from the 16th June to 29th June.

 

On this letter it says " we cannot award you national insurance contribution credits for this period"

And " we cannot pay you Jobseeker's allowance from 30th June 2012"

 

Can anyone help me with this please? I've got a appointment for hardship at 12:10 Today, As my partner is 13weeks pregnant and i have 2 young children.

 

I'm grateful for any help given.

 

Edward

[Slatted]

This is just typical of what is happening and makes me so angry!

 

They sanction and make life so hard for people over things that they have no real way of proving but they seem to decide that the claimant is always in the wrong or lying...

 

It is impossible to prove a negative is it not? How can you prove that you did not receive a letter? Surely they should have to prove it was delivered? OR that you signed something to confirm you knew about the meeting?

 

Are you going to appeal? it may take time and I know you need money now but what have you got to lose?

 

It may be worth looking for any Post Office figures about delivery as I swear my post goes missing more and more as time goes on......

 

Good luck

[biggeorge]

Sorry to hear that you have had this happen to you, I personally know how hard it is after I received a sanction myself

just before Xmas last year and amazingly just received a new Sanction Doubt yesterday for missing an appointment.

 

If you are on a joint claim it will be only your payment that is not paid, Your partners payment will be unaffected.

If you are claiming HB you may have to go with the sanction letter as I did as our HB was stopped too but they sorted

that out before our next payment was due, been a private tenant it was a right pain to get sorted so we didn't miss paying the rent.

 

Make sure you complain, appeal against the sanction, How can you attend an appointment if you know nothing about it.

 

I am personally now so p i**ed at Ingeus that I have started issuing commercial liens against the support workers and directors.

 

Since you have now suffered a tort causing you personal hardship and mental anguish you have a claim against Ingeus Directors

and the support worker who issued the sanction.

Have a google for commercial liens and have a good read, I currently have £5000 owing from Ingeus Directors and just have to issue

court now to register the defaults that they are currently in.

 

Just received a new sanction doubt so another claim against the support worker and 4 directors all for £1000 each, Love to see her face

next week at my appointment when I serve her with my claim. She has always been asking me if my complaints were against Ingeus and

not her personally. It is now personal since she caused the sanction doubt.

 

PM me if you want any help with any of the letters.

Stay strong, Only threat they have is " comply or you will have no money"

 

George

[flumps1976]

You have started the hardship application which is the first thing I would have suggested.

Now you need to write a letter requesting a reconsideration of the decision for missing the appointment. You can only do this if you have new information to provide though and ifyou don't have anything else to add you will need to complete form GL24 DWP to request an appeal.

 

I would put in writing a request for A4E to provide you with the information of when they issued the letter and to what address in fact could they give you a copy of the letter posted?

The only problem I could anticipate with regards to the letter is if it was issued on an attendance date you had there and they state you were issued with the letter by hand which would be documented in your records.

Also make a complaint to the providers and also to your local JCP.

[upthereds]

Yes it is a joke! I know when A4e contacted me via letter about the missed appointment, I rang them straight away and spoke to my adviser of which turned out to be a new one of which i wasn't told about, i explained the situation to her and she said she couldn't stop the sanction process but she put on system that i had contacted her about it.

 

I explained to her that when i attended my appointment on the 2nd march to see my adviser but he was off sick, They had asked me to do a job search of which i did then i signed out and went home, Not once did anyone book me a appointment and if they had i receive a text message 48hrs prior to my appointment's just to remind me about that appointment.

 

I live 5 minutes away from the A4e office so it wouldn't cause me no hassle going there for any appointment especially when i know the consequences to missing a appointment and with a young family to support its not something worth risking for me.

 

I've appealed against the decision today and taken it back to my local job centre, I've also applied for hardship although its takes upto a week for a decision to be made.

 

What's this about if it's a joint claim it only affect's my money and not my partners? I've been told i will receive 6days payment from the 9th till the 15th june but will my partner receive money for all the two weeks? Confused is not the word lol.

 

Thanks for all your help.

 

Edward

[debt4get]

Whether or not you choose to not turn up to any appointments made is your decision.

It is not mandatory for you to:

 

• Attend appointments with an advisor
  
• Agree to or sign an Action Plan (or similar/other documents)
  
• Undergo any tests or assessments
  
• Provide any information to the provider
  

To quote Section 17A (the main law):

(2) Regulations under this section may, in particular, require participants to undertake work, or work-related activity, during any prescribed period with a view to improving their prospects of obtaining employment.

This means simply:

 

• Undertake full participation in work placements
  
• Participate in any "work-related" activity: simply anything that might (even in a million years) improve your chances of securing employment (i.e. training modules); but not adviser appointments
  

[biggeorge]

Yes in a joint claim only your benefit is effected, If your claiming for wife/partner you will receive their entitlement.

 

Only problem then is if you have any direct payments coming off, gas/electric as these will stop and you will have to

apply again when the sanction stops.

Also check with Housing regarding HB if claiming as that also stops as the sanction creates a change in circumstances.

 

George

[upthereds]

Thank you all very much for all your replies, I will let you all know what the outcome is too my appeal ( hope it's good )

 

Thank you all again,

 

Edward

[citizenB]

Will start a new thread for water rip off.

[citizenB]

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?390585-JSA-sanction

 

water rip off has a new thread - link above.

[Mr.P]

Whether or not you choose to not turn up to any appointments made is your decision.

It is not mandatory for you to:

 

• Attend appointments with an advisor
  

If an appointment has been given in writing (email/txt/verbal is not acceptable) and it includes the relevant wording to the effect "that your benefits may be affected if you do not.."(p.9, para 34), then it is mandatory.

Please read: www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wp-pg-chapter-3a-22-october-2012.pdf

Pay attention to page 10, para 39 & 40. para 28, page 8 should also be noted - Last time I had any dealings with A4e, they were fond of printing out appointments on plain paper - i.e. No headed paper, no contact address, phone numbers or DWP/ESF logos.

 

• Agree to or sign an Action Plan (or similar/other documents)
  
• Undergo any tests or assessments
  
• Provide any information to the provider
  

A recent DWP FoI request would appear to confirm this - A mandatory activity notice can not be used to force a participant to sign anything. As a MAN has to be issued in writing, any verbal threats are just hot air. Edited May 8, 2013 by Mr.P