Help with jsa

[snowdragon]

Hi, hope someone can help with this,as most of you know I am currently getting JSA but as Barclays have now closed our bank account and have said we can not draw any more out of it I am unsure how I will get my JSA.

Yes I have applied for a basic account,firstly with Natwest but as it has now been about 6 weeks since we applied and they now can not find us on their systems we have gone for Cashmider with the Co-op.

The forms came for that today but they ID they need you either have to go into the barnch with it and we have no Co-op anywhere near us or you can send copies to them but have it signed by someone responsible. The thing is as we have only lived where we are now for just over a year we do not know anyone.

Apparently the Job Centre no longer issue giros, I am due to sign on this Thursday so do I ask them about my money then or phone up before my sign on day as there is no account for my money to go into.

Trying to get a basic account is like trying to get blood from a stone.

Sorry for long post and also if it is in wrong place

[Slatted]

Giros are still issued but you have to arrange for an appointment to collect from the Jobcentre and they need warning. They would not do it every time thoug. I would ring and let them know position so they do not try to send to the account that was closed whilst you sort out the bank accuont.

 

I have to have a Basic Bank Account and know it a nuisance but I would say that my experience of the Co-op is that they are obliging and have good customer service so it is worth going ahead with them...just takes time...because of all the hoops that financial institutions have nowadays about proving who you are. Have you explained difficulties to them with regard to the witnessing of the evidence? Would they, for instance, accept the signature of a GP?

Edited June 23, 2012 by Slatted

[snowdragon]

thank you for your reply, have no idea re GP as hardly go to the Doctors

[Slatted]

I meant for you to ask the Co-Op customer services if they would accept the signature of your GP as even if you have hardly been there they are often seen as suitably responsible....and if not maybe they (co-op) could suggest something as they must have come across this sort of thing before....as I say they have always been very helpful with any issues I have.

[Feebee_71]

The other thing to ask Co-op is whether the staff at the job centre would be considered as 'someone responsible' after all, you see them regularly, they have seen the required information for you to be eligible for benefits and are civil servants!!

 

Feebee_71

[snowdragon]

thank you both for your help

[antone]

You would probably be eligible for a Post Office Card Account if you're not able to get a regular account - ask the Benefit Centre that issues your payments. It likely wouldn't be set up in time for your next payment, right enough, but it's something to consider for the future.

[flumps1976]

You can request that a POCA is set up via an AJCS appointment at the local JCP office (AJCS is a customer service appointment) , we are not allowed to sign any paperwork to validate bank accounts or give out personal references so could not sign your forms for the co-op sorry.

[ErikaPNP]

Though girocheques are being phased out, you can get your payments by girocheque at the moment. This will be by post, not over the counter at the jobcentre. Over the counter (personal issue) payments are only (supposed to be) given for crisis loans, persons without addresses or where you have no account and you live at an address which is unsafe for mail. I say 'supposed to be' rather than 'are' because sometimes different offices will deviate from the general guidance for this. For long enough I was telling people to ask for personal issue payments only to discover that it was not something they were entitled to unless certain criteria was satisfied.

 

Until you can get an account, contact the office that pays your benefit and ask for payment by girocheque.

[snowdragon]

thank you all for your help, will phone up job centre Monday as I sign on this Thursday

[Feebee_71]

You can request that a POCA is set up via an AJCS appointment at the local JCP office (AJCS is a customer service appointment) , we are not allowed to sign any paperwork to validate bank accounts or give out personal references so could not sign your forms for the co-op sorry.

 

Thanks for correcting me Flumps, I wasn't sure but thought I'd suggest it anyway knowing that, if I was wrong, someone who knew would soon be along to correct me!!

 

Feebee_71

[Nystagmite]

I know this isn't what you're asking; but I'm sure I read on a benefits form that I received that you request advice on basic bank accounts from DWP.

[Slatted]

I would say, from my financial services knowledge, that every institution even the Post Office card account will be asking for similar ID as have "money laundering regulations" to satisfy...but at least you can take the evidence to them...not quite as flexible having a card account compared to Basic Account I believe as at least can have debit card and set up standing orders and direct debits.....

 

I would just ring Co-op and take it from there...I am not often one to compliment a company but I have nothing but praise for their Customer Services so hope they do not let me down now...I am sure they will come up with something you can do....

 

Do you need their Contact Centre number?

[antone]

It's obviously better to have a "proper" basic bank account rather than a POCA, but the POCA was created specifically to address the problem of benefit recipients having difficulty safely getting their payments.

 

You need to be invited to apply for one, and the only people who can make payments into it are government departments, specifically the DWP and HMRC. Because of these factors, the ID requirements are not as strict, and your letter of invitation satisfies them.

[snowdragon]

ty, maybe a bit thick but what is a POCA please, and Slatted if you have the number you stated that would be great.You are all stars

[antone]

Sorry - POCA = Post Office Card Account. I don't work for the DWP any more, but the habit of abbreviating everything is hard to break

[Slatted]

ty, maybe a bit thick but what is a POCA please, and Slatted if you have the number you stated that would be great.You are all stars

 

Co-op Custoemr services is 08457212212....do you have the 0800/0845 bundles on your phone yet? Depends upon provider but as JCP/DWP and hospitals all seem to have those numbers now it is worth it for what is normally a small addtional monthly payment...it is not as if it is unlikely you will need to call them.....

[snowdragon]

ty slatted, we are with Sky for phone/tv/broadband, we get free calls to some numbers after 7pm ( think) until a certain time in the morning and weekend calls to numbers begining with 01,02 etc are free all day but after each hour you have to redial the number so it stays free.

[Slatted]

Thats a shame you are with Sky as they do not have option to include 0845 numbers...but at least only about 10p a minute....

 

My mobile provider has a very good deal...cheaper than ringing JCP etc...it is a constant cost I find otherwise ringing all these lovely "low call" or "single rate" numbers......

 

Did you manage to sort anything out with regards to bank and payments?