JSA Disability - Worse Off

[Shiho]

My son has been offered a temporary job starting from today until Friday of this week.

 

We calculated that if he takes the job, due to travel costs, he will be £6.50 a week worse off. As the job is more than 16 hours, it means he will have to sign off. He was happy to sacrifice this money and after he finished work today he attempted to sign off. However, he received a reply that if he wants to sign off he has to attend the job centre tomorrow.

 

This will have to be done before work tomorrow as he won't be able to get back to the job centre before it closes after he finishes work. In order for him to get to the job centre he will have to purchase a train ticket in the opposite direction of where he works. As he will arrive before 11:00 and it is a peak travel route the ticket is very expensive. He will then have to buy a return ticket to work from the job centre instead of home, which is also more expensive. The tickets cost an extra £21 combined. Coupled with the £6.50 lost from taking the job, he stands to lost £27.50, which we can't afford to lose.

 

He says that the job centre won't take the £21 into consideration, which I completely understand. I think that he can still turn the job down due to being worse off, even though it's only £6.50. However, he thinks that because he receives a higher rate of JSA due to his disability that DWP might base the worse-off calculations on the standard rate of JSA for his age group and not the amount he actually receives.

 

He currently receives £30 a week more than the standard rate of JSA for those in the 25+ age group. This means that the job pays around £25 more than the standard rate of JSA for his age group once travel costs are taken into consideration.

 

My question is: Can my son turn down this job without being sanctioned?

[antone]

Why is he being told he needs to attend the Jobcentre to sign off? This should not be necessary.

[Shiho]

He was told that he has to complete some forms. Why they can't do this themselves or ask him to do it at a later date I don't know.

[antone]

Right, sorry, re-reading I see the job is only for a couple of days. In that case there is no reason why he can't simply do the work and make the appropriate declarations by post or at his next scheduled signing date. He doesn't have to "sign off" as such, because the earnings he makes will be averaged over 5 weeks and deducted from his benefit less a £5 per week disregard if he is single.

 

There are forms to complete regarding his earnings but, as you suspect, he can do this at a later date.

[Mr.P]

There are forms to complete regarding his earnings but, as you suspect, he can do this at a later date.

 

These forms need to be filed "within a reasonable time" - This could be on the same day if it is practical and convenient, or at the next scheduled signing on appointment. Most claimants would leave it until the next signing on day, I certainly did when I was temping and claiming JSA.

 

One thing I would say - Always insist on copies of ALL forms and ensure they are dated and signed.

 

I had a situation where, after filling out the forms, a repayment was demanded because I had not declared some work. Having retained copies of the paperwork, the claim was robustly defended.

[Shiho]

The thing is the job centre have asked him to come in today to sort it out. He also has the time to sort it out before he starts work. Even if he doesn't have to sign off, he still has to go in to the job centre to sort this out this morning. The only problem is it will cost him an additional £21 to sort out.

 

I hope he will be able to have the money deducted over a five week period. At least this way he only stands to lose £2.50 over 5 weeks.

 

The job centre haven't made this easy. I never had any problems signing on and off in the past when I was between work.

[Shiho]

I thought the information I was given in this thread was incorrect. As he is working more than 16 hours he has to sign off, so he's not entitled to the five-week deduction.

 

My son was also right about the better off calculations not taking his disability allowance into account.

 

He's had to take a £27.50 hit this week before he starts his proper job next week. I'm not sure how he's going to afford to travel to work next week as his temporary job doesn't pay out until Friday next week. That's if he gets paid at all. Last time he worked through an agency he didn't see a penny.

[Mr.P]

The thing is the job centre have asked him to come in today to sort it out. He also has the time to sort it out before he starts work. Even if he doesn't have to sign off, he still has to go in to the job centre to sort this out this morning. The only problem is it will cost him an additional £21 to sort out.

 

(Probably too late in the day, but...) Your son starts work today, therefore his last day of claiming JSA would be yesterday. Once he is no longer eligible for JSA, any requirement to attend a Job Centre office is non-existent. He does not have to go despite what ever they tell you or him.

 

If you want to "yank their chain", demand that they provide pre-paid travel to and from their office.

[Shiho]

Actually, he started work yesterday but wasn't able to sign off until today as he had to start his shift immediately after the interview. After he finished work he contacted JCP and they told him to come in tomorrow before work to sign off.

 

Anyway, what happens regarding his incomplete jobsearch? According to his JSAg he is required to visit Universal Jobmatch 5 TIMES a week, not days. His week runs from Friday-Thursday. As jobs are hardly ever posted there over the weekend he only checks once a day every weekday. This means that he has only checked once during the final week of his claim. Could he be sanctioned for only checking UJ once over a three day period? There are also other tasks he didn't perform such as looking in the newspapers (which we couldn't find until this morning) and contacting his agency, which he does every Wednesday. Could he find himself sanctioned for not doing these?

[Mr.P]

If he visits the JCP to sign off, in all probability, they will not ask about his job search. As he has started working, the subject is pretty much academic anyway. And no, they couldn't sanction him for it as there is no JSA allowance to suspend.

 

As has already been stated, there is no mandatory requirement to go to a JCP office to sign off. It can be done by way of post. A short letter stating that his claim is to be closed as 13th Jan due to commencement of employment is all that is required. No need to provide any further details unless he really wants to.

[Nystagmite]

If he visits the JCP to sign off, in all probability, they will not ask about his job search.

 

I signed off due to getting a job a few years ago. It was simply a case of handing the booklet in (the one to say I want to end my claim) and that was it. I wasn't asked about job search.

[Mr.P]

I signed off due to getting a job a few years ago. It was simply a case of handing the booklet in (the one to say I want to end my claim) and that was it. I wasn't asked about job search.

 

Same here, and although I had found work, I just put "personal reasons" in the box.