Calling in sick to the work programme

[Dazza1983]

I am felling ill at the moment and i don't think i will be well enough to go to my Work Programme provider this week.I have job search there on Monday,Tuesday and Thursday as well as a one on one appointment with my advisor on Wednesday.

 

What is the process for calling in sick?

[p3t3r]

you need be there Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday? That seems a full time job in itself!

 

i do not know what the process is for calling in sick. but be careful and read the advice from other people who will hopefully post here, because from what I read and understand - benefit claimants are subject to various different sanctions.

[SabreSheep]

You can claim upto 2 periods of 14 days sickness on jsa per year.

 

A JSA28 is what you need to complete at the job center as soon as possible before the actions required. You could then contact the WP and inform them (Preferably by email) that you are unwell and have completed a JSA28 with the Job center.

 

IF possible, keep a copy for your records.

 

It is worth taking the full 14 days to make sure you are fully recovered

[Nystagmite]

Phone them and don't be surprised if you get whinged at. I phoned them at the earliest chance I could and got whinged at for not giving them enough notice.

[SabreSheep]

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/jsa28_and_being_sick_whilst_on_j

 

Has the jsa28 u can download and complete to hand in to the center

[Dazza1983]

you need be there Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday? That seems a full time job in itself!

 

i do not know what the process is for calling in sick. but be careful and read the advice from other people who will hopefully post here, because from what I read and understand - benefit claimants are subject to various different sanctions.

 

I actually have to go in 5 days a week.The reason iv been told by my advisor is because i only have about 6 weeks left on the work programme.

[Dazza1983]

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/jsa28_and_being_sick_whilst_on_j

 

Has the jsa28 u can download and complete to hand in to the center

 

Excellent.So what i will do is phone my wp provider first as my appointment tomorrow is first thing in the morning.I will then take the Jsa28 form to the jobcentre i sign on at which is only 60 second walk from my house and hand it over to them as well as keeping a copy for myself.After that i will email my wp adviser telling him i have filled in a Jsa28 and that i won't be there until i am better.

 

Is there anything else i need to do?

[Mr.P]

Is there anything else i need to do?

 

Get the JCP to date and sign your copy of the JSA28 so that you have proof of it being received. Then go home and relax for the full fourteen days.

[Dazza1983]

I decided to go in to Maximus on Monday but Today i felt worse so called them and told them i won't be in.I then handed Jsa28 form in to the jobcentre this morning saying i am off until April 8th which is when i next sign on and i am fairly certain i will be better by then.

 

Iv just had a look at my emails and my Maximus advisor has sent me one this morning telling me to apply for a job today and let him know as soon as i have applied for it.As i have now sent in a jsa28 to the jobcentre do i have to apply for this job? Is my work programme advisor even allowed to contact me by phone/email when i am off sick?

[Mr.P]

Iv just had a look at my emails and my Maximus advisor has sent me one this morning telling me to apply for a job today and let him know as soon as i have applied for it.

 

Regardless of your state of health, an email is not an acceptable means of mandating you to apply for a vacancy. See: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/417657/wp-pg-chapter-3a-22-october-2012-v12.pdf for the correct procedure.

 

Now that you have handed in a JSA28, you may as well take the full fourteen days to recover.

[Dazza1983]

Regardless of your state of health, an email is not an acceptable means of mandating you to apply for a vacancy. See: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/417657/wp-pg-chapter-3a-22-october-2012-v12.pdf for the correct procedure.

 

Now that you have handed in a JSA28, you may as well take the full fourteen days to recover.

 

Thats what i thought.It wasn't sent in the correct procedure.All it says is this.

Please apply for the Supply job below today, and confirm back to me.

[essexmat]

You have a JSA28, I hope youmade sure you took the full 14 days - anything less is pointless as you only get two per year (based on when you signed on so say March-March) Even if you are ill for only a few days taking the 14 makes no difference to monies so take the full period.

 

When I done my back in I JSA28 myself for 14 days but after around 6 days I was much better with the help of painkillers and could have started to resume my job searching BUT what is to say the back was not weak and sitting on a bus to INGEUS or JCP may have made it worse again? My JCP adviser even said to ensure I do the full 14 days!

 

As for being contacted (it was not the appropriate method so can be ignored anyway) but you are, like when in employment, off sick and uncontactable - persistent attempts of trying to contact you should involve you keeping emails and a log of calls etc as evidence of harrassment when on SICK LEAVE.

 

A firm 'word' in Maximus ear about this letting them know YOU know the rules should ensure less hassle - if they ignore this - it goes further, simple as that.

[neword]

Well in all the time I was going in to sign (even when I was bad) no-one and I repeat no-one at the places I went to mentioned

I could fill in a JSA28 form and take 14 days off to get better.

 

Just goes to show just how uncaring and unsympathetic some JS advisors are (well in my old JC that is)

 

Is it still possible to take 14 days holiday as well?

 

If it is then you could get 6 weeks a year where you are virtually "free" from them for want of a better word.

[essexmat]

You can have 2 periods of JSA28 in a year but NOT a calendar year, it is based on when you started to sign on so for example if you started signing on 20th March you can have 2 periods of up to 14 days until 20th March 2016. I would advise anyone using a JSA28 to take the full 14 days as it is not 28 days allowance it is 2 periods of allowance so if you were sick for 3 days that is your first JSA28 gone. You are not penalised for hoe many days up to the 14 you take so it really does make sense to take the full allowance.

 

Please also bear in mind that if you want to travel abroad you have to close your claim as you will not 'actively be seeking employment or available for interviews', however, I still think this is unfair - some may ask how you can afford to go overseas whilst on JSA - well, how about if your parents or another family member wants to treat you.

 

I do not condone fraud in any way but I went away for 8 days (Spain) whilst on JSA and simply didn't worry about it as I made sure I had signed on and had that 2 week period before signing on again. I know CAG will probably condone me posting this but I do find the system unfair - everyone is entitled to a break - in fact many people I knew at the JCP who signed on regularly went abroad for day trips (France), trips to Spain etc - even though UK holidays are allowed what is the difference? If you live in London and travel to Scotland that is the same as distance and time to get to parts of Spain - hardly going to come back for a minimum wage interview for 10 hours a week are you?! (WELL, I WOULDN'T!)

 

So, my advice is, have a coule of pre-printed JSA28's at your disposal and if you use one make sure 14 days are used and if none are used say a month before the end of the signing on year may aswell take another JSA28 allowance.

 

Some may say this is dishonest and fraud - I say it is an allowance and a loophole there to be exposed and used with no consequence as long as you can obtain some evidence - a heavy cold for instance with bad headaches is unproveable.

 

Please delete if you think I am out of line.

[SabreSheep]

Well CAG cannot condone fraud of course.

 

The reason you have to close your claim down going abroad is you are not actively seeking work.........BUT can you be?

 

Be careful of advocating using loopholes too much, as if they get abused too much they will be closed....

[essexmat]

Oh I totally agree, but of course when I went to Spain I was following up some leads on prospective work and asking about employment when over there as I was struggling finding something in the UK - whay else would I be in Spain?!

[Charlotte_Henderson]

Unless your in Hospital, i'd attend EVERY ingeus appointment.....As its really not worth the hassle

[SabreSheep]

Unless your in Hospital, i'd attend EVERY ingeus appointment.....As its really not worth the hassle

 

I do not support this method of thinking as in doing so you become a willing victim to Igneus bullying. It helps create the expectation that IGENOUS can do what they want.