Dear all.

I am claiming income based JSA, trying, trying and trying to find a
job but in the meantime, because of blunders by my Job Centre I am
living in what can only be described as exceptional hardship, yet I
cannot find a way to relieve this.

The last time I signed I had a three month interview thing but the
stupid woman doing the interview forgot to take my signature for my
declaration. I wasn't paid my JSA but had to do all the running around
to get a counter payment. It cost me £6 in bus fairs to traipse to and
from my job centre twice yesterday and now I have £1 to last me eight
days!

Yesterday I had to sit in a depressing side office listening to chavs
boasting about their crisis loans and how a pair of them could now go
and buy their cans of cider and get pissed! (This on the second
anniversary of my mothers death!)  I hate being unemployed, I want to
work but can't seem to get past these sodding agencies that have
mushroomed in the last few years.

I left work in 2002 to care for my parents. My father had become
terminally ill and my mother was physically disabled. Despite caring
for two people and not being able to work I received only one payment
of Carers Allowance. Bastards! I must have saved the state a small
fortune for which I got less than £50 a week and now both my parents
are dead and I have no one to assist me except the state, I can't seem
to get anything more than what I am already. Do you have to be a drug
addict or alcoholic to get anything in this country?

Back in march I attended my job centre to sign on as usual, only to
find that the doors were closed and locked. There was building work
going on inside but nobody had thought to mention this to me the last
time I signed.

I went to a near by shop and came back several minutes later but I
still couldn't get in to the building. I went home and tried to call
the job centre on the number given on my card but I couldn't an
answer. I rang three times that day but the phone just rang out.

For the next two weeks I tried ringing twice, sometimes three times a
day but without success. I e-mailed the DWP and rang another job
centre but nobody there had any idea why my job centre was closed. I
was given another number which transferred me to my job centre where
it was operating on another floor.

I made a rapid reclaim and asked for my JSA, Council and Housing
Benefit  to be backdated two weeks. The decision on this was
disallowed because they said that I had not shown good reason for not
attending to sign my declaration.

I literally and honestly could not get in the building! It transpired
that there was supposed to be a security guard on the door to make
sure people could get in and go to the right floor but there was no
security guard when I went! The floor manager says that nobody else
had a problem and they checked with the security firm and they say
there was someone there (Well they would, wouldn't they!).

As a result of this my financial situation has gone from bad to worse.
As well as loosing two weeks money, an overpayment in Council Tax
benefit was caused which I am paying for out of my JSA. Because there
wasn't enough money in my bank account a number of direct debits
failed and I was hit with bank charges. This meant that the next time
money went in to my account the bank took it back in charges. Then I
couldn't pay my rent and my landlord was recently given a suspended
possession order. I have to pay £1290 at £235 a fortnight. I get £102
JSA each fortnight after stoppages and £187 a fortnight in Local
Housing Allowance which includes discretionary housing payment of £20
a fortnight which tops it up a bit (I'm in one of those areas where
Housing Benefit doesn't cover 100% of your rent).

I asked for the decision about the backdated JSA and Council Tax
Benefit to be looked at again but they didn't reply or even
acknowledge my request. I asked someone to look in to it once but they
said they were busy and suggested I find an advisor who was free! Non
were. What with trying to keep track of what was going on at the bank
and worrying about my rent, and looking for a job, the back dated JSA
thing went out of time. You only get a month to appeal.

Now the money situation is REALLY beginning to bite! I simply cannot
afford to live on what I have left after I've paid the rent arrears as
ordered by the court. I need to pay for gas and electricity as well as
food. I have half a loaf of bread, a pint of milk, a bag of sugar and
£1 and some pence to last me the next ten days. I've stuffed the bread
and milk in a little camping fridge and switched the main fridge off,
it's not worth having it on if there's nothing in it! I use energy
saving light bulbs in the rooms I use the most and I'm fanatical about
not leaving lights and things on when they're not needed, but still it
never seems to be enough.

I'm also getting worried about the phone bill which is bound to be due
soon. Without phone and internet I can't contact or more importantly
be contacted by employers. Not that they ever do contact me! I'm fed
up of having to deal with mickey mouse agencies who only want names on
their books. I've been doing the job centre plus website search for
months and I keep seeing the same job advertised. I've even seen the
same job advertised with two different agencies! I want to work, I
need to work but I'm beginning to think I need to have a Polish or
Rumanian passport to work in the UK! But anyway, that's another story!

Does anyone know if I can try and claim back this money that I should
have had. I could really do with it. Isn't there a way you can appeal
out of time in exceptional circumstances?

I kept my bus ticket and the receipt from the shop that I went to when
I couldn't get in to the office and I have a few seconds of footage on
my mobile of the door area closed and locked and no security guard
anywhere near.

Are there any other benefits that I can further demean my self by
applying for.
I've tried crisis loan and a grant from the social fund when this
first happened but was refused both. I began looking for things to
sell last night but I know that taking things to these Cash Generator
places doesn't get you much. They give you far less than your goods
are worth and sell them for twice what they gave you!

This is not of my doing, it is not a failure to budget properly and I
will by the end of the week have no electricity. Of course it wouldn't
be so bad if the employment agencies stopped pissing me about!

Can anyone suggest something?

Thanks in advance.

You need to speak to the CCS about paying money back.
You also need to speak to citizens advice and probably your MP.
I would go and visit your GP as well. I don't know what they would
say, but if you are facing imminent starvation it's got to be worth a
try.

the system we hav in this country is shameful and shambolic even
without reading your story.

On Oct 2, 4:23 pm, Thunder Lord  wrote:
> Dear all.
>
> I am claiming income based JSA, trying, trying and trying to find a
> job but in the meantime, because of blunders by my Job Centre I am
> living in what can only be described as exceptional hardship, yet I
> cannot find a way to relieve this.
>
> The last time I signed I had a three month interview thing but the
> stupid woman doing the interview forgot to take my signature for my
> declaration. I wasn't paid my JSA but had to do all the running around
> to get a counter payment. It cost me £6 in bus fairs to traipse to and
> from my job centre twice yesterday and now I have £1 to last me eight
> days!

The JCP can refund this kind of travelling expense if they've accepted
the error was theirs in the first place.  IIRC you have to complete a
breif declaration and it's normally done in person so you're either
going to have to go back (more bus fair you might not get refunded!)
or wait 'till your next signing.

Mike

Mike wrote:
> On Oct 2, 4:23 pm, Thunder Lord  wrote:
>> Dear all.
>>
>> I am claiming income based JSA, trying, trying and trying to find a
>> job but in the meantime, because of blunders by my Job Centre I am
>> living in what can only be described as exceptional hardship, yet I
>> cannot find a way to relieve this.
>>
>> The last time I signed I had a three month interview thing but the
>> stupid woman doing the interview forgot to take my signature for my
>> declaration. I wasn't paid my JSA but had to do all the running around
>> to get a counter payment. It cost me £6 in bus fairs to traipse to and
>> from my job centre twice yesterday and now I have £1 to last me eight
>> days!
> 
> The JCP can refund this kind of travelling expense if they've accepted
> the error was theirs in the first place.  IIRC you have to complete a
> breif declaration and it's normally done in person so you're either
> going to have to go back (more bus fair you might not get refunded!)
> or wait 'till your next signing.
> 
> Mike
> 

But what can the guy do in the meantime? If he is in need of money to 
get him through the next week, none of this will help him. The only 
recourse - a crisis loan - appears not to be available.

The only immediate help I can think of is to go to a church and ask for 
help. It may seem a bit demeaning but I know of people who have had to 
do it as a literal last resort.

-- 
Robbie

On 2 Oct, 16:23, Thunder Lord  wrote:
> Dear all.
>
> I am claiming income based JSA, trying, trying and trying to find a
> job but in the meantime, because of blunders by my Job Centre I am
> living in what can only be described as exceptional hardship, yet I
> cannot find a way to relieve this.
>
> The last time I signed I had a three month interview thing but the
> stupid woman doing the interview forgot to take my signature for my
> declaration. I wasn't paid my JSA but had to do all the running around
> to get a counter payment. It cost me £6 in bus fairs to traipse to and
> from my job centre twice yesterday and now I have £1 to last me eight
> days!
>
> Yesterday I had to sit in a depressing side office listening to chavs
> boasting about their crisis loans and how a pair of them could now go
> and buy their cans of cider and get pissed! (This on the second
> anniversary of my mothers death!)  I hate being unemployed, I want to
> work but can't seem to get past these sodding agencies that have
> mushroomed in the last few years.
>
> I left work in 2002 to care for my parents. My father had become
> terminally ill and my mother was physically disabled. Despite caring
> for two people and not being able to work I received only one payment
> of Carers Allowance. Bastards! I must have saved the state a small
> fortune for which I got less than £50 a week and now both my parents
> are dead and I have no one to assist me except the state, I can't seem
> to get anything more than what I am already. Do you have to be a drug
> addict or alcoholic to get anything in this country?
>
> Back in march I attended my job centre to sign on as usual, only to
> find that the doors were closed and locked. There was building work
> going on inside but nobody had thought to mention this to me the last
> time I signed.
>
> I went to a near by shop and came back several minutes later but I
> still couldn't get in to the building. I went home and tried to call
> the job centre on the number given on my card but I couldn't an
> answer. I rang three times that day but the phone just rang out.
>
> For the next two weeks I tried ringing twice, sometimes three times a
> day but without success. I e-mailed the DWP and rang another job
> centre but nobody there had any idea why my job centre was closed. I
> was given another number which transferred me to my job centre where
> it was operating on another floor.
>
> I made a rapid reclaim and asked for my JSA, Council and Housing
> Benefit  to be backdated two weeks. The decision on this was
> disallowed because they said that I had not shown good reason for not
> attending to sign my declaration.
>
> I literally and honestly could not get in the building! It transpired
> that there was supposed to be a security guard on the door to make
> sure people could get in and go to the right floor but there was no
> security guard when I went! The floor manager says that nobody else
> had a problem and they checked with the security firm and they say
> there was someone there (Well they would, wouldn't they!).
>
> As a result of this my financial situation has gone from bad to worse.
> As well as loosing two weeks money, an overpayment in Council Tax
> benefit was caused which I am paying for out of my JSA. Because there
> wasn't enough money in my bank account a number of direct debits
> failed and I was hit with bank charges. This meant that the next time
> money went in to my account the bank took it back in charges. Then I
> couldn't pay my rent and my landlord was recently given a suspended
> possession order. I have to pay £1290 at £235 a fortnight. I get £102
> JSA each fortnight after stoppages and £187 a fortnight in Local
> Housing Allowance which includes discretionary housing payment of £20
> a fortnight which tops it up a bit (I'm in one of those areas where
> Housing Benefit doesn't cover 100% of your rent).
>
> I asked for the decision about the backdated JSA and Council Tax
> Benefit to be looked at again but they didn't reply or even
> acknowledge my request. I asked someone to look in to it once but they
> said they were busy and suggested I find an advisor who was free! Non
> were. What with trying to keep track of what was going on at the bank
> and worrying about my rent, and looking for a job, the back dated JSA
> thing went out of time. You only get a month to appeal.
>
> Now the money situation is REALLY beginning to bite! I simply cannot
> afford to live on what I have left after I've paid the rent arrears as
> ordered by the court. I need to pay for gas and electricity as well as
> food. I have half a loaf of bread, a pint of milk, a bag of sugar and
> £1 and some pence to last me the next ten days. I've stuffed the bread
> and milk in a little camping fridge and switched the main fridge off,
> it's not worth having it on if there's nothing in it! I use energy
> saving light bulbs in the rooms I use the most and I'm fanatical about
> not leaving lights and things on when they're not needed, but still it
> never seems to be enough.
>
> I'm also getting worried about the phone bill which is bound to be due
> soon. Without phone and internet I can't contact or more importantly
> be contacted by employers. Not that they ever do contact me! I'm fed
> up of having to deal with mickey mouse agencies who only want names on
> their books. I've been doing the job centre plus website search for
> months and I keep seeing the same job advertised. I've even seen the
> same job advertised with two different agencies! I want to work, I
> need to work but I'm beginning to think I need to have a Polish or
> Rumanian passport to work in the UK! But anyway, that's another story!
>
> Does anyone know if I can try and claim back this money that I should
> have had. I could really do with it. Isn't there a way you can appeal
> out of time in exceptional circumstances?
>
> I kept my bus ticket and the receipt from the shop that I went to when
> I couldn't get in to the office and I have a few seconds of footage on
> my mobile of the door area closed and locked and no security guard
> anywhere near.
>
> Are there any other benefits that I can further demean my self by
> applying for.
> I've tried crisis loan and a grant from the social fund when this
> first happened but was refused both. I began looking for things to
> sell last night but I know that taking things to these Cash Generator
> places doesn't get you much. They give you far less than your goods
> are worth and sell them for twice what they gave you!
>
> This is not of my doing, it is not a failure to budget properly and I
> will by the end of the week have no electricity. Of course it wouldn't
> be so bad if the employment agencies stopped pissing me about!
>
> Can anyone suggest something?
>
> Thanks in advance.

There are good agencies and crap agencies.
The good ones may be able to find you something, but you have to be on
their books first. And be willing to do a range of work.
I used to ring the several agencies I was with every 2 days or so. On
their advice.
Didn't do much for my phone bill but I got several temp jobs fairly
quickly and one led to permanence.

The problems you had with jobcentre sound rather like Walsall
jobcentres for a time - no-one having a clue where to go, working on
different floors etc.
I'd suggest citizens advice or a welfare rights place, they will have
an idea of what can be got quickly. Consumer Credit Counselling
Service are good for unsecured debts and budgeting. Though no idea how
quick they are now.
As for carers allowance, yes its crap especially when looking after 2
people. Doesn't even leave you time and energy for a part-time job.

Might be worth cancelling as many debits out of your bank as possible.
Can be cheaper to owe money for a few days to an organisation than
have £58 bank charges (thats just 1 over limit item at Bank of
Scotland, some charge more).

Martin  <><

On 2 Oct, 20:49, Robbie  wrote:
> Mike wrote:
> > On Oct 2, 4:23 pm, Thunder Lord  wrote:
> >> Dear all.
>
> >> I am claiming income based JSA, trying, trying and trying to find a
> >> job but in the meantime, because of blunders by my Job Centre I am
> >> living in what can only be described as exceptional hardship, yet I
> >> cannot find a way to relieve this.
>
> >> The last time I signed I had a three month interview thing but the
> >> stupid woman doing the interview forgot to take my signature for my
> >> declaration. I wasn't paid my JSA but had to do all the running around
> >> to get a counter payment. It cost me £6 in bus fairs to traipse to and
> >> from my job centre twice yesterday and now I have £1 to last me eight
> >> days!
>
> > The JCP can refund this kind of travelling expense if they've accepted
> > the error was theirs in the first place.  IIRC you have to complete a
> > breif declaration and it's normally done in person so you're either
> > going to have to go back (more bus fair you might not get refunded!)
> > or wait 'till your next signing.
>
> > Mike
>
> But what can the guy do in the meantime? If he is in need of money to
> get him through the next week, none of this will help him. The only
> recourse - a crisis loan - appears not to be available.
>
> The only immediate help I can think of is to go to a church and ask for
> help. It may seem a bit demeaning but I know of people who have had to
> do it as a literal last resort.
>
> --
> Robbie- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

And even churches are somewhat wary these days.
There are some good people around who will go and buy some food for
someone. But won't give money.
Too many have been scammed by drug users, alcoholics and people on the
take for some money.

If nothing else, some Salvation Army places do a few free meals. And
will often know of where else does them to cover what they can't do.

Martin  <><

Thunder Lord  wrote in 
news:1191338627.093681.175700@n39g2000hsh.googlegroups.com:

[snip]
 
> Can anyone suggest something?

Get all the paperwork together.  Put it into date order.  Put it into A4 
envelopes, or a folder, or something to keep it tidy.

Write a short list of events.  Try to keep calm while you do this.  Avoid 
adjectives; make it a plain simple list of events.

GO TO SEE THE CITIZEN'S ADVICE BUREAU.

Don't say you'd like debt advice or they'll just give you a sheet to fill 
in to send to your creditors.  Do take a book; they don't always use 
appointment systems, it's usually drop-in and wait, and it can be a long 
wait.

"Thunder Lord"  wrote in message 
news:1191338627.093681.175700@n39g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
Dear all.

You is in shit brother, if no one is going to help you then you have got to 
help yourself.

If you need food, all large supermarkets throw away food that has just 
reached the sell by date but is still fresh enough to eat - in skips, so get 
raiding.

Get yourself a medium sized crowbar that will fit inside your jacket, very 
useful for opening car boots, doors, windows, gates, anything really.

Use 192.com to find out where your local JC and HB staff live and turn their 
gaffs over, only take small stuff like jewellery and antiques, do not risk 
walking down the road carrying TV's and such like. the best time to do this 
is between 3.15pm to 3,45pm, everyone is out at schools etc.

If you happen to get caught which is highly unlikely these days, no court in 
the land will lock you up when they hear you were left with no money to live 
on, that and the fact that our prisons are full to bursting.

On 3 Oct, 20:27, "Smudger"  wrote:
> "Thunder Lord"  wrote in message
>
> news:1191338627.093681.175700@n39g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> Dear all.
>
> You is in shit brother, if no one is going to help you then you have got to
> help yourself.
>
> If you need food, all large supermarkets throw away food that has just
> reached the sell by date but is still fresh enough to eat - in skips, so get
> raiding.
>
> Get yourself a medium sized crowbar that will fit inside your jacket, very
> useful for opening car boots, doors, windows, gates, anything really.
>
> Use 192.com to find out where your local JC and HB staff live and turn their
> gaffs over, only take small stuff like jewellery and antiques, do not risk
> walking down the road carrying TV's and such like. the best time to do this
> is between 3.15pm to 3,45pm, everyone is out at schools etc.
>
> If you happen to get caught which is highly unlikely these days, no court in
> the land will lock you up when they hear you were left with no money to live
> on, that and the fact that our prisons are full to bursting.

Plenty of people who have serious debts, no money etc get locked up.
Prisons full to bursting has no relevance, just means held in police
cells it seems.
Oh, and 192.com isn't terribly accurate. Many of my friends have an
incorrect address on it, I'm not on it at all.
Don't know about your area but round here the JC and HB staff come in
from all around the area, not just the street next to the office.
Trying to track down the correct person is almost impossible even if
192.com was accurate.
Joe Bloggs working in the local office might live in a different
county, possibly two counties away even. Never mind in the same town.
So could end up turning the gaff over of some retired bloke who used
to work as a mechanic!!
And thats presuming the JC and HB staff are even to blame.

Please, try to avoid creating aggro for others.

Martin  <><

wrote in message 
news:1191442514.200650.275360@o80g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> > Oh, and 192.com isn't terribly accurate. Many of my friends have an
> incorrect address on it, I'm not on it at all.

192.com has always been accurate for me, the only problem you might have is 
with someone who has a common surname, then it becomes a process of 
elimination by first names, location on the basis of how close they are to 
the JC, and when they are giving you grief, banging on about travelling time 
and fares, forcing you to apply for jobs that are miles away, ask them how 
long it takes them to get to work and there you have it.


> Don't know about your area but round here the JC and HB staff come in
> from all around the area, not just the street next to the office.
> Trying to track down the correct person is almost impossible even if
> 192.com was accurate.

Nonsense, use a little bit of common sense and you will find them quite 
easily.


> Joe Bloggs working in the local office might live in a different
> county, possibly two counties away even. Never mind in the same town.

No wonder local people cant get work if this is how they are being sourced, 
its bad enough having to compete with migrants.


> So could end up turning the gaff over of some retired bloke who used
> to work as a mechanic!!

Not likely.

> And thats presuming the JC and HB staff are even to blame.

You know they are when you are dealing with some fuckwit who thinks they can 
sanction you for not doing enough, yes thats what I said, enough to find 
work. Its like the usual rules and regs are not tight enough for these 
cunts, they stretch a point so they can sanction you, they think you should 
be doing more, the fact that you comply with job seekers agreement is not 
enough for them, they must find some excuse to have a go.
So what, you go to tribunal and win but the damage is done, you have been 
left with no money to live on, or at least thats what they think, little do 
they know its going to cost them.

>
> Please, try to avoid creating aggro for others.
>

Tell that to the JC and ND. Unfortunately you are alway going to get the 
occasional JC wanker who loves to be pedantic by asking the same stupid 
fucking pointless questions over and over in a deliberate attempt to wind 
you up, and when they fail to wind you up, they bend the rules to fuck you 
up.
This is becoming increasingly popular with ND staff in particular, they make 
you a seperate appointment and go over the same ground the JC cover 
everytime you sign on, asking for info that is already available to them on 
the system, its like they are trying to create jobs for themselves.