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Jobcentre refusing a sick note
Andy Birkenhead
Posts: 13,450
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I tried handing in my wifes' sick note at my jobcentre, but they refused to take it, giving me a pre-paid envelope and telling me I had to post it off.
However a couple of weeks ago, one of the more friendly advisors in there took it from me. (there really ARE friendly ones, after all !)
Now my question is :
Are they REALLY not allowed to take the sick note from me, or is it that they just can't be arsed ?
However a couple of weeks ago, one of the more friendly advisors in there took it from me. (there really ARE friendly ones, after all !)
Now my question is :
Are they REALLY not allowed to take the sick note from me, or is it that they just can't be arsed ?
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No they are not allowed to take a sick note off you, anymore it has got to be sent to the benefit decision centre for them to process.
The one that took it off you before would have just stuck it in an envelope and posted it for you good by them.
Never heard of that before.
I too have a hand full of spare envelopes to send my sick notes to them.
Nothing unusual in Birmingham, imagine its the same everywhere.
But yes copy it- they do lose the darn things at times!- I keep a copy on my pc just in case I have to print another
As for photocopying the sick notes, I've never done that.
I've handed one in only a few months ago no problem.
my policy PHOTOCOPY ANYTHING YOU ARE GOING TO HAND TO AN OFFICIAL i have known them to lose loads of things (mine and other people's) even a copy means you can prove it's existance.
Ask the department that they are the ones that loose, so much paper work. I find it funny that i have to post a sick note to dwp in a differant city to were i live then they send it back to the office in my city were i tryed to hand it in. Does not make alot of sense to me
Some places I understand now have an electronic way of dealing with it so if a note is handed in locally it will be noted for the benefit staff who can do their bit, but it will never be sent through.
The only time an appointment should be needed to deal with a note is if there has been a payment problem due to a missing note, so you have to be seen in order for that note to be processed there and then in order to get a payment arranged.
One additional point - if you do hand in further sick notes via the job center with an appointment then make them photocopy and stamp as a receipt to show they have received and sent the original. One of the certs for my partner went "astray" via the job center and because they had stamped and signed a copy they had to look into it. Turns out the job center had not sent!!!
They should sent you a reminder that a new certificate is required and enclose a prepaid return envelope.
However this reminder does not always get sent or arrive and in the cases when it does, it does not give enough time to get an appointment with your GP to get your certificate, so keep a record of when it needs renewing and have the certificate ready.
If you're in Northern Ireland, most of the local jobcentres still have a processing department, we don't have big benefit processing centres like they do in England (yet - it's all changing at the minute). Even if someone does hand in post that isn't meant for us we will stamp it as received in front of them and send it off to the correct department for them - not sure why they don't do this over the pond.
D'oh! That's probably it! Anyway it's quicker just to send it straight to the intended destination anyway with no detours via the jobcentre.