More job centre woes...
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I think I must update this forum weekly with my job centre issues! Argh!
Anyway...
Today I signed on at my new job centre. On the 12th I changed all my address details with them, despite moving on the 1st they couldn't fit me in until the 12th. Fair enough... they're busy at the moment it seems.
However, two things which may happen that they can't confirm.
1. My payment might be late because they have to post my forms (yes, send forms in the post in this day and age... to the exact same "company") to the regional office for them to process my change of address properly since they still have my old address on parts of the system.
2. On my new form it says it's valid from the 1st November (or something like that) but "treat as if 3rd of November". What's this? I hope they don't do what they do with a new claim, where they don't pay you for the first 3 days? I may be 3 days short?
It's such a silly place sometimes and very. I can't believe everything they do is still processed on manual forms with hand written information and they use the postal system to transfer files over.
However, they congratulated me on my new job but understand I have to wait until January so want me to look for temp work (when they said they it was as if they were saying... "just pretend", which was a pleasant surprise).
Anyway...
Today I signed on at my new job centre. On the 12th I changed all my address details with them, despite moving on the 1st they couldn't fit me in until the 12th. Fair enough... they're busy at the moment it seems.
However, two things which may happen that they can't confirm.
1. My payment might be late because they have to post my forms (yes, send forms in the post in this day and age... to the exact same "company") to the regional office for them to process my change of address properly since they still have my old address on parts of the system.
2. On my new form it says it's valid from the 1st November (or something like that) but "treat as if 3rd of November". What's this? I hope they don't do what they do with a new claim, where they don't pay you for the first 3 days? I may be 3 days short?
It's such a silly place sometimes and very. I can't believe everything they do is still processed on manual forms with hand written information and they use the postal system to transfer files over.
However, they congratulated me on my new job but understand I have to wait until January so want me to look for temp work (when they said they it was as if they were saying... "just pretend", which was a pleasant surprise).
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I had the shock of my life a couple of years ago when I had to go to my local one and there must of been at least 5 security guards on every floor. I don't remember them being there in 1999 when I needed JSA before.
Yes, and like yours there's about 5 on the floor I was on.
To be fair, they are needed. Some of the absolutely scum you get in there means their jobs are justified. I was in once and someone was kicking off really badly because he was told his money will be stopped after missing loads of interviews and lying about his health conditions.
I must admit I did see someone kick off a bit once but it wasn't much, she just shouted about how she wasn't moving until she got her money, and a few of them just stood around her so she wouldn't leap across the desk. I remember having to show my time card thingy to a security guard before he would let me in to look on the machines though.
I just wondered if they had them throughout the country or in the centres where things are more likely to kick off.
Congrats for January btw
This isn't a claim, though, it's simply a change of address, which happened to mean I needed to sign on at a new job centre.
How can they not pay for 3 days when I have still being "signing on"?
What even if you're transferring to another job centre?
They frequently give incorrect advice, too. They told one of my service users he should be on ESA because he can't read or write! It would have been funny, but they actually wanted him to stop signing on, and we had to challenge their decision.
The chap's got a job now.
Seriously, if they can't handle a change of address I have no hope. I'm counting down the days until I am back in work! 46 days, so so a month and a half, basically.
I was put on a "compulsoary" training for work programme by an advisor and when I asked about it I was told he knew nothing and that if I wanted to know anything phone up. I told him that it was unacceptable as he should be able to explain more about it so I know what choices I had also what I needed to do. I did phone up the number provided when I got home only to be told that they can't tell me about the programme and that my advisor should have as it comes up on the computer. I eventually got that sorted out after attending an interview at the place where the programme was being run.
It only got better when I went for my prep interview at the jobcentre to sign on to the course and get told about the requierments. I was signed over to the programme on the Tuesday before it was due to start with no explination if I needed to go and "sign on" for my payments on Friday since I am on the weekly signings I was again told by this advisor that she didn't know, and for me to phone again on the Friday to see what I had to do. I done that and well lets say they don't have a clue, when I phoned I was told by the advisor to come in and sign on then I got another phone call 10 minutes later saying you don't need to come in. That was all very well.
On the Monday that the programme started I unfortunatly couldn't attend the course due to a family emergency after one of the kids was took in to hospital, I wentnt to the place where the programme was and informed them and they said that was fine and that I should just contact them when I can start, I was also then advised that the programme was voluntary and that I would need to make a phone call to get my case transfered back to my jobcentre (for whatever reason my jobcentre doesn't process claims for JSA on training for work despite the programme being in the same town) the advsror/manager of the programme was really good about it and made everything clear unlike the jobcentre.
So I make the phone call to this other jobcentre and I was told that my claim with them had not been started as I didn't sign on to the course on the Monday, however it was flagged to remain open, this advisor was the best of all the jobcentre advisors I have dealt with on the phone. He then advised me to contact my jobcentre again and make sure I could get a signing on slot for today (Friday) as it was my actual signing day for payment. I was told just to turn up at my usual time and after that I was told not to bring in any paperwork as they would start it again for my standard claim.
So I turned up today, went in was asked for paperwork by security to show that I was due in, when I told him I had none he told me to go away. When I told him I had an appointment with the advisor he refused to believe me and threataned to "remove me" from the building, I asked to speak to the manager of the job centre and was told no, I was only allowed in when the advisor that I had come to see came up to him and told him that I was there to see her. So I was let in and hd to wait until she was ready, that was fine, I was then shocked to hear my name to be called by one of the signing team, when I queried this the advisor double checked and said it was me and my claim had already been processed back to them, the other advisor that I was supposed to see came over and asked what was going on as I shouldn't be getting processed by the signing team, as I missed a signing appointment last Friday when I told them that I was advised that I didn't need to sign then, the advisor that I get for signing is very good infact he is probably one of the best face to face advisors at the jobcentre, he dealt with the issue and sorted it all out quickly and made sure that all conversations that were held over the phone were marked on the computer system and showed me them and this did show that I was advised not to attend last week.
Hopefully things go better this week with them.
This is because they had to post the forms to the other office. Post? Seriously? That's very dated. Surely they could scan them, fax them... just update the system from any job centre in the UK?!
42 days until I start my job. It seems to long. That's 6 weeks
I nearly had one payment stopped because I missed a job centre based interview, however they'd sent the letter ordering me to come in during a BLOODY NATIONAL POSTAL STRIKE, so of course I didn't even get the letter to find out I'd had an interview in the first place.
I had to go through the stress and confusion first of being told I'd missed an interview I hadn't even known about, talked to like I was a naughty school kid, then had to go into the job centre the next afternoon, fill out a form, and wait for ages while the Decision Makers decided whether or not they believed it was the fault of the postal strike and not my own that I'd missed the interview. Thankfully they decided in my favour, but ARGH.
It's absolutely moronic. Luckily, this is the only real upset I've had with them so far but as someone who is being treated for anxiety I could have done without it and all the stupid faffing about could have been saved if they sent info about interviews via email or phones...
Sigh.
Honestly, going to the Jobcentre can be such an unpleasant experience sometimes
A change of address should not delay your payment.... It is presumably the transfer from one office to another that is taking the time and delaying things... Phone them tomorrow and state you are in desperate need of the benefit payment and ask when you are going to recieve it... If they say they have no idea then apply for a crisis loan.
I'll never apply for a crisis loan, eeek!
Why not - this is the scenaria they are meant for - just say you need enough to live on till they get it sorted out
Because I don't need it and it'll require an unnecessary visit to the job centre, which I hate doing in the first place.
Yeah.when i signed on in the early 90's you just walked in and queued up.No one on ones and writing stuff down.
It was all done on the 12th. It's now the 28th. That's 16 days ago... 16 days and counting to change offices. Shocking.
1 month left on this crap, woo! By the sounds of it I only have 1 more signing on session to go to, which is Tuesday 14th. The next one after that would be the 28th but I believe that the job centre is closed then?
My last sing on date was 14th December and because of the holidays I never had to go in any more. I signed off today - started job yesterday.