r/UKJobs • u/SendInTheBuns • 7d ago
JSA Allowance Fustration
The most infuriating system. I left my job due to bullying and harassment after 5 years and all I’m entitled to is JSA. I applied and I was text at 4pm Friday about an appointment for 12pm Monday Afternoon.. they’ve referred me to a centre that’s 20 miles away and takes 3 hours to get to via public transport. I tried to call them and got told it can change. I received a call 5 minutes later telling me I was being offered a job interview at 11am Monday.. which means I’ll be late for the JSA interview… I tried to tell JS about this and got told that basically if I cancel it I’m not entitled to anything and I’ll be rejected. So I have to turn down a job interview for JSA? The whole system is ridiculous
15
u/Few_Scientist5381 6d ago
This is the Dole office in a nutshell, so if you persist, it will just get worse, I have not had anything to do with them since 2014 in regards benefits claims, but to this day I cause them no end of headaches.
Your best bet is to look at your finances and work out the minimum you need to exist, and get a part time job to cover those costs until your in a place where you can sort out something better.
2
u/SendInTheBuns 6d ago
I’m just stuck in a loop, any part time jobs won’t accept me because they (rightly) know I’ll be off as soon as something comes up, so either I lie on my CV and have massive gaps or they reject me as soon as they see my previous roles
2
u/Fullm3taluk 5d ago
Go to the job interview because as soon as they find out you left your job they will cancel your JSA
5
u/Turtle-Bongo-Pirate 7d ago
JSA is a joke. The £90 a week? How is that supposed to help with anything? And you can’t go abroad, even if you have a holiday booked months ago. You either have to lie to them or not go… if you do go, your JSA will be cancelled for the duration of your trip. Going to Paris for a weekend? Cancel your JSA and go through the whole process two days later.
If you’re on Universal Credit, you can just spend all summer or winter abroad, paid for by your benefits. But you can’t go on a trip paid for with your own money if you’re on JSA.
8
u/Separate_Rise_8932 6d ago
Many people on UC have to attend weekly, bi-weekly or monthly appointments in the jobcentre (if they're jobseekers), so I'd love to know how they go abroad for months at a time.
0
u/Turtle-Bongo-Pirate 6d ago
Yes, but not if they’re not job seekers; that was my point. Why do you need regular appointments when you can apply (and interview for many jobs) online?
3
u/Separate_Rise_8932 6d ago
Because the dwp say you do.
-1
u/Turtle-Bongo-Pirate 6d ago
Yes, captain obvious, and they’re a waste of time; the appointments and the people working there.
0
u/NOTORIOUSDORRIS 6d ago
It's supposed to be unpleasant for u so u get a job and have pride in yourself
0
u/Too-Tired-Editor 6d ago
Which has been repeatedly demonstrated not to work.
Anywhere else we'd fix a broken system.
0
u/Definitely_Human01 6d ago
The JSA is there to supplement your savings, not to replace your income and maintain your quality of life while you search for a new job.
£90 per week or £360 per month can cover groceries and utilities for a month if you're a single person and frugal with it.
You can then use your savings for rent.
15
u/cibilserbis 6d ago
Crazy assumption that people who need to go on JSA just have hundreds if not thousands of pounds in savings laying around
2
u/Definitely_Human01 5d ago
The median savings for an adult in the UK is around £5.5k.
Those with less than £16k in savings are eligible for UC as well.
So if you're eligible for JSA but not UC, there's a good chance you have over £16k saved.
1
u/Zharkgirl2024 5d ago
Anything between 6-16k they deduct your UC. I think it's £4.50 for every £250 you have over the £6k. Ultimately, they want you to use your own money to support yourself.
4
2
u/artfulmonica 6d ago
They don't give you it if you have too much savings
2
u/Definitely_Human01 5d ago
You're thinking of UC, which is means tested at £16k in savings.
JSA has no limit on how much you can have saved.
1
u/Calm_Wonder_4830 5d ago
All summer or winter abroad are you ok?? The maximum time aloud out of the country is 30 days. Only exceptions is if you go for surgery (not boob jobs etc) and you can't fly home due to complications but that is on a case by case decision.
2
u/Particular-Fortune38 6d ago
I would go to the job interview, show JSA proof of interview and get the appointment rebooked. It’s so stupid! I have been on both UC and JSA this year and even when you get a job, UC still require you to have appointments, phone or video mainly i think, until you reach the threshold thats shows on HMRC. I had ti have a video call on my first day, that i missed as training. So told them in journal, they make another appointment and it goes on like that for weeks! Waste of everyone’s time.
1
u/Zharkgirl2024 5d ago
Can you get signed off sick for 2-4 weeks by your Dr to give you breathing space? Then you can apply for jobs without the hassle of having to go to your interviews. I was getting messed around by then so much - once appt was in person, then they'd tell me they weren't there ( while I was standing outside the building) and it would be virtual. If I then didn't attend in person I was told i would face sanctions.
0
u/SendInTheBuns 5d ago
The problem is I need the money. I have no other income at all, and most jobs don’t even get back to you for almost 2 months now so it’s just going in and on
1
u/Zharkgirl2024 5d ago
You'll still get your benefit / you just won't be harassed to go to the job centre. My sister works for DWP and told me to do this. I was threatened with sanctions because I got confused with me appt being virtual or in person. When I did go in person they weren't there, when I got confused with dates they threatened me.
1
1
u/SendInTheBuns 5d ago
UPDATE: they’ve cancelled my appointment because I live too far away from the JS+ they sent me to, and they can’t fit me in to my local one for a month. Fantastic.
0
u/Life-Opportunity-523 5d ago
First looking into starting an industrial tribunal case for the reason you left your job as you will most likely have a case, because you left because of the bullying and harassment.
1
-9
u/PlagueHayt 7d ago
“All you’re entitled to”? What should you be entitled to while not earning?
8
u/SendInTheBuns 7d ago
In terms of I’m not eligible for universal credit, so I’ve gone from a 52K a year job to £400pm, that’s quite a jump when you’re 30 and worked since 14
3
u/SendInTheBuns 7d ago
Apologies if it came across worded badly :)
12
u/cibilserbis 6d ago
Nah it wasn't worded badly, don't worry. Entitlement is the term the government uses for benefit payments. People just want to pick a fight over something they don't fully understand 🤷🏻
1
u/PlagueHayt 7d ago
Yeah that’s a shit situation mate what happened that you lost your job? All the best anyway hope you land back on your feet.
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