problems as usual!!!!!!!

Former Member

hello, I am a student and I have no money left and now my mums JSA has been sanctioned for 3 weeks so the three of us have to live off hardship payment of £60 for 3 weeks basically and £20 of that has gone on a bill already, anyway what I wanted to ask was how do you complain about the decision? and does the three weeks get backdated or not?? any clues because we need that money we are despartely poor here and can they 'not' pay her for three weeks even though she has a child???

Former Member

Why was she sanctioned?

Former Member

for not filling in her sheet properly from universal jobmatch that new stupid web thing!

Former Member

Seems like something that could be appealed to me. Usually when an appeal is made and upheld the payments are backdated.

Former Member

Being on JSA is awful, and the fact that sanctions are increasing, and staff at some branches of job centre are being encouraged to give more sanctions, is awful. If you are on JSA you have to be able to prove that you are looking for work and applying for jobs (usually at least 3 advertised jobs a week), and if you arent they sanction you (I thought it was usually a 4 week minimum)
They tell you to log everything online ,but they cannot force you to so I always write down everything on paper, so I am sure no mistakes happen due to their awful website.
You mum is perfectly entitled to appeal the decision if she thinks it is unfair and she was applying for jobs and can provide evidence for that. Here is a booklet with information on that http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@benefits/documents/digitalasset/dg_201702.pdf
In the mean time, if you and your siblings are students you could check with your college if they have a hardship/crisis fund that you could be paid, or take out as a loan.

Former Member

thanks love I just wrote a letter to them but I don't know if it is worth appealing because she has already received the hardship payment of £60 a few days ago and that decreases the chance of getting any money back!! unbelievable when people on disability don't even get questioned once a year!!aaaaa!

Former Member

If your mum is entitled to the JSA, she is entitled to it - the fact that she is receiving a hardship payment doesnt make a difference. I'm guessing the difference between the £60 hardship payment and 3 weeks' JSA is around £160, so that's definately worth appealing if she has the evidence that she was doing what she was supposed to.

And I really don't think that people with disabilities have it easier claiming benefits; ATOS are a complete nightmare.

Former Member

emilia33 wrote: »

thanks love I just wrote a letter to them but I don't know if it is worth appealing because she has already received the hardship payment of £60 a few days ago and that decreases the chance of getting any money back!! unbelievable when people on disability don't even get questioned once a year!!aaaaa!

Actually, that's not true, there are a range of cases of people with disabilities and on disability living allowance, which is now PIP having ridiculous things asked of them. You should maybe look some things up.

Former Member

I've been seen my ATOS 3 times in the past year so we get monitored like hawks. Friends of mine have been under surveillance and had their benefit taken away because she managed the get the milk in one morning.

Former Member

whatever I know some are fraudsters

Former Member

Of course there will be some people who are claiming fraudulently, just as there are for JSA and all sorts of other benefits. The vast majority claiming money, however, do desperately need help from the welfare system and their lives are being made increasingly difficult.

Anyway, how is you situation? I really hope you get by ok! Have you checked to see if where you study has a hardship fund?

Former Member

Also, has she been to a Citizens Advice Bureau ?

Former Member

emilia33 wrote: »

whatever I know some are fraudsters

The rate of fraud on disability benefits is something like 0.5%. I'm impressed that you know any personally...

Former Member

Hey,

Sorry to hear about ur money that's sucks. Everyone giving u good advice to u. Can u just say I notice that no-one give u a link that might be helpful

Here a link
http://www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney

Hope this helps
Keep posting
Heather x

Former Member

Hey there emilia33,

Sorry to hear about the difficult time you've had recently in relation to you and your families benefits.
I think the suggestions so far have been great ? I'm just going to add to them.

You can appeal a JSA decision as Fiend_85 has suggested. I understand you have written a letter already which is great. I think you might need to also send them an appeal form though to get them to process it quicker. Ilikeeggs has helpfully posted the link to that.
(The form is at the end of the leaflet btw). Also if it's your mum's claim for JSA then she would need to sign the form.

I think it's always worth appealing - they can only say no and then you?re in the same position as you are in now.

Ilikeeggs also suggested approaching a Citizens Advice Bureau. Here?s a link to their website where you can find your nearest branch - http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/


bubbly-Heather gave you a link to theSite.org's Home Money and Law section which is a great place to give you more information. Here's a link to the JSA Sanctions page which you might find useful - http://www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney/money/benefitsandtax/JSAsanctions

Hope this helps. Let us know how you get on.