Warning about new Jobseeker Agreements
Post Categories: DWP • jobcentre Plus
Tags: Jobseeker Agreement, jobseekers allowance, jsa, JSAg
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Warning about new Jobseeker Agreements
OK, this is not entirely new but Jobseekers might not be aware of the difference in their Jobseeker’s Agreement(JSAg) if they modify it or if they are creating a new one for a new claim.
The old Jobseeker’s Agreement (JSAg)
Under “General Statement” there will be 6 boxes on 4 rows.
On the first row it said “Jobseeker’s signature and date” followed by two boxes – the second having two forward slashes for date input.
On the second row it said “Adviser’s signature and date“ followed by two boxes – the second having two forward slashes for date input.
On the third row it said “Adviser’s name” followed by one long box.
On the forth row it said “Phone number“ followed by one long box.
The *new *Jobseeker’s Agreement (JSAg)
The new modified agreement is slightly different.
On the first row it still says “Jobseeker’s signature and date” followed by two boxes – the second having two forward slashes for date input.
On the second row it still says “Adviser’s signature and date“ followed by two boxes – the second having two forward slashes for date input.
The third and forth row is combined into one which reads “Adviser’s name/Phone number“. followed by one long box.
The forth row now has “Treat as made date” to the left of the one long box.
Treat as made date?
Some jobseekers for whatever reason refuses to sign their Jobseeker’s Agreement (JSAg). This new box is designed to allow Jobcentre Plus to backdate the Jobseeker’s Agreement before the date you signed it.
To prevent this happening to you when you sign your Jobseeker’s Agreement write “NOT APPLICABLE” in uppercase covering the entire box. You can alternatively write the date in there too.
Of course you get a copy of the Jobseeker’s Agreement but can you be certain you wont lose it?
Jobseeker’s Agreement Advice
You should read the following advice guide for more tips on the JSAg.
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The Treat as Made (TAM) date actually relates to the date you make your claim for JSA (the date you rang the contact centre) not the date you signed the Jobseeker’s Agreement (JSAg). This is relevant and required as it links the correct JSAg to the correct claim. The TAM date box on the JSAg is for the Advisor to complete and putting N/A or ‘date of signing’ in this box is not appropriate.
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Thanks for this!
So effectively now all Jobseeker Agreements are backdated to start of claim although:
a) For the first JSAg you would have only decided it like around 1-3 weeks of starting the claim as thats when the NJI is (varies on location) so the Jobseekers Agreement would be used against you if the conditions (ASE etc.) conflicted with the JSAg which werent yet made)
Or
b) For existing claims where you have changed the JSAg on request (or by default – i.e. when travel goes up to 1.5 hours) are you saying the JSAg gets backdated from start of claim even when a previous one was in place?
Thanks for confirming that ALL JSAg are backdated this way – however can I have your opinion on something else?
My copy had no value in the box (I didnt notice box until I was at home), so mine begins from the date of signing so that takes presence right? or as I signed the agreement and the box was blank, would it be assumed that I agreed the value of the box although it werent filled in then?
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I’ve been selected for potential jury service. Which means I can be called with only 3 weeks notice anytime in the next 2 years. I mentioned this when I signed on last Friday. And asked if I was selected I would then be unavilable for work and risk having my benefit stopped. The clerk spoke to his manager and said, “no, you can do jury service”. I then asked the manager if I could have that in writing, to which he replied ” you have to phone Bathgate (that’s where the payment is processed).
You’d have thought the jobcentre would be capable of giving me a clear cut answer in writing. But I was obviously expecting too much. One of the conditions for receiving JSA is that you have to be avilable for work
I’ve since wrote back to the Clerk of the Court asking to be excused from jury service, and explaining why
I was also selected for jury service about 6/7 years ago, and was unemployed then to. When I mentioned the same problem to the jobcentre I was told to just go along to the court when I received notification to attend court and hope my name wasn’t called. But if it was called I should ask to be excused. Fotunately my name wasn’t called but if it had been and I hadn’t been excused the Jobcentre would have stopped my benefit ASAP.
I’m now thinking of making a formal complaint to the jobcentre. Has anyone else expereinced this problem, I can’t be the only one?
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Somewhere in the decision maker’s guide it is stated – if you can find it – that a person shall be treated as available for work while on jury service, or while sitting as a magistrate, or while doing one or two other such worthy things that I can’t remember off the top of my head…
Just think, you might get one of these trials that lasts for years – how much time are the Jobcentre realistically going to be able to devote to hassling you?
Decision Maker’s Guide here:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/decision-makers-guide/#vol4
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My own personal opinion would be to not tell the Jobcentre about being on Jury Service. They don’t really need to know. It is a civil duty and you are entitled to take part if selected.
It isn’t paid or unpaid work – unpaid means work you haven’t been paid for yet – not volunteering. Jury Service is compulsory in most cases.
It is unlikely that most frontline staff would have dealt with someone on Jury Service (I didn’t know they even selected unemployed people!) this means they are prone to making mistakes.
As you wont be able to claim for loss of earnings etc. it is not a Change of Circumstances. I would keep quiet about it (i.e. not being open) and if they question it (random I know lol) be honest.
The likely thing would be a staff member would be unsure and ask a supervisor who would initiate a doubt of Afw/ASE. Although your claim is likely to remain open the case will be sent to a Decision Maker who is likely (86% of the time) to sanction you for the term you are on Jury Service pending your Appeal – if you decide to appeal. Its all too much hassle and stress which isn’t needed.
If your claim is ended. You would lose your payment and have to do a Rapid Reclaim and wait around 2 week (average) for an appointment and then around another 2 weeks to get payment again.
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While I
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What happened there? While I agree that it’s generally best to work these things on a need-to-know basis, with the Jobcentre NOT needing to know, they’ll soon enough find out when you’re stuck at the court and can’t come in to sign…
If you have any trouble, or perhaps just if you expect trouble, you shuld have a polite word with the clerk of the court, who should be able to remind the Jobcentre of the law on this issue. It’s not impossible that you may even get the trial judge on side – either way, you should be able to stop it getting anywhere near the decision maker. If it does, and they ask the usual questions, trawl through the guidance, find the relevant section and throw that at them. If they sanction you for going on jury service they are breaking the law – simple as that.
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Yes Dan, stupid me was solely considering the days you don’t sign on. That would obviously be a problem!
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Thanks for your advice guys. The reason I told the jobcentre about being selected for potentail jury service is because I could be called to attend court on my signing-day, and might not even have my called for the trail. The other scenario is that if called, the trail could overlap with my siging day.
In principle I’m quite happy to do jury service. One of the few areas where they don’t discriminate aginst the unemployed.
As I said what really annoyed me is Leith jobcentre (name and shame) being unwilling to give me something in writing clarifying the situation.
Certain people are exempt from jury service (too long to list) but as long as your on the Electral Register your eligible to be selected. And a Scottish jury has 15 people, not 12 like England and most other countries. So I suppose you more likely to be called in relation to the small population.
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At the risk of boring you to death on this topic I today received a letter from the Scottish Court Service saying they have accepted my request to exempted from jury service.
It’s not a permanent exemption, just temporary until Jan 2011.
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