Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
1.
Male client in his 40s. He has been sanctioned for a month
for not being active enough in seeking work. Subsequently
he was given an appointment at Jobcentre Plus but did not
attend as he had a job interview on same date. He was
advised of Camden Local Social Fund crisis loans and given
details for online or telephone request. He was given a food
bank voucher.
2.
Male client in his 50s. He has been plagued with various
administrative errors that, seemingly through no/minimal
fault of his own have led to his benefit being sanctioned.
Administration errors are as follows
 Error in Universal Jobsearch profile means that
Jobcentre Plus is unable to access his search history.
He has checked with them and the error is not on his
end. As they use this system to ascertain whether he
has been searching for jobs, he has been sanctioned
for not doing sufficient job searching.
 He has no internet at home which further
compounds the issue of accessing the site. He travels
to job centres and libraries to do online searches but
he is struggling to afford the bus fares.
 He has (additionally) been sent on a Work
Programme scheme. He was originally sent to a
centre some distance away but they offered to
transfer him to one closer. He agreed but heard
nothing so went to his next appointment at the
original centre. He was told he wasn't registered as
they were moving him. However, he was sanctioned
for not attending, despite his advisor calling the work
programme centre who confirmed he had turned up.
 Finally Jobcentre Plus has an incorrect email for him
on their system. He is unable to update this, so vital
communications has been delayed or lost.
He was helped with hardship grant form and food bank
voucher.
3.
Female client in her 50s. She is receiving Job Seekers
Allowance and was twice sanctioned for 2 weeks during for
not providing evidence of job search. The first sanction was
applied when she forgot to bring to the interview evidence
that she had applied for jobs, but provided them the
1
Maybe
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
following day. The second was applied when she did not
attend a job interview because she had food poisoning and
had to see her GP. When sanctioned she complained to the
Jobcentre manager and asked for a Mandatory
Reconsideration. This was refused because she was a day
over the one month limit for appealing.
4.
Male client in his 50s. He has been claiming Job Seekers
Allowance and was sanctioned for 2 weeks for not attending
a job interview. He had to go to see his mother who was ill;
he tried to let Jobcentre Plus know but couldn’t get through
on the phone. He lodged an appeal against the sanction and
applied for a hardship payment. After two weeks he had
heard nothing and had been sanctioned again for a further
two weeks. Jobcentre Plus claim not to have received the
appeal. However, this cannot be the case as they sent him a
copy of one of his appeal statements.
5.
Female client in her 40s. She was employed as a waitress
Yes, if no
and was dismissed just before her three months’ probation personal
was up because she was late. She had been late twice. On
details
one occasion she was coping with the unexpected death of a used
close family member. During her service the restaurant
changed the rota, and when she turned up early she was
asked to clock out again, and subsequently clocked in late.
She did not intend to lose the job. She has been sanctioned
for the standard 13 weeks. A request was made for a
Mandatory Reconsideration but as no Job Seekers Allowance
is received during the reconsideration period, she is in
significant hardship. Client was given a food bank voucher.
6.
Male client in his 40s. He has a letter withdrawing Job
Seekers Allowance for two weeks and then for three
months. Both decisions are subject to mandatory
reconsideration. He states that in respect of the three
month sanction, he did not attend an interview at
Westminster College because he had no money for travel
and although his Jobcentre Plus adviser told him that £3
would be paid to his bank account, no money was actually
paid in. He applied for a hardship payment but was turned
down. CAB gave him a food bank voucher.
2
Yes
but
has
limited
English
YES
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
7.
Male client in his 40s. He was first seen in spring 2013 when
he was sleeping rough. He had been awarded Job Seekers
Allowance but not received it because he had not supplied
details of his bank account. This was rectified.
He was kicked out of his hostel 2 weeks before Christmas
because he owed £140 in rent arrears. His rent was £32pw
more than his Housing Benefit. While he was sleeping rough
he twice failed to attend a signing on appointment so his Job
Seekers Allowance stopped before Christmas. CAB helped
him to get a hardship grant.
8.
Female client in her 30s. Client whose working life was
interrupted by illness claimed Job Seekers Allowance whilst
studying part time. There was some dispute about her
entitlement, but eventually she was given Job Seekers
Allowance. She was offered and attended a job interview,
although she was given no information in advance about the
role or salary. At the interview she was asked what salary
she was seeking and she said around £25,000. The Jobcentre
Plus coach said she had sabotaged her interview by asking
for £25k and telling her interviewer about the part time
degree. The salary range had been £16-£20k. She was asked
to complete a refusal of employment form and threatened
with sanctions. Client was sanctioned for 5 weeks (failure to
be available for work) but this was rescinded subsequently.
But she was then sanctioned for refusing a job.
9.
Male client in his 40s. Job Seekers Allowance claimant. The
jobcentre had told him he must apply for 6 jobs within a 2
week period. He applied for 12 within a month (although
the final one failed as the directgov website crashed). He
was required to list all his job seeking efforts over the last
month - he cited the 12 efforts and was told that was not
enough and he would be sanctioned. Earlier in the year he
had been offered a driving job subject to his obtaining a CPC
certificate. He needed funding for the one week course and
assessment. Jobcentre Plus referred him to a Training
Consortium which said they couldn't fund him but would get
appointment with Ingeus. It was while awaiting this
appointment that he was sanctioned. Ingeus also said they
couldn't help with funding. Citizen’s Advice Bureau helped
3
Yes
only
radio
Yes
only radio
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
him write to get mandatory reconsideration of the sanction,
to access computer training and to apply successfully to
Hampstead Wells and Campden Trust for the course fee.
10.
Female Client in her 30s. She applied for Job Seekers
Allowance and subsequently received a text from Jobcentre
Plus to say that her Job Seekers Allowance would be paid in
eight days and she did not need to do anything. Payment
was not made so she attended Jobcentre Plus and was told
that she had not attended an interview at the end of
November and she had been sanctioned for a month. She
had not been notified of this. She was told that she had to
fill in a form to give reasons for non-attendance.
11.
Client is a male in his 50s. He has appealed against a decision
to sanction him because he would not register for work on
the mandatory website. His main concern is internet
security as he has twice had all his personal information
stolen from his computer. He has protected his computer to
the best of his ability but by registering on the universal job
search website he would have to unblock all that security.
However, if he continues to refuse to register a further
sanction will be applied. He has been given a new
Jobseekers Agreement to sign which includes the
requirement to register on the website and to use social
media. He has been given a deadline to sign; if he does not
do so, he will be sanctioned again. The client eventually
bought a cheap laptop to register, signed the Jobseekers
Agreement and then asked for the agreement to be varied
(Section 10 of the Jobseeker’s Act). He will continue to be
paid pending any decision.
12.
Client is a male in his 20s. He was originally sanctioned for
six weeks because he lost his job because of misconduct. His
claim was then closed when he did not attend an
appointment at Jobcentre Plus.
YES
13.
Client is a male in his 50s. For many years he has had mental
health issues and has been on incapacity benefits. However
he was recently assessed as fit for work at a work capability
Yes
4
NO
Happy to
talk to
media but
wants to
remain
anon.
Yes
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
assessment and for the last four months has been signing on
for Job Seekers Allowance. He believes he has always been
diligent about looking for work, updating his CV, attending
interviews at Jobcentre Plus and applying for jobs. In the
week in question he applied for 12 jobs but was sanctioned
for not having done any emails. He says he didn’t know he
had to produce evidence of emails and could have done this
had he been asked. He has no money at all.
14.
Client is a teenage woman. She has recently been included
in her partner's Job Seekers Allowance claim. They are
currently living in a hostel with their 1 year-old daughter.
Her partner missed a CV appointment at Jobcentre Plus. He
had called to cancel the appointment, as he had got help
from someone else at Jobcentre Plus and had done his CV at
the library, and thought everything was OK. However, our
client reports that the call did not get put on the Jobcentre
Plus system until two days later and as a result his Job
Seekers Allowance was stopped for 4 weeks. She said they
not informed of the sanction and only learned about it when
their Job Seekers Allowance payment was not made. When
they complained to Jobcentre Plus, the adviser rang Glasgow
who confirmed as correct that the full amount awarded as a
couple had been stopped. She feels it is unfair that she has
been made to suffer the sanction, as she was not included in
her partner's claim when the infringement occurred.
15.
Client is a male in his 20s. He was originally self-employed
and then applied for Job Seekers Allowance. He was
sanctioned twice for two weeks each time for failure to
complete enough work activity and failure to visit and use
his account on Job match website. He wanted to appeal
against both sanctions. The first sanction occurred when his
wife was sick and he was looking after her and his 15 months
old baby. He was advised to get a letter from his GP to
confirm this. The second appeared to be due to a lack of job
search activity. Client said he registered for the job match
website but was not shown how to use it. He lost his first
account, could not get it back. He was only given training in
August, after the sanctions had been imposed.
5
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
16.
Client is a male in his 40s. He has been sanctioned three
times (the first time for three months, the second time for
two weeks and thirdly for four weeks), has appealed and is
surviving on hardship grants.
The first time he was sanctioned for failing to take a job
opportunity. On his signing day he was told there was a job
opportunity, but his personal adviser was too busy and
referred him to a colleague who then sent the details of the
job to his phone which he no longer had. He appealed
successfully.
The second sanction was because he failed to attend a
computer course when instructed as he prioritised
responding to an urgent letter about his Housing Benefit and
he was afraid he'd get evicted if he didn't deal with it.
Still not clear to the client or to the bureau the cause of the
third sanction.
17.
Client is a male in his 30s. He was sanctioned in the summer
of 2013 and is still on sanctions in 2014 as he had failed to
actively seek work and he couldn't manage his universal
jobmatch online. He had received some assistance in the
jobcentre to go online but doesn't have access to computers
and isn't sufficiently computer literate to be able to manage
his online account himself. He has no money for phone
credit to ring for jobs. He was destitute and had been selling
his possessions to Cash Converters to raise funds.
18.
Client is a male in his 50s. He received a four week benefit
sanction for failure to carry out jobseeker's direction. Client
says the direction was to look for jobs online. However he
has no internet connection at home and no IT skills. He had
been looking for jobs in newspaper ads and was also
attending a college in Kings Cross to get the necessary
certificate he needs to get building jobs. He has also found a
computer course in Camden. At no stage was he given any
advice by his Jobcentre Plus adviser about where he could
get help this sort of help. He feels the sanction is unfair and
was helped with his appeal.
6
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
19.
Client is a female in her 30s. She was claiming Job Seekers
Allowance when she missed a Jobcentre Plus appointment
due to a clash with an appointment at her daughter’s school.
On the following week her Jobcentre advisor told her to sign
off (cease her claim) or she could be sanctioned. She signed
off and re-applied on the next day. Fortunately her Job
Seekers Allowance was backdated and there was no gap in
her Job Seekers Allowance payments so this will not affect
her eligibility for working tax credits. This seems a costly box
ticking exercise when in a rational system an advisor could
have used some discretion.
20.
Client is a male in his 50s. He has been in receipt of Job
Seekers Allowance for some years. He was told by his
adviser at the local Jobcentre Plus that that there was
recruitment day in an outer London borough and that it
would be sensible for him to attend. He did attend (without
success jobwise). However he had an appointment with his
adviser on the same day and misjudged the time it would
take him to get back - as a result he was late for the
appointment and his benefit was suspended.
21.
Client is a male in his 40s. His Job Seekers Allowance has
been sanctioned for 1 week. He disagrees with the decision
and states that he was actively seeking work and complying
with Job Centre instructions. He had no money and was
given food bank vouchers.
22.
Client is a female in her 30s. She has had two sanctions from
Jobcentre Plus. The first was imposed after she missed a
signing on date when her grandmother was rushed to
hospital. This has been lifted with help from a solicitor. The
current one was for voluntarily leaving her job. She had been
attacked, the case being handled by the police, and was
being supported by victim support. She left her job as she
did not feel safe, as her attacker lives close to her place of
work.
23.
Client is a female in her 40s with children, claiming Job
Seekers Allowance. She was sanctioned and has appealed.
She asked for a hardship payment which was refused
because she had funds in her bank account; however the
7
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
funds were all subject to her direct debits, thus none if it
was disposable.
24.
Client is a male in his 50s. He had been claiming Job Seekers
Allowance and no other benefits for six months. He has been
sanctioned for four weeks for not taking advantage of a
place on a placement programme. He believed he had met
his responsibilities in relation to Job Seekers Allowance and
was unaware of the placement programme having not
received any letter or communication about it. CAB helped
him to claim a hardship payment and to appeal against the
sanction.
25.
Client is a female in her 40s. CAB helped her to appeal
against suspension of Job Seekers Allowance. The sanction
was imposed because she failed to provide the exact times
and dates during which she carried out each job search
when she submitted her proof. She feels the Job Centre
should not have focused on such an oversight on her behalf
as she was able to show clear evidence of actively seeking
work.
26.
Client is a male in his 20s. He was on Job Seekers Allowance
but Jobcentre Plus called him last week to say his Job
Seekers Allowance was sanctioned for a month. Client
visited and was told that the sanction was because he had
told an adviser he would only do security guard work. Client
denies saying this and would do any work he is offered. He
has not received any letter about the sanction and has no
money.
27.
Male client in his 30s. He worked for four weeks in a
restaurant but was summarily dismissed following a warning
for lateness when he was fourteen minutes late. He has not
received confirmation of dismissal, but proper disciplinary
procedures were not followed. He wanted to claim Job
Seekers Allowance but it seems likely that he will be
sanctioned for 13 weeks for dismissal due to misconduct. He
has no right to claim unfair dismissal as he does not meet
the qualifying time period but should get one week’s pay in
lieu of notice. Not clear at this stage whether Jobcentre Plus
take into account potential wrongful dismissal when
8
Yes
Yes
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
applying sanctions.
28.
Male client in his 30s. He received a letter from Jobcentre
Plus stating that he had been sanctioned for three months
on the grounds that he had not taken part in a ‘’Mandatory
Work Activity Scheme’’. He explained that he had attended a
work placement organised by Seetec. The organiser gave
the client an address some 15 miles away to go to for a
‘work activity programme’. As he was not familiar with this
area he asked the organiser for directions, at which point
the organiser told him that an error had been made and he
should go home and he would be sent a different address
for a work activity group nearer to his home. This did not
happen, and the sanction left client with no income. He was
given a food bank voucher.
29.
Female client in her 40s. Job Seekers Allowance claimant.
She has an eight year old son who is seriously ill. She was
depressed and had a letter from her doctor dated ten days
earlier signing her off sick with depression for a month with
possibility of extension if she does not feel better. She is in
mortgage arrears and is being charged arrears and
administration charges. Her benefits were disallowed for
two weeks in November and she was sanctioned for not
actively seeking work although she has proof she was
applying for work. Client asked for mandatory
reconsideration and registered for Employment Support
Allowance while she was off sick.
30.
Female client in her 40s. She had been given a form to
complete by local Jobcentre Plus which asked for details of
her job search over the past 3 weeks. Client says she has
applied for several jobs online but has not had any
responses and not sure what she should put.
31.
Male client in his 20s, housing association tenant. He is
claiming Job Seekers Allowance after losing a job. He
arranged a practical course of 15 hours per week to equip
him for employment, and cleared this with his job centre
advisor. Unfortunately, the advisor omitted to inform him
that he was still supposed to be looking for work (another 25
hours a week to make up to 40 hours per week). Since he did
9
Yes
Yes
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
not do this he was sanctioned for a month in the autumn
followed by a further sanction for two weeks. This has led to
his housing benefit also being stopped. He was served a
Notice of Seeking Possession by the housing association in
the middle of this sanction period.
32.
Client is a male in his 40s. He has been receiving back to
work assistance via the Job Centre through Matrix
Corporation which he attends on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
He received notification of a back to work assistance
appointment from a work agency called Maximus. He saw
his Job Seekers Allowance adviser at the Job Centre a week
before this new appointment and explained that he is
already receiving back to work assistance from Matrix
Corporation but that Maximus had contacted him about
another work assistance programme. His Job Seekers
Allowance advisor told him he did not have to attend
Maximus's appointment as he was already undertaking
Matrix's work programme. He phoned Maximus, letting
them know he did not have to attend the appointment and
wouldn't be attending. He was notified by a letter dated
four days after he saw his Jobcentre Plus advisor that he
would not be receiving Job Seekers Allowance for a month
because he did not attend a scheme to which he had been
referred and he did not have a sufficiently good reason for
not attending.
33.
Client is a male in his 40s. He was claiming Job Seekers
Allowance but has mental health issues which make it very
difficult for him consistently to meet the requirements of
the Job Seekers Allowance regime. He was sanctioned for
failing to attend a work programme which he found
intolerable. He had not been attending Jobcentre Plus to
sign on, so although his sanction was until October, Job
Seekers Allowance would not be reinstated. He had no
money and was depending on friends.
34.
Client is a male in his 60s. He has been on Job Seekers
Allowance for around 10 years. He notified Jobcentre Plus
that he had a friend staying and that the friend was working.
He has now been subject of two sanctions - the first over
failure to supply name of lodger or to provide details of
10
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
when he has been staying at the flat and any financial
contributions made; the second over failure to attend an
interview. He receives no financial contributions from the
friend. CAB contacted the Jobcentre Plus who said that he
will receive a hardship payment when he signs on tomorrow
and for the next ten weeks. These payments are
significantly less than Job Seekers Allowance and may stop
unless client provides lodger’s details.
35.
The client is a female in her 50s, claiming Job Seekers
Allowance. On one occasion she felt unwell and was unable
to sign on. She informed the Job Centre that she was unable
to come and sign and she was told come after 5 days with
her evidence of sickness to sign.
When she felt better and wanted to sign she called and was
informed that her local Jobcentre was closed. She rang the
Head Office and was told to go and sign at another named
Job Centre otherwise her claim would be closed. She went to
the specified Jobcentre but, on arrival, she was informed
that she could not sign on because they did not have her
details.
She phoned Head Office again and was informed that her
claim was closed. She asked for mandatory reconsideration
but was told her appeal was not successful. She applied to
re-register for Job Seekers Allowance but was not given the
back pay owed. Client made another appeal and included a
letter from her GP to confirm her attendance at the surgery
and a telephone bill to prove phone calls to Department of
Work and Pensions to explain the situation.
36.
Client is a male in his 30s, married with three children, two
of whom are under five. His wife had an accident six months
ago and since then he has had to take her to medical
appointments and help with childcare. He was employed
until this happened but was then dismissed for taking too
much time off to help his wife and family. Client says that
he always managed to do the required number of hours
work but couldn't arrive until he had taken the children to
school and had to leave for a short period to collect from
school at 3pm. He claimed Job Seekers Allowance but was
11
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
sanctioned for four weeks for not actively seeking work. He
has had a number of Job Seekers Allowance payments
withheld since he was dismissed from his job. The main
reason seems to be that his job-seeking efforts have been
irregular because of extra child care duties he has taken on
since his wife was injured. He was struggling to arrive at
Jobcentre Plus on time because his appointments clashed
with taking his children to school.
37.
Male client in his 20s. He transferred from Employment
Support Allowance to Job Seekers Allowance at the end of
2013 and signed on but found Jobcentre Plus unhelpful. He
moved to Camden and signed on locally. He was told that he
had been sanctioned for a month, although he had had no
notification of the alleged misdemeanour leading to the
sanction. He had no money and was given a food bank
voucher. He was assisted in requesting a hardship payment.
38.
Male client in his 50s, suffering from depression. He applied
for but was refused Employment Support Allowance and
again at appeal so he applied for and was awarded Job
Seekers Allowance. He agreed to apply for jobs but was not
offered support and did not know how to use a computer.
He also agreed to meet with the National Careers Service,
which he did. Within two weeks of signing on the Client was
informed that he could not sign on as he had not complied
with the requirements. He was told that his Job Seekers
Allowance had been stopped from when he had signed on
for two weeks and subsequently he was sanctioned for a
month. The drugs the client is taking for his condition
render him hazy and tired; he is losing weight and cannot
swallow food. It seems likely that the effects of his
depression will ensure that he is constantly sanctioned
whilst claiming Job Seekers Allowance, but work capability
assessments judge him to be fit for work.
39.
Client is a male in his 40s. He has been in receipt of Job
Seekers Allowance for 10 weeks, having previously worked
in a family business. In order to improve his chance of
employment, he has enrolled on a course. In spite of the
course provider being a Jobcentre Plus partner, client’s
supervisor at Jobcentre Plus was displeased, claiming that he
12
Yes
Yes
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
had not followed the required steps demonstrating his
commitment to looking for work. He has received a letter
cancelling his Job Seekers Allowance for the duration of the
course.
40.
Client is a male in his 50s. He originally had been sanctioned
for four weeks for not attending an employment
programme. He reports that he did not get the appointment
letter. He then was sanctioned for a further four weeks for
not attending his monthly Jobcentre Plus appointment. He
was advised not to wait for letters to go to Jobcentre Plus
for appointments but to attend regularly as a matter of
course so as to avoid further confusion and sanctions. He
was assisted with food bank vouchers and with claiming a
hardship payment.
Employment Support Allowance sanction cases
1.
Client is a single mother in her 30s with long term health
issues. She has suffered from a past back injury and from
depression for the past 6 months brought about by personal
circumstances, which brings on uncontrollable bursts of
crying and an inability to cope with the demands of daily life.
She relies on her 16 year old daughter to keep her house
ticking over. She also has panic attacks which can cause
heart palpitations. She claimed Employment Support
Allowance and received a letter early in 2014 saying
payments would start. She got one payment and then no
more. Rang Jobcentre Plus and was told her sick note had
expired. She sent in a new one the next day and in
subsequent calls was told it had not been received. Finally, a
month later they said they had the new sick note but
couldn't pay her because she was under sanction for failing
to attend a compliance interview when she was on Job
Seekers Allowance. She went to the compliance
appointment the following week and was told the sanction
would be immediately lifted. When she rang Jobcentre Plus
she was told the claim had been closed the day before her
compliance interview because she had not returned form
ESA50 (the limited capability for work questionnaire that
needs to be filled out to validate an Employment Support
13
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
Allowance claim). Client had sent it in over a month
previously. CAB rang Jobcentre Plus who confirmed the
above record. The sick note had taken five weeks to be put
on the system. The claim was closed because the ESA50 had
not been received. Department of Work and Pensions
advised that they would send out a duplicate and on page 17
the client should explain that she had good cause for late
submission as the original had been properly completed and
returned and for some reason not received by ATOS. The
client had not been alerted to this despite frequent phone
calls with Department of Work and Pensions.
2.
Client is a female in her 50s who barely speaks any English,
claiming Employment Support Allowance. She brought a
letter from Jobcentre Plus saying she had failed to attend a
work-focussed interview in the autumn 2013 and should ring
up within a week to explain why. She had been sanctioned
for three months. She was unable to explain much to the
advisor and could only say 'no money, no food'.
3.
Male client in his 30s. He received a suspension of his
Employment Support Allowance because he failed to attend
an appointment. He was ill on that day and had contacted
Jobcentre Plus to explain. He suffers from a war injury which
flares up periodically and prevents him going out. He has
appealed against the sanction. He claimed a hardship
payment and was told it should be paid within three days
because he is vulnerable - he has had no benefit for four
weeks. No payment arrived within the three days. CAB gave
him a food bank voucher.
4.
Client is a single female in her 40s. She received an
appointment in the summer for a medical assessment
relating to her Employment Support Allowance. However
the client had on that day an appointment with Child and
Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) regarding her
son having therapy relating to the death of his dad, the
client’s partner, for which they had been on the waiting list
for eight months. She contacted the Department of Work
and Pensions who told her that a new appointment had
been booked regarding the medical assessment. However
three weeks later the client received a P45 which informed
14
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
her that her Employment Support Allowance claim had
ceased. The client called the Department of Work and
Pensions twice regarding this, but was not called back. Two
weeks later the client received a letter stating that although
the client had not attended the medical, they had looked at
other evidence and decided that the client was fit for work.
Client has appealed.
5.
Female client in her 40s. Client was migrated from Incapacity
Benefit to Employment Support Allowance and was called to
attend a work programme. She missed the first one and
contacted Jobcentre Plus who confirmed that she must
attend, which from thereon she did. A month later her
Employment Support Allowance payments ceased without
warning and since then she has had no money. On enquiry,
Jobcentre Plus say she has been sanctioned because of her
failure to attend the work programme and that the money
will be restored once she complies. But the work
programme provider, Ingeus, report having written to
Jobcentre Plus three times. Jobcentre Plus however deny
receiving any letters. Since the Employment Support
Allowance was stopped she has lived off the charity of a
friend but can't do so any longer. CAB gave her food bank
vouchers. It also emerged that the client had not been
receiving the work related activity component of her
Employment Support Allowance since autumn 2012. This
was corrected and backdated but the outcome of the appeal
is still not known.
6.
Client is a female in her 40s. She is on medication for
depression, diabetes and high cholesterol, and receives
Employment Support Allowance. She was unwell when she
was due to attend a work advisor interview and training
session and phoned her advisor to say so. She subsequently
wrote to confirm this. She received a letter from Jobcentre
Plus advising her of a six week sanction because of her
failure to attend the session. CAB telephoned Jobcentre Plus
who said they were waiting for the Work Programme
Provider (Ingeus) to send in form WP09, giving the reasons
why the client did not attend. Jobcentre Plus is then able to
cancel the sanction. They suggested that client phone the
Ingeus advisor to ask her to send in form WP09 and that this
15
Maybe
Maybe
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
phone call would constitute informing Jobcentre Plus that
the cl disagrees with the decision. CAB phoned the advisor at
Ingeus who acknowledged that the client had phoned in to
say she was ill. Also, the client had attended a session
subsequently and so was 're-engaged'. Ingeus promised to
generate and send WP09 to Jobcentre Plus that day so Job
Seekers Allowance could be resumed.
Client returned the next week and had still not received
payment. Jobcentre Plus had no record of a WP09 being
received; it should have been sent on the day that the client
're-engaged in compliance'. CAB helped client to make a
formal complaint about the failure of Jobcentre Plus and
Ingeus to jointly understand and operate their own
procedures.
Two weeks later the client returned. The basic Employment
Support Allowance had been restored. However she has still
not received the money lost during the sanction. Jobcentre
Plus claimed that the WP09 had still not been received
although Ingeus say they sent it digitally three weeks prior.
CAB asked her advisor at Ingeus to talk to Jobcentre Plus,
and sent a complaint to Jobcentre Plus. Client returned to
CAB the following week- still no progress. Ingeus had
phoned Jobcentre Plus who had advised that there had been
a 'small error' in the form WP09 submitted one month
previously. The form had been re-submitted and Ingeus was
told this one was acceptable. Jobcentre Plus finally paid
most of the arrears but a sanction was retained for one
week.
7.
Male client in his 50s with poor English attended with his
carer. His Employment Support Allowance was stopped
because he did not attend an appointment, the letter
notifying him having been sent to the wrong address.
Phoned Department of Work and Pensions who explained
that his Employment Support Allowance had been
suspended as a letter was returned to them six weeks ago
(probably the uprating letter) marked "addressee gone
away". They were awaiting contact to confirm address.
Client had lived at the address known to CAB and
Department of Work and Pensions for 3 years continuously 16
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
Media
Named?
willing?
with the friend who was present and assisting him. They did
not understand why mail may have gone missing.
Employment Support Allowance was reinstated.
8.
Client is a male in his 20s. Client has been sanctioned twice
in the late summer for missing work related interviews, one
shortly before he was admitted to hospital and one during
his stay in hospital and it has since proved extremely difficult
to get his Employment Support Allowance payments
reinstated (the DWP decision maker herself said the system
is 'very disjointed'). His Employment Support Allowance was
resumed after the sanctions but was not backdated with the
amounts whilst it was suspended. CAB wrote to Jobcentre
Plus to report that the client’s mental health had
deteriorated since he was awarded Employment Support
Allowance and that he should be in the Support Group and
not in the Work Related Activity Group. Client continued to
miss appointments and was not engaging with Jobcentre
Plus and had not seen his doctors. Four months later the
client brought into CAB a letter from Jobcentre Plus which
stated that he has been put in Support Group.
9.
Client is a male in his 30s. He had been receiving Job Seekers
Allowance until Jobcentre Plus advised him to transfer to
Employment Support Allowance - but did not tell him to
send in sick notes, which he didn’t. His Employment Support
Allowance was therefore sanctioned. He has now submitted
sick notes but due to the sanction his Housing Benefit and
Council Tax Reduction were suspended. He has no money
coming in at all and has built up rent arrears of over £1,000.
He is borrowing money to survive. He seems very confused
and nervous and brought numerous medical documents
concerning his mental state and lack of memory. CAB
phoned the Department of Work and Pensions. They have
the sick note and there is no reason for payments not to
have resumed. The Department of Work and Pensions will
request the release of an emergency payment which should
take place tomorrow. CAB called Camden Benefits service.
They lifted the Housing Benefit suspension and client has
received a letter from them stating that his landlady is going
to receive the Housing Benefit backdated.
17
Yes
Yes
Summary of 40 sanctioned Job Seekers Allowance and 9 sanctioned Employment Support
Allowance clients assisted by Camden CAB between April 2013 - March 2014.
18