[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Z

Yeah... I dunno, do you think I should just apply for jobs, go to the meeting and pretend I'm still looking or tell the guy I've found something? I feel probably the former if I'm going to carry on but I realise that makes me an actual benefits cheat

Tell them you've found something but you won't start for a few weeks. You'll have to look for jobs in the mean time but you'll still get the money until you start the new job....I think...

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Z

Yeah... I dunno, do you think I should just apply for jobs, go to the meeting and pretend I'm still looking or tell the guy I've found something? I feel probably the former if I'm going to carry on but I realise that makes me an actual benefits cheat

First one tbh. You need an income and the current rules are stupid.

Who cares if you are a benefits cheat either, given some think those on JSA are all fiddling anyways A bit of common sense should make people agree with you essentially 'faking' as you already have a job lined up and its a waste of your time and the employers time if you keep applying for jobs

[Z]

Yeah it's a heap of nonsense, like fair enough with all the tough rules and regulations to crack down on cheats, absolutely, but if the system is actually encouraging people to cheat then clearly all those rules are not working and I'm surely not the only person in the country right now in this position, not the first and certainly not the last!

[Tom4784]

Don't feel like you're cheating the system, you are not earning money from a job and until you are you're entitled to help.

[BigSister]

Good that you got a job Greg!. Im on work based esa at the moment because of my eye injections but actually getting on that was a nightmare apparently ifyour having eye injections and holed up a week in pain you can still look for work. I am currently in the position of getting a volunteer position while having my eye injections so at least they have stopped nagging me and like someone said if your ok with them they are ok with you. Its just a nightmare though I agree!

[*mazedsalv**]

I know this was posted a while back, and well done on the job, but this is to anyone considering JSA.....

Do NOT DO IT.

I was on JSA and had to go in twice a week to fill out a booklet about all the job searching i did (and i did a LOT), that's fair enough. However they were no help and then tried ti screw me over massively.

I was at that time only working 10 hours a week, which is below the hours as i think it's 20 hours or less you are eligible for JSA. I handed in my payslip every month (i was signed up for 4 months).

Then they call me in and said "you need to pay ALL that money back (plus another £100 as a "fine") because you lied to us and you work more than you are supposed to.

I obviously didn't because all the evidence was in the payslips i provided them. They kept saying "no you owe us this because you were not supposed to get that money". I got bad and told them i would sue them for attempting to take money of me when all the evidence was there.

They send me a letter saying that they would add an extra £100 if i did not give them all the money ASAP.

So, i got hold of someone fairly high up, and made a formal complaint. The next week i get a letter saying "I'm very sorry for the inconvenience but we had you mixed up with someone else". The thing is, had I paid that money to them, and they found out they made the mistake AFTER I paid them, do you reckon they would have told me and given the money back? NO CHANCE. They only apologized because they got caught.

Then get this.... they had the ******* audacity to phone me after and ask me if i am still attending the weekly meetings.

Be careful. They are idiots and want to get you in a much worse position.

[Marsh.]

Twice a week?

I had to go once a fortnight when I was on it.

[*mazedsalv**]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Twice a week?

I had to go once a fortnight when I was on it.

Yep twice a week. Once with handing in my payslip and organizing the hours i worked, and another one with the tutor and talking about what I've applied for.