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Work coaches ending JSA claims and telling claimants to claim UC
Hi - now that the work coaches are contacting legacy benefit claimants who they have not had contact with due to Covid 19, we are coming across some issues.
We have come across several cases where a work coach has telephoned a JSA claimant to ask what they have been doing to look for work. The claimant has then replied along the lines of ’ I have been unwell so haven’t been doing much’ . The work coach then replies with ‘that is a change of circumstances, you are no longer eligible for JSA and you need to claim UC.
The problem with this is that these claimants are not being advised about their options or the consequences of this. They are not told about extended periods of sickness on JSA and then accept what the work coach says. These claimants are often worse off on UC especially in the case of a recent client who claimed JSA and PIP with an SDP. Another client claimed JSA and PIP and while they were entitled to an SDP this was not in payment.
I have tried to raise this issue with the DWP partnership manager but wondered if this issue could be escalated as it is happening in other areas too,
Hi - now that the work coaches are contacting legacy benefit claimants who they have not had contact with due to Covid 19, we are coming across some issues.
We have come across several cases where a work coach has telephoned a JSA claimant to ask what they have been doing to look for work. The claimant has then replied along the lines of ’ I have been unwell so haven’t been doing much’ . The work coach then replies with ‘that is a change of circumstances, you are no longer eligible for JSA and you need to claim UC.
The problem with this is that these claimants are not being advised about their options or the consequences of this. They are not told about extended periods of sickness on JSA and then accept what the work coach says. These claimants are often worse off on UC especially in the case of a recent client who claimed JSA and PIP with an SDP. Another client claimed JSA and PIP and while they were entitled to an SDP this was not in payment.
I have tried to raise this issue with the DWP partnership manager but wondered if this issue could be escalated as it is happening in other areas too,
Seems to have been an ongoing theme in some shape or form with UC since it’s various roll outs began with JSA, IS, IR ESA claimant’s for whatever reason etc etc being told to claim UC.
Would be worth sharing with CPAG too
Many thanks - have contacted CPAG EWS and also spoken with out council welfare rights team