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[moggy]

Hi all,to cut a long story short.About three weeks ago my wife and i lost our jobs,we did not sign on straight away.(i know we should have done)Anyway we made a claim on Monday this week and had to go for the interview today at three o'clock.But as luck would have it this morning an employer phoned, and said if you can come and see me now the jobs yours.(both me and the wife)So off we go sure enough the jobs are ours,came back home happy.Now before we go to the interview i phone the job centre help line to ask what help we can get.Bearing in mind the job is 30 miles from my home and it monthly pay.I was told there are different ways to help,first housing benefit and council tax benefit run on.A crisis loan,budgeting loan both of which you have to pay back.Or the best one ADF Adviser discretionary fund of up to 300 pounds each,that you don't pay back.But as i will be using it for petrol i must give them the same amount in receipts.So over i go to tell them we have a job and ask for 150 pounds for petrol £50pw.Guess what cant help at all,no kind of loan at all.Because our claim is only 4 days old and there is no funds in the ADF even through the web site says it is available from day 1 of a claim and is available.The only thing they would offer is a bus pass £50 that i can have in a giro,to spend on petrol.They want receipts for that and only i can claim it because my wife will be working at the same place and its considered car sharing.It gets worse if we don't take the job,it could be viewed as refusing work.And as such could affect our benefit,on top of which. We were told we will have to attend a back to work interview next wednesday to see what we are doing to find work.As far as i am concerned we have a job but cant get any help to start it.I am pretty fooked off about it to be quite honest ,and would welcome your thoughts and any advice.As these people say they want to help you back in to work,and really don't give a shit .P's please forgive my spelling,punctuation,and grammar I've never been good at it .Moggy

[albitz]

They are rather useless if your a genuine person ime. Any chance of a small overdraft / loan to tide you over ? :-/

[Lazydocker]

When SWMBO was made redundant we went down so she could sign on and after the first payment I told her not to bother... Was so degrading having to jump through so many hoops while some others were getting money left right and centre

In the end she got a part time job to tide her over and I worked 7 shifts in 8 days, every 8 days

[Banjax]

i don't think they'd give you a crisis loan - i think thats for food, basic clothing, furniture 

Citizens Advice is probably the best bet for wrangling out any money from the system, but its a tough one - damned if you do,  certainly damned if you don't. if, tho, you take the job and then get sacked.....thats not refusing work 

but i'd probably take them up on the bus pass, try and sell the mig until you're in a better position - but dont leave yourself jobless with no entitlement to claim - that would be the worst case

[tunnie]

When SWMBO was made redundant we went down so she could sign on and after the first payment I told her not to bother... Was so degrading having to jump through so many hoops while some others were getting money left right and centre

In the end she got a part time job to tide her over and I worked 7 shifts in 8 days, every 8 days

 

Is now a good time to mention I am working 2 days (10 hours shifts each) in 9 days

[moggy]

They are rather useless if your a genuine person ime. Any chance of a small overdraft / loan to tide you over ? :-/

Hi albs,no overdraft at the bank and no loans,as i was declared bankrupt when i lost my long term job two and a half years ago.Also i forgot to mention if i do take the job,i wont get the housing and council tax benefit 4 week run on.So i will have to find that to

[Big_Al]

how many times do we hear this. The system does not help genuine ,honest people.

hope you can sort something -- feel for you mate

[sotmh]

Not sure if this would help as I do not now the ins and outs of claiming, but did you try to back claim.  This may give you the time factor to claim the loan

[albitz]

I had a short period of it myself a couple of years ago mate and I completely sympathise. They lost my paperwork so many times I simply gave up trying to get what I was entitled to in the end. Had just got out of debt, and had to get back into it because of those useless tossers. Incompetent doesnt begin to cover it. They wouldnt last 5 rather minutes in the real world of the private sector.

[albitz]

I gave them copies of every bank account etc.Even the virtually obselete ones with a fiver in etc. They were openly shocked at my level of honesty - its quite rare apparently - they lost the lot. I hand delivered another set of copies, they sent me a ltter saying claim would be denied if I didnt supply the requested paperwork. I informed them that I already had - twice. Reply was "perhaps we lost it then " again.
I hand delivered yet another set of copies. Recieved another letter "your claim will be denied unless.........."
I gave up at this point.

[moggy]

Not sure if this would help as I do not now the ins and outs of claiming, but did you try to back claim.  This may give you the time factor to claim the loan

Hi Sotmh,i asked that mate but was told i would need to be signing for at least 26 weeks.And as we we laid off just over 3 weeks ago it make s no difference,seems to me they seem to have the answer to everything.You just disappear up your own arsehole

[moggy]

how many times do we hear this. The system does not help genuine ,honest people.

hope you can sort something -- feel for you mate

Thanks Al,we just want to work don't want to be on the dole

[Webby the Bear]

moggy, i feel for ya mate. it seems there are honest hard working people like yaself that get shafted by the system when in need of very short term help.... yet there are people who ''play'' the benefits system and know the ins and outs of entitlement and seem to get everything under the sun 

anyway back on topic..... as it appears you cant get help from the job centre have you got mates or family that you can call upon?? needs must sometimes. 

[Vamps]

You should be able to get benefits until you get paid, no matter how long, or short a period of time that is, have a chat with the CAB or local Welfare Rights office....

[Webby the Bear]

have a chat with the CAB

yes, forgot about them. defo!!!