4months waiting.......what to do?

Blinking_Badger

Hey all,

I was on JSB for 12 months and it ran out in March this year. I applied for JSA at that time and I am still waiting for an interview to be approved for JSA. I'm in receipt of emergency payments from my CWO so the financial side of things is ok.......however I have been accepted onto a college course and need to be on either JSA or JSB in order to apply for BTEA.

I cannot apply for this as I am not on either at the moment and just in a kind of social welfare limbo......what can I do?? I need to get BTEA approved before September.

HELP!

Thanks

BB

edellc

go down to your local office and explain this to them and request that you speak to a deciding officer

ronano

Has anyone done that? i'm in a similar situation,i put in claim in mid feb,the means test is done just waiting for the deciding officer to get around to it. I want to go onto the back to work enterprise scheme,i have talked to those in charge of the scheme in my area and they know im just waiting for a new means test to be done before i go onto it.

My worry is that if i go to the deciding officer he'll say you're not actively looking for work just killing time til you go on the back to work scheme which isnt true.

Blinking_Badger

Thanks for the replies,

I'm also afraid of saying that I'm going back to college as that would mean that I'm not actively job seeking surely???

Can anyone here clarify whether or not JSA can be refused if youre going back to college? What would then happen to the emergency payments that Ive been getting off my CWO? How would they be paid back?

Thanks

BB

Grumpypants

Im in the very same boat i have my college place booked and the registration paid but i cant apply for BTEA until i get the JSA. Had my interview in April and still nothing. I went to the social office and the girl at the BTEA counter said i need to wait, the girl at my counter said check with decisions, the girl at decisions said that they haven't even gotten the report from the guy doing the interview so she has no idea how long it will be !!

Blinking_Badger

Grumpypants wrote: »

Im in the very same boat i have my college place booked and the registration paid but i cant apply for BTEA until i get the JSA. Had my interview in April and still nothing. I went to the social office and the girl at the BTEA counter said i need to wait, the girl at my counter said check with decisions, the girl at decisions said that they haven't even gotten the report from the guy doing the interview so she has no idea how long it will be !!

I can empathise with you Grumpypants, I also have paid my deposit for the college course and need to get this moving. I'm going to head into my local SW office on Monday morning, however the last time I asked about this, approx. 1 month ago I was told that there was no point " coming in here asking about it, you just have to wait for a letter to be sent out".

I am at the end of my tether, are we facing a situation where BTEA is not an option due to a backlog of SW application? It hardly seems fair. I cannot afford to personally fund a year in college, are we going to have to stay on the dole queue instead?

Can anyone else shed any light on this?

Thanks
BB

Balagan

When you go to SW try to speak to the staff member who deals with BTEA

Colpriz

if your local FUB cant help you out try go see an ERT this way you can claim any back payments of JSA. usually FUB's have a SOV dept. that can help you deal with any PDM's or JLO's

Blinking_Badger

Thanks very much for your advice Balagan & Colpriz.

You'll have to excuse my ignorance though Colpriz.....I'm not quite sure what your abbreviations stand for!! Would you mind translating for me please?

Thanks!

BB

Grumpypants

Balagan wrote: »

When you go to SW try to speak to the staff member who deals with BTEA

I did that and i was told i have to wait for a decision on the JSA side of things first before i can even apply for the BTEA.

Grumpypants

I went back in yesterday and the girl knew me from going in and out asking said she got an email saying the report had been sent to the deciding officer and i should hear "soon"

I guess you have to keep going in their and asking. I have found if you sit back and wait you get nothing go in and create a stink and you get everything a lot quicker.