Expected to attend UC interview while working

[WellThisIsStupid]

We claimed UC as we were migrated from tax credits (we only got CTC as DH earned too much for WTC).

The migration coincidentally occurred when DH was made redundant.

DH has been employed for a month. He had an interview with his work coach in the first week, which he cancelled due to being at work. This was fine.

His employment started in the middle of our assessment period, so the payment reflected that and clearly states the wages reported from his employer.

He has now been given another mandatory work commitment interview next week. He put a message on the journal saying that as already reported he is working and cannot attend.

I've just seen a message for him on the journal. It states that he still needs to attend. That he will have to go to these interviews until the HMRC confirm that he has been paid. Even then he will still need to attend until he has had his first wage!!!

The thing is he has ALREADY been paid; he gets wages, so is paid weekly, furthermore, they HAVE proof of his wages as they paid us less this month due to the wages reported by his employer!

They've said he needs to attend the phone appointment on Tuesday. He drives for a living! Can he realistically be expected to answer a call, whilst driving a bus load of children or pensioners?

Should he take the day off and lose his job? Is that what they expect?

He works 40+ hours a week Mon-Fri (5/6am - 6-7pm although it changes daily as it's ad hoc, he's had to work through the night on a couple of occasions and occasionally weekends), so there is no ability to make an appointment in advance.

I really don't know what to say to them. I've told him, but he's working and not replied, and I know he won't sign into his account at lunch time.

Surely you reply again say he has received his first wage. Attach the payslip.

Is he not entitled to annual leave?

? He's been there four weeks? You seriously think he should ask for a day's holiday on Tuesday just to answer the job centre call?

UC is a joke with stuff like this. They wanted me to attend an interview person interview at the job centre whilst I was sending in sicknotes and an in patient in hospital.

There is no way of attaching anything to the journal. He was asked to attach a CV when we first claimed by a certain date, but there was no way to attach it, unless sent a link by the work coach. I've just looked, but there is nowhere to attach it, plus they already know about it as they deducted a lot of money from us due to his wages.

Ring them. You'll not get a sensible reply in time over messenger. If they just want his payslip you could send them a copy.

Just reply again, the quality of response depends on who you get on the journal hopefully you'll get someone sensible, it isn't a joined up system and the person phoning / setting up the appointment hasn't always seen the comments on the journal or the documents uploaded. Give a time he can make the phone appointment and refer to the amount of wages he received and when

Could you phone them on his behalf??? Otherwise keep putting messages on the journal

Contact your MP’s office. They have caseworkers who can help intervene in situations like this. I did this once and they were incredibly helpful despite working for a Tory MP.

Get your dh to put up a journal message advising of his working hours and ask if he can have a call during a break/lunch. It really shouldn't take very long. It also shows willing on your dh's part to play ball until such times as enough of his earnings are available to push him into the Working Enough workgroup.

Where is your local office? Could you possibly go and talk to someone face to face? Explain that he is driving and unable to take a personal call due to the nature of his job?

Ask for a Sat app

That's a bit abrupt. It is one of the options open to him if he has annual leave available. Some companies allow AL to be booked before it is accrued. That's what UC is like. DH has had to attend appointments before and it's just how it goes.

That would be great if it was a regular 9-5 job. His work is variable and changes day to day, he gets informed of his rota a few days before, so unless the JC were willing to make an appointment with very little notice, then it's impossible. For example, last week he worked 6am - 2pm, then he came home, went to bed, as he had to be back at work at 2am (so got up at 1am). Then he finished at 12pm. The next day he started at 5am.

He often does trips with lots of stops, so can't be sure what time exactly he will be available to answer the phone (if there was traffic on the motorway for instance).

This week he's been working 12-13 hour shifts every day, and it's different every day, he has no regular working hours.

OP - it’s important you do things via the journal in case you need evidence if they try to dispute things. Explain the situation again on the journal. And ask for someone to contact him so he can comply.

No point getting arsey, saying it’s a stupid system. Claiming UC when working still comes with expectations to comply.

He's informed them that he's found employment so that should be the end of the matter. Just ignore.

Ultimately, you can complain about it (and do go ahead, it's a horrible system) or you can work out your options:

1. Make the appointment and advise work that you won't be able to be scheduled for x date at y time.
2. Make the appointment and ask for annual leave on that day.
3. Write a note on the journal and ask if the appointment can be scheduled within his working hours.
4. Refuse to make an appointment and get sanctioned.

His employer desperately needs drivers, for contracts they need to fulfil. If he was to ask for a day off just to answer a call, then he wouldn't last long...maybe that's it, maybe he should just leave and we'll stay on UC instead of working.

I respect that your DH was willing to do that, but it seems ridiculous to take a day's holiday, with such short notice (we were informed last night of appointment on Tuesday).

We hardly got anything, we only got some money as he started work during the assessment period. It seems stupid to waste a day's holiday, annoy his new employers, when we may get nothing next month anyway.

I understand that. But has he even ask for his rota to be shifted to accommodate the appointment on Tuesday? At the moment you're in the mindset that it's an inconvenience and irrelevant. But if you want the money, you have to do something to either comply or get them to shift. That means your DH needs to take action.

Sorry I've been a bit harsh to you. They are good ideas. He works bloody hard and has so little free time, it seems abhorrent they want to take his free time for a box check, especially when he can't up his hours and pay. He is paid the going rate for the job and works more hours than jobcentre employees do. If he was working part time I'd understand it.

This is so awful and unfair op.

It isn't the type of job that can be shifted around. He needs to take time off for a medical check (without which he will be unable to do his job at all), in January and the company are already asking for him to do this on a Saturday, which he is trying to accommodate. I think we'll need to ask for a Saturday appointment, as any time during the week can (and does) change, depending on the company's needs.

If he'd stayed a bus driver he'd have known his rota, but what he's doing now is so very different.

This is ridiculous. They don't sound helpful at all.
I know he is very busy but can he stop in at his local job centre randomly when he is free too and speak to someone face to face and explain?

This is the message, it seems they don't realise he hasn't already been paid. This is highlighted by saying "how we can support you until you've been paid."

I've replied on the journal, saying that they know he's been paid as they've deducted money from it and that he can't attend on Tuesday due to being at work. Will see if and when they respond.

Funnily enough he's working more hours than his commitments said to, as I'm disabled and they told him to apply for Carer's Allowance (which he's just got, but is no longer entitled to due to working).

I've also got an appointment, even though I've got a fit note and just sent back a LCWRA form.

I think what is likely to have happened is that they haven’t checked the period on his pay slip so think he’s working less hours on a monthly basis and therefore needs to find more hours to meet the conditions.

it may worth putting in his hours and that as seen on the last statement x earnings were taken into consideration and this was wages for a to b date and pay is weekly rather than monthly.