I've made a complaint about my Work Coach

[BobISMyUncle]

and now I've been sanctioned. I couldn't attend an appointment due to lack of petrol and a lack of funds to get there. I receive my Universal Credit on the 10th of each month, and my appointment was made (by them) for the 8th. I receive the princely sum of £324 per month. I wrote on my Journal that I could not make this appointment due to lack of money to buy petrol. I received a reply (it was heavy sighing, even in the Journal entry, if that makes sense!) and stated that she would "ring me on this occasion". This appointment is a 23 mile round trip and costs about £5.00
During my phone call, I was told that "you need to manage your money better". Sadly, I'm one of those people who think of brilliant retorts about ten minutes after I need them! Nonetheless, I was still quite surprised at her remark but didn't get the chance to answer as she was determined to move the conversation on. These meetings are mandatory. They must be attended otherwise sanctions will be applied.
Hey Presto! I'm sanctioned. I don't know by how much because the website is down (conveniently?) I can't appeal against the decision because the website is down. I can't do anything. If I call, it's a call centre and nothing is achieved, they appear to be message takers. I would like to talk with someone who has a little empathy. AND! YE GODS! I've missed another appointment! More sanctions coming my way! This, from a Civil Servant. I wonder, how much do I have to live on next month? My work coach suggested that I do care work. I wonder if it's because she will be needing it from her other clients? I am not rubbing my hands in glee because I'm far too busy making room for her in the patio and well tended gardens of my sheltered housing accommodation. LOL! This is funny, but serious. Advice please x

Not Impressed of East Anglia.

Only 1 more year to go the

So when you told them you’d been offered a 12 hour shift but you wouldn’t take it because UC would take 64p off for every pound… they didn’t enlighten you that this is false?

55p in the £ now.

So the OP has a 2 Fail to Attends as well as fail to take up paid work on her record, it's no wonder that they have been sanctioned really.

Yes i clarified all upthread

op in council housing so gets the work allowance too.

so she would have been walking away with that 12 hours in her pocket

Absolutely correct that she was sanctioned.

and the two failed attends plus failure to take up work is only what she’s told us (and only after questioning), so I reckon it’s a hornet’s nest of issues

If you need to attend they can pay back the cost of your bus ticket its called the flexible support fund every 2nd appointment. You need to attend face to face to have the sanction lifted.

OP does not get the work allowance by virtue of being in council housing, work allowance is granted by having children or LCW/RA, you keep repeating that even though it is incorrect, and I've corrected you before so took the liberty of looking it up for you.

You will be eligible for a work allowance if you (and/or your partner) either have:
responsibility for a child
limited capability for work

If you have earnings but you (or your partner) are not responsible for a child or do not have limited capability for work you will not be eligible for a work allowance.

Point 3 on this link:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-work-allowances/universal-credit-work-allowances

ah yes, correct

Thanks for coming back 😃

Well, you have put a lot of misinformation in here, if the OP was to read and believe all you have said then she would be worried she was going to be investigated for fraud, and also that she would be eligible for the work allowance when she isnt, so thought it best that it was all corrected

I stand by not keeping to your commitments means you have broken the contractual relationship between you and UC and so the benefits she received since this failure to comply is fraud as knowingly being claimed under false pretences

Comment of the year 😂😂🤣🤣🤣absolute genius 😂😂

Refusing a job offer or pay increase

The DWP can't make you take a new job or pay increase, but you'll need to have a good reason for doing this. For example, you might have an emergency at home or you might be in hospital. If you don't have a good reason they'll probably 'sanction' you, which means having your Universal Credit temporarily reduced.

op didn’t even tell them she’d been offered and then refused. It’s different from refusing to take up the job, which would likely result in a sanction, because she actually now is claiming under a false pretence ie she has not been offered and the refused a job.

that is fraud

It is concerning that someone supposedly working in compliance doesn’t seem to understand what fraud is

I know exactly what fraud is thank you, and as I have said this is not something that the fraud team would investigate at all. It would be down to a WC and DM to administer any sanctions about this.

From your quote, "probably sanction you" which is not something that a fraud investigator does, they NEVER administer sanctions

Not everyone gets a work allowance. Only those who have dependent children included in their claim or have limited capability for work/work-related activity get some of their earnings disregarded.

And the standard disregard is £344. Only those with no housing costs included in their claim get the higher work allowance, which is £573.

You got the taper rate right though.

There is a difference between something being against your commitments and something being fraudulent.

What the OP has done is not honest, it is against their commitments but is it something a fraud investigator would be interested in? Not a chance.

Not everything a claimant does that is against the principles of UC is classed as fraud.

But the upshot of not complying with commitments has meant claiming under false pretence

Are you saying that someone having another adult move in to the property and not updating UC would not be fraud? It would be and is same situation here. Lying through omission to tell and so receiving benefits under false pretences

Isn’t state pension age 66?

You cannot claim Universal Credit if you have reached State Pension age. State Pension age for men and women is 66 years old.

good point

another lie then from the op

You are not getting what a FI would look at and would not.

Living together would be what a FI would investigate, someone turning down a job wold not be.

If they had taken a job and not declared income then a FI would look at it, but someone not accepting an offer of work would not be classed as fraud in the benefit system. Not everything someone does against their commitments would be routed to a FI.

Just accept you are wrong in this instance, or maybe you need to write to my Team Leader to request I receive further training, or maybe you can deliver the training yourself as you seem to know so much about it.

Maybe leave out the part about work allowances though as you have no idea about that.

As I say - concerning you don’t seem to understand what fraud is.

rather than your cobbled together interpretation

but seeing as I doubt very much you are a compliance officer - I will bow out (and when I say that, I do actually mean it @Allthegoodnamesaregoneffs 😂)

Good trick to stop you being tempted @Allthegoodnamesaregoneffs is to hide the thread! As I’m about to do!

For clarity, it is NOT classed as fraud for failing to take up work. It is sanctionable but certainly not fraud.

And it's only sanctionable if you turn down a job without a good reason. Good reasons can include being required to work outside hours when childcare is available or when public transport (if needed) would be unavailable, or when travel time is excessive (usually deemed to be 90 mins each way).

I know what Fraud is, and I know what a FI would investigate, and this is neither