Unfair benefits sanction?

[Snowymorning]

Not a begging post and I’ll make things work but just wanted opinions whether I’ve been unfairly treated. I lost my job about 9 months ago due to cuts at work and I’m currently on Universal Credit and have been looking for work around school hours as I’m a single parent and my daughter is in reception . I was signed up for a back to work programme called Restart. Restart kept booking appointments in at school pick up time even though I had told them I can’t attend at these times. I always let them know and asked to rearrange but they kept doing it. I’ve now been sanctioned by the job centre for not attending two Restart appointments booked in at 3pm and they’ve took £363 off me this month. I just think this is unfair at Christmas time especially as a single mum with a 4 year old. I really don’t have anyone else who could have collected my daughter for me either. Fairly new to area and don’t know anybody who could have. Is this fair for them to have done this?

No I don’t think it’s far, I think they could listen and arrange an appointment on a different day.

Fair

I feel it is unfair.

I don't know much about the system but you can challenge a sanction in certain circumstances via the CAB.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/sanctions/challenging-a-sanction/#:~:text=Next%20steps-,You%20can%20ask%20the%20Department%20for%20Work%20and%20Pensions%20(DWP,contact%20your%20nearest%20Citizens%20Advice.

I think it's unfair - provided you have always communicated with them each time, rather than just not turning up.

Why?

No I don’t think it’s far, I think they could listen and arrange an appointment on a different day.

this was my original response

I was correcting a typo

I agree with this.

However, could you take your daughter out of school early to attend, ask a parent in the class or arrange a one off childminder/after school club to prevent this happening again?

Ditto for only looking for a school hour job. I'm a single parent and have had to use paid childcare in order to work. Have you looked into the local childcare options for this.

I think rather than it get to the point that you have to attend a re-start scheme you should have been prepared to look for work outside of school and use after school clubs/ childminders etc like most parents do. Uc will pay 85% of costs.

I don't think it's fair, no. But if I was concerned that they might sanction me, I would have collected my daughter early, just so I could go to the appointment.

You absolutely shouldn't have to do this, but if it made you not lose that £363, then it's absolutely worth it when your child is in reception and is only learning through play at that age.

It doesn’t seem fair but if you were at work I suppose you’d need to be able to get there. I’m guessing the school doesn’t have wrap around?

I also think £360 + pounds is a ridiculous amount to take off you though.

It's actually obscene. So they plunge you into poverty because you can't make an appointment because you have to pick your kid up from school?

See, I thought the welfare state was supposed to provide a safety net. Turns out there are massive holes in the net.

I would challenge it if I were you.

Not fair at all - how rotten of them

However I would say - stop looking for jobs during school hours - as a single parent you get support for childcare - childminders, wrap around etc means you can work and earn. Not a dig at being on UC or being in this shitty shitty situation though OP - it's crap

I am a single parent of 3 (aged 4months, 7 and 8 when he left) and I worked 8-5 - it is possible - get off UC if you can it's a shit system

I'm so sorry they did this - appeal x

Seems harsh but what will you do for after school childcare when you start work? Can the child's Dad or relative pick up sometimes?

They pay up to 85%..
her dd is only in reception, she’s tiny, first term in a new school, surely there were plenty of appointments that op could have attended while her child was at school.

After school clubs often only take regular bookings do they can staff it for the numbers.

For both appts you informed them you couldn’t make it? I guess this is about you being available for work.

honestly I’d take my kid out school and go next time so you are not sanctioned again, its crap

Op I hope you are claiming CMS.

When you asked did they rearrange?

Got to hit the monthly target for sanctions. Iirc this was a thing and Dwp denied it. If people are on the breadline how n hell is taking £360 off going to help, christ even if you're working £360 light would be a massive hit.

But it isn’t work

I don’t think it’s fair but you do need to look at full time employment rather than school hours. Just working school hours is really unobtainable for anyone, there are not many jobs out there where you can demand this, plus you will get extra benefit for childcare if you worked more hours.

and more importantly perhaps find a career path or a long term steady income for you and your daughter, living on benefits must be rough, but there is tonnes of options out their

What are your qualifications and prior work experience? Could you get a WFH job with flexitime (core hours), so you can work during school hours and again when your DC is in bed? Its what I do, I'm a lone parent.

Most people who challenge sanctions get them cancelled - put in a mandatory reconsideration explaining that they booked the appointments for times you'd said you couldnt attend because of childcare responsibilities. But you do need to be looking for jobs outside of just school hours I'm afraid

Make a formal complaint in your journal. Set out how many times you have asked for suitable appointments and these requests have been ignored and it is unfair you have been sanctioned. Only ever deal with UC in writing in the journal so you have a complete transcript of everything thats going on.

Restart is more intensive, it’s aimed at the longer term unemployed, and it is mandatory to be available for appts and available for work. You clearly can rearrange for an emergency or health issue, or one off child care issue, but not just I’m not available during these hours.

the op needs to be careful , from late next year, and when/if the op has been unemployed for 18 months after completing restart. She will be placed in mandatory employment and if she doesn’t do it, her benefits will be stopped. So she’s got some time, but if she’s not employed by the 18 month point, she will be given mandatory employment.

and likely she will keep getting appts made at times she should be available for work but isn’t. And if she keeps missing them, they will view it as not engaging and stop her benefits totally.