To think cycling isn't free and job center should pay milliage

[feellikeahugefailure]

I have to sign on every week. Every other week they pay expenses. It's several busses to get there, so is 14.60 return.

They will pay this bus fare or pay 25p a mile but if you use your bike you get nothing.

When you are on such a limited income ware and tear on the bike does happen and is a big expense also the calories used are an expense. Even just something like 5p a mile should be possible imo.

I was going to use my bike on nice days and I would end up saving the country money and be fitter. But seeing as they pay for the bus fare I would never bike there. Its a reasonably long way and I would need alot of calories after doing the return journey.

Fair point OP.

I also think jobseekers should get free travel in whatever way your particular region organises it.

With the creative thinking skills you have OP, I'm sure you'll have a job soon and won't need to worry about this.

riding a bike isn't cost free, but neither is walking either, you will wear and tear your shoes/outerwear, and walking also burns energy, I'm afraid not all things are free in life, some things do cost, and this is one of those things that you either just need to suck up, or do it the public transport route with no benefits to your health.

I actually think it's outrageous that people have to spend £14.60 to get to their nearest job centre on a weekly basis and don't get it reimbursed on a weekly basis. When you only get £73 a week (assuming over 24) then taking £7.30 a week from it is quite a chunk.

"Abit surprised you get travel expenses for jsa. Learn something every day."

Londonrach - if you live outside a big city, it can easily be 20 miles to your nearest jobcentre - seems like it would be very unfair if one claimant has a 2 mile walk to the jobcentre because they happen to live nearby, whereas another has to spend 10 quid on buses out of their money.

I know quite a few people round here hitch, but it's not a great option for a young woman with ASD, just for example (thinking of one person I know slightly who does hitch, I suspect because she wouldn't have the skills to ask for transport costs).

My public sector organisation pays 20p a mile for cycling and I think it's a great idea. I can't cycle but wholly support those that do be it for health or financial reasons.

Red roses there is a whole world outside London

www.gov.uk/expenses-and-benefits-business-travel-mileage/rules-for-tax

You can get 20p per mile for riding a bike

Yabu but thanks for the laugh. Calorie allowance indeed!

I can understand you want help op. £14 in bus fares every two weeks is a huge expense. My dsis pays £5 every 2weeks since they closed the local jobcentre. When she questioned this the staff said "we have to pay too". Not out of £73 . I guesd you need to cycle the days they don pay and bus the days they do.
or can you claim mileage. I took my sis by car once and she claimed mileage. (Much less than train fare)

Britain is going to hell.

You don't get travel expenses for your regular sign on days. Only for additional appointments. My dsis has these appointments on her sign on days so no expenses are payable. Great on paper except the appointments are hours apart. So shevhad to hang around in quite frankly a really shit town.

I'm not sure I've spent more than a tenner on my bike since buying it 12 years ago.

I'm impressed - I've bought new inner tubes, tools, lights, puncture repair kit etc and spent a small fortune on mine in 18 months. It does get a lot of abuse though!

2/10

oh look, the OP didn't come back probably got called for dinner

More companies are now offering cycling mileage for business travel (many to hit their environmental policy targets) but it's still not the norm. It can be quite a difficult expense to manage and is open to abuse. I work for an organisation that pays expenses for people participating in our courses etc. We trailed it and it wasn't very successful. We had people claiming they'd cycled in when actually several had lift shared, cost more to administer than we were paying out etc.

to sign on for the JSA, its every 2 weeks, not every week as PP are suggesting. Its still a considerable amount with JSA entitlement.

The cost of the bus fare is unreasonable, however I do think the cost of wear and tear for a bike and calorie counting is UR

Calories allowance made me laugh but I think if someone lives say more than 5 miles from a job centre by foot perhaps they could get some form of support, maybe the local church being used and the job centre staff travelling instead. Churches can't be that busy during the week, and the vicar would have a chance to help and bring comfort to his flock, or something.

Although I would imagine you'd be taxed on your benefit of allowance for cycling etc. It's unsustainable.

To the people who think job seekers shouldn't get travel, I'd much rather they got free travel tha 16-18 in education getting free bus travel (in Lonodon). Makes far more sense to help out job seekers. Of course I include any job seekers 16-18.

In my area we have advisors who see people with barriers to employment at venues in the community for job coaching but claimants still have to attend the job centre fortnightly to sign on.

Oh well hopefully the OP will soon be forced to take a job on a zero hours contract, as a lot of employers are abusing this legal loop hole, she will be classed as employed so great for government employment statistics and her job will have no guaranteed hours, no holiday or sick pay and can be terminated at the drop of a hat. She can cry herself to sleep worrying about how to pay her bills and visit a food bank (2 visits per year are allowed) if hungry.

A lot of companies, including the large manufacturering company that I work for, will pay mileage for employees who use bikes - it's allowable for tax purposes too. So there's nothing fundamentally wrong with paying a bike allowance to job seekers. I'm amazed that people are so shocked at this, especially as the alternative is paying quite a lot more in bus fares.

Gracious, someone gets off their arse and cycles to the job centre and then you get those sanctamoanious posts ffs.

If op came on here and said I can't get to the job centre as I don't have a car, some bright spark would suggest she ride her bike their and back, then other posters would jump on the bandwagon and say of yes cycle thuer and don't be so lazy.....

Wow just wow. I thought this site was to support each other, some of the reply here are just awful, like kicking someone when they are down?

Thanks for all the supportive replies, especially whois who articulated exactly what I think about saving money for public purse. I think its very sad that benefits bashing is such a common sport even on places like here.

All i'm asking for is an allowance that many people in work roles get and that HMRC have set a rate for. But some of you think people out of work should be treated far worse than people in work.

I'll request that this is deleted. Its hard enough being on JSA, reading some of these has upset me and I wouldn't want anyone else struggling on JSA to be upset by some people.

JSA is very little and you have to watch every penny.

and people who work don't have to?

I am on board with the bike wear and tear.

Not with the snacks. Who else claims a snack allowance because their mode of transport burns more calories?