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Saturday, 27 August 2016

Why single claimants should submit an ESA Mandatory Reconsideration BEFORE their JSA claim

Comments on a Kate Belgrave blog post have given rise to speculation that Jobcentre Plus has constructively cancelled the Jobseekers Allowance (Jsa) claims of single claimants in order to railroad them onto Universal Credit with all its nightmarish procedures such as online-only application.(1)

Under Conservative Government, the hoops and hurdles benefit claimants have to negotiate have changed in other ways such as, if you are rated 'ineligible' for Employment & Support Allowance, you must make a claim for Jobseekers Allowance instead, even if you are really not fit for work or 'work related activity'. Now though, it seems that there is a way around that problem. 

Our friends at Scottish Unemployed Workers Network (SUWN) report:(2)
.... We came across a ... case today, again an older guy who had been bumped off ESA and who was now forced onto JSA. He explained that he could not understand why he was being forced onto JSA when he felt he could not, in all honesty, hold down any kind of regular work, despite the fact that he would love to return to paid employment rather than being treated like a scrounger. We urged him to submit a mandatory reconsideration BEFORE he applies for JSA; as a single claimant he can be forced onto Universal Credit (UC) if he makes a new claim, but if he puts his mandy recon in first he will not be classified as a new claimant, and will thus avoid being put onto UC. Remember, if you are removed from ESA, always submit your mandy recon against that decision BEFORE you make any claim for JSA. We also advised him that once he is on JSA he can get a doctor’s line for an Extended Period of Sickness of 13 weeks....(2)

Link addresses

http://www.katebelgrave.com/2016/03/closed-claims-lost-housing-benefit-how-ids-contempt-for-sick-or-disabled-claimants-played/
https://scottishunemployedworkers.net/2016/08/18/this-week-at-dundee-buroo/

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