Ridiculous JSA situation - help?

My cousin is currently on Jobseekers' Allowance, and has been actively looking for a job. The job centre have found him one. The catch? It'll actually cost him more to get to and from it than they're going to pay him - he will be paying (so borrowing from a family member, me probably) for the privilege of doing this job. And they're going to stop the JSA if he doesn't take it.

The really ridiculous part is this isn't the first time he's had this problem, it was just fortunate that the job itself fell through last time. Doesn't look like there's going to be any such luck this time. He doesn't know what to do - the job centre failed to see the problem last time and are being equally stubborn this time.

Any advice?

What would be the cost of getting there? I am probably wrong but I can't see how public transport to the job will cost more than the wage.

because his previous employer refused to give P60 when he left(or is it P45?)

My cousin is currently on Jobseekers' Allowance, and has been actively looking for a job. The job centre have found him one. The catch? It'll actually cost him more to get to and from it than they're going to pay him - he will be paying (so borrowing from a family member, me probably) for the privilege of doing this job. And they're going to stop the JSA if he doesn't take it.

The really ridiculous part is this isn't the first time he's had this problem, it was just fortunate that the job itself fell through last time. Doesn't look like there's going to be any such luck this time. He doesn't know what to do - the job centre failed to see the problem last time and are being equally stubborn this time.

Any advice?

You havent been in some areas where I have lived! its like £4.50 return for a 6 mile each way journey as its out of town, then about another £3 to get a return to work(or about £12 a week for a megarider but that doesnt cover the £4.50 a day route)

My friend had something like this a few years ago whilst on New Deal, the bus fares were £3.40 a day which may not sound much but the jobcentre had cut his money down to £20 a week because his previous employer refused to give P60 when he left(or is it P45?) so they refused to "believe" he left work so he had to do a 70 minute walk at 7.30am to get to work each morning and not get back till like 8pm all for £20 a week! Then he had to use part of that for electric and utilities every week and to top up his housing benefit

And we dont know the hours, I was doing a 20 hour a week job before for minimum wage and after tax was left with like £80 a week, then of that £80 had to pay £60 for rent, and £10 for transport so had £10 for food and everything else but I got £60 for signing on and rent paid!

You havent been in some areas where I have lived! its like £4.50 return for a 6 mile each way journey as its out of town, then about another £3 to get a return to work(or about £12 a week for a megarider but that doesnt cover the £4.50 a day route)

My friend had something like this a few years ago whilst on New Deal, the bus fares were £3.40 a day which may not sound much but the jobcentre had cut his money down to £20 a week because his previous employer refused to give P60 when he left(or is it P45?) so they refused to "believe" he left work so he had to do a 70 minute walk at 7.30am to get to work each morning and not get back till like 8pm all for £20 a week! Then he had to use part of that for electric and utilities every week and to top up his housing benefit

And we dont know the hours, I was doing a 20 hour a week job before for minimum wage and after tax was left with like £80 a week, then of that £80 had to pay £60 for rent, and £10 for transport so had £10 for food and everything else but I got £60 for signing on and rent paid!

Travel within an hour and a half radius by public transport is going to cost more than £11/day?

Thats a bit scary!

They need to make a formal complaint outlining the problem as you have done, and escalate it if need be.

What would be the cost of getting there? I am probably wrong but I can't see how public transport to the job will cost more than the wage.

See

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/207/regulation/72/made

Just as an idea of cutting the travel expenses down a bit... Have you looked into season tickets and day tickets etc?

I don't know if this is the same for other areas of the country but in both West and South Yorkshire, you can get travelmaster tickets. The South Yorkshire one is priced from £43 - £80 depending on how old you are; these tickets give you unlimited travel for 28 days on trains buses and trams in that area.

If the plan is to get the train - It canseem a daunting amount to pay for a season ticket (my last was about £400) but you end up saving A LOT by getting one if you travel frequently.

Hope everything gets sorted out

Do you have a link to a less legally-worded summary, by any chance? Thanks for pointing us to the appropriate regulations.

Is there no way he could get public transport all the way there? If not then it does kinda suck from what you have described.

My cousin is currently on Jobseekers' Allowance, and has been actively looking for a job. The job centre have found him one. The catch? It'll actually cost him more to get to and from it than they're going to pay him - he will be paying (so borrowing from a family member, me probably) for the privilege of doing this job. And they're going to stop the JSA if he doesn't take it.

The really ridiculous part is this isn't the first time he's had this problem, it was just fortunate that the job itself fell through last time. Doesn't look like there's going to be any such luck this time. He doesn't know what to do - the job centre failed to see the problem last time and are being equally stubborn this time.

Any advice?

so you were earning way more than the transport costs...

I know how expensive public transport can be, believe me. However, taking your example (megarider + £4.50 return), transport to work is £34.50 a week. Even on the minimum wage, on a 30 hour week, that leaves £142 a week.

For a working year, say 45 weeks, the bus fairs will be £1,552.50, which is cheaper than a car when you include insurance, petrol, tax etc.

It is pretty much as far as 'reasonable' can stretch, and he has to take a few different forms of transport, including a taxi ride due to his distance from the nearest bus stop and his bum leg.

Travel within an hour and a half radius by public transport is going to cost more than £11/day?

Thats a bit scary!

They need to make a formal complaint outlining the problem as you have done, and escalate it if need be.

If you want to go to extreme basics, then yes I was "earning" more than transport costs but since when I was working I had to pay my own rent I only made ends meet by luckily having cheap rent(other places in town were £10 more)

I was actually like £40 per week better off doing 8 hours a week less as then I would get housing benefits.




You havent taken away tax into that which is about £30-40 a week leaving around £100 left to pay rent and bills, so in that sense yes it covers transport and rent but not much else(and depends on how much your rent and essential utilities are)

No - he lives about ten miles from the nearest bus stop and his leg means he can't walk or cycle there, so he needs a taxi to the bus stop, then needs to take the bus to some town to get a train to the place where the job is.