# What to do if you are unable to make your signing on?



## revol68 (May 26, 2010)

I am due to sign on on Friday but won't be able to as I'll be on a wee holiday till wednesday, what should I do regarding this? Just phone ahead and tell them I won't be able to make it, should I use some sort of excuse other than being on holiday?


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## Madusa (May 26, 2010)

While you swan off on your summer holidays, im slaving away in Tescos to pay for it!


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## pengaleng (May 26, 2010)

If I were you I'd call them on the day and say you are sick, they don't really like people going on holiday and you'd have to tell them all sorts about it.


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## lizzieloo (May 26, 2010)

you are allowed to be on holiday, but you could say you have an interview somewhere else and want to spend a few days there searching for work.

you might need proof, you'll need your imagination for this.


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## Onket (May 26, 2010)

revol68 said:


> should I use some sort of excuse other than being on holiday?



Yes, this would be easier.

Although I think there are rules about taking holidays (i.e. You are allowed). There's been threads before about it.


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## pengaleng (May 26, 2010)

you are allowed, but they will want to know EVERYTHING.


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## AKA pseudonym (May 26, 2010)

Tell em you have some opportunities for a job wherever it is?
I would call into the dole office and see if they might let you sign on early...
You are going to have to tell them in advance, unless you can produce a sickline afterwards


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## Madusa (May 26, 2010)

In actual answer, ive had to cancel a signing on when i was on jobseekers ages ago. Just said i was going to a wedding and couldnt make it so they kindly rescheduled me for another day.


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## DotCommunist (May 26, 2010)

pull the sickie, cunts want to know what you had for dinner and if you had a bash in the hotel room else


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## pengaleng (May 26, 2010)

DotCommunist said:


> pull the sickie, cunts want to know what you had for dinner and if you had a bash in the hotel room else



init, bastards.


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## revol68 (May 26, 2010)

what sort of proof do they want that I was on holiday? I would pull a sickie but I've had two periods of sickness in the past 12 months and they'll make me do a rapid reclaim the shower of fucks.


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## revol68 (May 26, 2010)

also I can't tell them I've went down south either as that counts as leaving the UK and they'd sign me off for that.


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## DotCommunist (May 26, 2010)

WTF? That's some bullshit. I blame Parnell. And James Craig.


It's like saying I've left the country by going to Cornwall.


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## kyser_soze (May 26, 2010)

Tell them you're at an all-day group interview involving workshops and interpretive dance sessions (maybe not the second part).


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## revol68 (May 26, 2010)

DotCommunist said:


> WTF? That's some bullshit. I blame Parnell. And James Craig.
> 
> 
> It's like saying I've left the country by going to Cornwall.



yeah it's fucking nuts, the first time I stupidly told the dole I hadn't been able to sign on cos I was in Dublin and the lady gave me a look of "NO YOU WEREN'T YOU MUPPET!" and then nicely helped me remember where I actually was inline with my Job Seekers Agreement.


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## Paulie Tandoori (May 26, 2010)

From CPAG handbook.

While you are on JSA, you can be treated as actively seeking work while away from home – eg, on holiday. You still have to be available for work, so you are expected to give an assurance that you are willing and able to cut your absence short if notified of a job. In any 12-month period, you can be away from home for up to: 


three weeks, if during each week you spend at least three days on an outward bound course; or
if you are blind, two weeks, plus up to four other weeks spent attending training in the use of guide dogs for at least three days a week; or
two weeks, in any other case.
If you are away for longer than this and so cannot be treated as actively seeking work, you must show that you are looking for work while you are away. 

If you are considering going away from home, remember the following. 


You must inform the DWP before you go away. Your EO can require you to give notice in writing.
You must be available for work and able to receive information about job offers. You must, therefore, provide details of how you can be contacted or how you plan to contact the DWP while you are away.
You must usually be in Great Britain to qualify for JSA.  
When you return home, check with your Jobcentre Plus office when you must sign on. This could be a day that is not your usual signing day. If you do not sign on when you are supposed to, you may lose benefit for the whole of the period you were away unless you can show you had 'good cause' for failing to sign on.


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## spring-peeper (May 26, 2010)

I like the Canadian system - you sign in on your computer.  Don't even have to go there.  Saves petrol and time.


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## lizzieloo (May 26, 2010)

revol68 said:


> also I can't tell them I've went down south either as that counts as leaving the UK and they'd sign me off for that.



Tell them to go fuck themselves, then start a revolution.  All good on paper anarchists do exactly this.


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## 1%er (May 26, 2010)

Tell them you have a job interview and ask them to pay the fare and accommodation


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## josef1878 (May 26, 2010)

spring-peeper said:


> I like the Canadian system - you sign in on your computer.  Don't even have to go there.  Saves petrol and time.



I do believe such a system is being developed here. Watch this space......


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## josef1878 (May 26, 2010)

much easier to tell the truth. Your payment wont be sent out until you return home though. You are allowed holidays in GB, couple of minutes to fill in the form. And yes you will be looking for work and available to take up work while your away and yes they can contact you on your mobile while away. Nobody has the time to ring you though so dont worry about that. Call in tomorrow and let em know when you will return to sign


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## geminisnake (May 26, 2010)

1%er said:


> Tell them you have a job interview and ask them to pay the fare and accommodation



Think you need proof of that though. I'd go in tomorrow say you've got to go away for a couple of days and ask if your sign on day can be re-arranged.

They're reasonably ok here. I phoned for my son one time coz he'd been up all night puking and it was fine.


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## lizzieloo (May 26, 2010)

You're even supposed to tell them if you go away at weekends, when I was signing on recently it was so busy that they changed my time at short notice to a Saturday, told them I was going away for the weekend so I couldn't, they were all like  How dare you!


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## AnnO'Neemus (May 26, 2010)

Yes, you are technically allowed to go away on holiday.  

However, you are not allowed to leave mainland UK.  Not even if you have a family emergency - I had to go to Germany because my daughter's baby was seriously ill in hospital (my daughter is in the TA and her husband is in the regular British army they live in army married quarters over there).  I was away for ten days, including an extra couple of days due to flight cancellations after being caught in the blizzards, so I missed a signing on day.  They stopped my claim.  They are utter, utter, utter cunts.

If you say you're sick on Friday, they'll expect you to sign on the next working day, which would be Tuesday after the bank holiday.  A longer term 'sick leave' and they might want a sick note.  I don't know when that requirement kicks in.


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## RaverDrew (May 26, 2010)

If you are "sick" on your signing day, you have 3 working days to sign on by before they suspend your claim and make you do a rapid reclaim. A rapid reclaim would mean losing a few days worth of money and having to wait a couple of weeks for your claim to be processed (technically you can apply for a crisis loan once you've had your rapid-reclaim interview)

So the best solution for you would be to...

Just turn up on the Wednesday, tell them you had the shits and couldn't leave the house on Friday (ie. not a serious enough prob to see the Dr for ) You'll have to fill out a quick form that explains this, it only takes 30 secs. Your money will go in a few days late, but you will receive the usual amount still. 

Bear in mind that you can only get away with this 3 times over the course of your claim before they close your claim, and make you start a fresh claim (possibly with sanctions if they feel you are just taking the piss)


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## Madusa (May 26, 2010)

spring-peeper said:


> I like the Canadian system - you sign in on your computer.  Don't even have to go there.  Saves petrol and time.



I moving to Canada! Do they do your shopping too?


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## ramjamclub (May 26, 2010)

*It's my right innit*

bash the system, it's your right innit? Only suckers work to pay for your holidays. they are all ****** because they don't give you money for doing nothing. what is the world coming to?


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## RaverDrew (May 27, 2010)

ramjamclub said:


> bash the system, it's your right innit? Only suckers work to pay for your holidays. they are all ****** because they don't give you money for doing nothing. what is the world coming to?



What's your suggested solution then ?

It'd probably cost the state more in admin costs to sign him off, then sign him back on again, all for the sake of a three day break.


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## josef1878 (May 27, 2010)

listen to your uncle josef will you revol, less hassle to tell the truth. Trust me, tell porkies ie ring in sick and next wednesday there will be another 'jobcentre staff are cunts' thread in here. I will not be able to resist the temptation to say i told you so


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## harpo (May 27, 2010)

josef1878 said:


> much easier to tell the truth. Your payment wont be sent out until you return home though. You are allowed holidays in GB, couple of minutes to fill in the form. And yes you will be looking for work and available to take up work while your away and yes they can contact you on your mobile while away. Nobody has the time to ring you though so dont worry about that. Call in tomorrow and let em know when you will return to sign



This.  Especially if you have already had 2 sickys because they will close your claim on a third.


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