Is the JCP lock down to be extended?

Caker wrote:I don't think the lockdown measures have been extended to the end of the year. The government is obliged to review them every 3 weeks AFAIK, at which point they will be kept as they are or otherwise.

I believe that Chris Whitty suggested that some degree of social distancing would need to be in place until a vaccine is available. Further, he anticipates this will not be available for about a year or longer.

Rowena Mason and Kate Proctor (The Guardian) wrote:Social distancing will be needed until at least the end of the year to prevent fresh outbreaks of coronavirus even though the UK has reached the peak of the current epidemic, the government’s chief medical officer has said.

Prof Chris Whitty, the UK’s most senior medic, said it was important to be realistic that “highly disruptive” social distancing would need to be in place for “really quite a long period of time”.

He said there was only an “incredibly small” chance of a vaccine or treatments being ready for use this year, and social distancing would have to stay in place to suppress outbreaks until then.

His stark assessment dampened hopes that the lockdown would be largely removed when it is reviewed in just over a fortnight.

We have had no official word on when jobcentres will be reopening to the public. They have been open throughout the whole pandemic to staff only. Work coaches are going into the office to validate certain things on new claims, make phone calls to claimant etc.

My instinct is that they won't be opening to the public for a while, not until they can figure out a safe way to do it. Even then, I imagine it will be an only when absolutely necessary kind of deal,ie if we cannot verify something using our systems and a claimant needs to bring down physical evidence.

Also, the civil service has a pretty hardcore Union. There will be measures upon measures put in place so that staff at the jobcentre can work safely, so when normality resumes, physically, you should be relatively safe in the jobcentre building at least.

MayBe wrote:Hi Jara,

I cannot find any new information from DWP to your question at this time.

DWP maybe introducing screens in Jobcentres but I think this is unlikely, bearing in mind Jobseekers and PIP/ESA claimants do not need to attend physical interviews to support their claims.

Interesting times!

Universal credit and new style JSA – work-related requirements

6.—(1) As a consequence of the outbreak of coronavirus disease, where a person has an award of new style JSA or an award of universal credit—

(a)the Secretary of State must not impose a work search requirement(19) on that person;

(b)a work search requirement previously applying to such a person ceases to have effect from the date on which these Regulations come into force; and

(c)“able and willing immediately to take up paid work” under a work availability requirement(20) imposed on such a person means able and willing to take up paid work, or attend an interview, immediately once this regulation ceases to apply.

(2) This regulation applies for a period of 3 months beginning with the date that these Regulations come into force and the Secretary of State may extend that period for all cases or any class of case where it appears expedient as a consequence of the continuation of the outbreak of coronavirus disease.

(3) In this regulation, “new style JSA” means an allowance under the Jobseekers Act 1995 as amended by the amendments made by Part 1 of Schedule 14 to the Welfare Reform Act 2012 that remove references to an income-based allowance.

Archangel wrote:Just phoned my JC today. A voice message came on saying that claimants don't have to sign on till further notice. It said they will contact claimants when they do need to sign on again.

Caker wrote:If summoned to an interview, it might be an idea to say that a contact tracer has told you to self isolate as you have been in the proximity of an infected person. I understand that there is no limit to the amount of times a person can be requested to self isolate under those circumstances

cc120 wrote:

Caker wrote:If summoned to an interview, it might be an idea to say that a contact tracer has told you to self isolate as you have been in the proximity of an infected person. I understand that there is no limit to the amount of times a person can be requested to self isolate under those circumstances

But won't they require details such as the name of the contact tracer, etc?

Pintel wrote:On a side point here, as a person to whom has been told to "Shield". I got a letter from the Dept of health & social care: from the 6 July, able to create a 'support bubble' with another household. 1Aug: you can go to work, as long as covid19 safe?(no idea how this will be in the JCP? 'But should remain cautious'. Then further down it says: "you will be able to use this letter as evidence for your employer to show that you cannot work outside your home until 31 July".
So if I am called into the JCP office before 1st August, could I refuse on health grounds? In addition to this I would need to travel by public transport, so again increasing the risk to me.

Caker wrote:

cc120 wrote:

Caker wrote:If summoned to an interview, it might be an idea to say that a contact tracer has told you to self isolate as you have been in the proximity of an infected person. I understand that there is no limit to the amount of times a person can be requested to self isolate under those circumstances

But won't they require details such as the name of the contact tracer, etc?

Even if you gave the name of a contact tracer, I am not sure what a DWP worker could do with that information.