Universal credit - Failure to attend and participate in Jobcentre telephone interview

The issue of lawful notification arises once more.

Read the full decision in CUC/563/2020.

Judicial Summary

Universal credit - Failure to attend and participate in Jobcentre telephone interview - Whether nature of requirement and consequences for non-compliance properly notified to claimant - Whether good cause for failing to attend - JB v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (UC) [2018] UKUT 360 (AAC) applied.
Published 18 December 2020

https://www.gov.uk/administrative-appeals-tribunal-decisions/kg-v-secretary-of-state-for-work-and-pensions-uc-2020-ukut-307-aac

The appeal is allowed.The Respondent’s decision on 27October 2018 is revised.The  Appellant  is  not  subject  to  a low-level sanction  on  his  Universal Credit  award.No  valid  work-related requirement  had  been  imposed  on him in respect of theJobcentre telephoneappointment on 22 May 2018.Accordingly,  section  27  of  the  Welfare Reform  Act 2012 and  regulation 104 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 did not apply.

Going off topic for a minute (sorry), another WC has now offered to assist me to obtain a mobile 'phone to "help with regular contact with the JC and employers". I told them that if I want one I will get one for myself.

Caker wrote:Going off topic for a minute (sorry), another WC has now offered to assist me to obtain a mobile 'phone to "help with regular contact with the JC and employers". I told them that if I want one I will get one for myself.

You have to wonder how legal this 'assistance' to get a phone is #Caker? Surely if it was that important for a telephone, the JCP would supply all claimants with one? Not some under the counter arrangement , between you and your Roach ?

I could do with a new laptop as mine is on its last legs, maybe i could get the Roach to give me a 'brown' enevlope stuffed with some cash for this ...

Now back to your usual program...

39. The duty to make reasonable adjustments is anticipatory: we must not
wait until a disabled person wants to use our services before we consider the
type of reasonable adjustments needed. We must anticipate the requirements
of disabled people and the adjustments that may have to be made for them.

If someone has a medical condition of which may prevent them from travelling to roach ville under the above would be reasonable to request that all appointment's are done by telephone. Never mind roach shop etc stamping their feet for any face to face crap.

43. Remember: you must record the reasonable adjustment so other
colleagues engaging with this customer will know what to do.

43. Is a total bloody joke. Had 4-5 different roaches and none! been made aware of that little item...seemingly

This may be of help to some who feel life is difficult for them to attend face to face appointments at roach central:
As a minimum claimants, who are expected to be available and looking for work, are expected to have weekly Work Search Reviews (WSRs) for the first 13 weeks of their claim and then fortnightly WSRs thereafter and these are face to face interviews unless an exception applies.
To support claimants who live in remote areas to engage with us and satisfy their conditionality requirements, alternative attendance arrangements can be introduced for claimants whose attendance at their nearest JCP office using public transport would:
 take longer than 1 hour door to door in either direction

 result in an absence from home of over 4 hours.
For claimants that meet the criteria, the Work Coach should discuss using digital or telephone channels with the claimant for the purpose of providing
their work search evidence and showing that they are fulfilling the terms of their Claimant Commitment.