An Important date for your diary, picket, Partick Job Centre Wednesday 25th. February, 2:30. Prove to the powers that be, that we will not be bullied, we will stand in solidarity with each other.
BE ACCOMPANIED TO ALL
BENEFITS INTERVIEWS!
You have the right to be accompanied to interviews at the
Jobcentre and all DWP offices – and that's official!
A top official writing on behalf of the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus for the United Kingdom has stated:
“On the matter of accompanied interviews....Mr McGonigle and his predecessor Bill Wilson have written to Edinburgh Claimants about this and made clear the position for interviews conducted on Jobcentre plus premises. We accept that there will always be times when customers attending our premises feel the need to be accompanied by a friend or advice worker and we will always try to accommodate this where possible.”
(Letter copied to Edinburgh Claimants from Matthew Nicholas, Employers and Stakeholders Director Jobcentre Plus, on behalf of the Chief Executive Darra Singh, letter dated 15 February 2010. Mr McGonigle and Mr Wilson are the current and previous Jobcentreplus local District Managers)
More evidence of this right was provided on 24 th February 2014 when, in response to a Freedom of Information request, the DWP wrote: "Claimants accessing DWP benefits and services can have someone to accompany them to act on their behalf.....”
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/196795/response/486014/attach/html/3/Response%20634.pdf.html
By writing that the accompanier can act on the claimant’s behalf this statement also makes it clear that the accompanier can speak in appointments.
A top official writing on behalf of the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus for the United Kingdom has stated:
“On the matter of accompanied interviews....Mr McGonigle and his predecessor Bill Wilson have written to Edinburgh Claimants about this and made clear the position for interviews conducted on Jobcentre plus premises. We accept that there will always be times when customers attending our premises feel the need to be accompanied by a friend or advice worker and we will always try to accommodate this where possible.”
(Letter copied to Edinburgh Claimants from Matthew Nicholas, Employers and Stakeholders Director Jobcentre Plus, on behalf of the Chief Executive Darra Singh, letter dated 15 February 2010. Mr McGonigle and Mr Wilson are the current and previous Jobcentreplus local District Managers)
More evidence of this right was provided on 24 th February 2014 when, in response to a Freedom of Information request, the DWP wrote: "Claimants accessing DWP benefits and services can have someone to accompany them to act on their behalf.....”
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/196795/response/486014/attach/html/3/Response%20634.pdf.html
By writing that the accompanier can act on the claimant’s behalf this statement also makes it clear that the accompanier can speak in appointments.
NO NEED TO FACE THEM
ALONE
Certainly if you have any interview you think might pose
problems we advise you to take a friend or adviser with you. For
example, if they are threatening benefits sanctions, trying to change
your jobseekers agreement, or force you to go on schemes or apply for
jobs you don't want, or if you are called in by the Counter Fraud
team, you should NOT face them alone. If you have a benefits medical
exam, you should be accompanied. Edinburgh Claimants and Edinburgh
Coalition Against Poverty accompany people to such interviews, and to
interviews at City of Edinburgh Council, all the time. If anyone
tries to stop your friend or adviser accompanying you, then tell them
the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus says this is allowed, and show
them the quotes in this leaflet. Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty
have also won the right for claimants to be accompanied by a person
of their choice to all A4e, Ingeus and JHP workfare provider
appointments.
Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty
Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty
ecap@lists.riseup.net
www.edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk
Don’t be bullied or intimidated – let’s support each other and stand up for ourselves.
Partick Job Centre picket organised by Clydeside IWW clydeside@iww.org.uk and other activists in solidarity with Tony Cox arrested in Arbroath on 29th. January after police acted on a complaint by JobCentre Management when accompanying a jobseeker, who was facing unreasonable requests to comply with a Jobseekers Agreement. Today there is a Court picket in Forfar and pickets in Edinburgh etc.
Don’t be bullied or intimidated – let’s support each other and stand up for ourselves.
Partick Job Centre picket organised by Clydeside IWW clydeside@iww.org.uk and other activists in solidarity with Tony Cox arrested in Arbroath on 29th. January after police acted on a complaint by JobCentre Management when accompanying a jobseeker, who was facing unreasonable requests to comply with a Jobseekers Agreement. Today there is a Court picket in Forfar and pickets in Edinburgh etc.
