Stikkord: The Independant Case Examiner (Jobcenter-klager)

Mr Erik Ribsskog

1 October 2010

ICE Ref No: DWP00431/10

Dear Mr Ribsskog

Further to your recent Email of 29 September 2010, I am writing to clarify the elements of complaint we will now take forward.

Having read your correspondence I have now amended elements ‘B’ & ‘D’ accordingly and have now clarified your elements of complaint as follows:

A: On 20 May 2010 Jobcentre Plus (JCP) informed you that you would have to attend an interview on 3 June 2010. It failed to inform you that this was regarding ‘Employment Zones’ or to provide you with the correct literature regarding this. As a result you were not prepared when attending the meeting.

B: The literature that you received from Sencia (Your Employment Zone provider) contained three different addresses. JCP failed to advise you which was the correct one causing you to miss an appointment, and as a result your Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) was stopped. JCP has failed to fully investigate this.

C: JCP has informed you that a degree you obtained from Oslo University was the equivalent of HND level 4. You have advised that it should be level 5 but it has failed to fully investigate this.

D: On 1 July 2010 you were asked to attend your fortnightly signing on appointment Williamson Square Jobcentre at 11.15 on 14 July 2010. You were not informed that this would also be a sanction meeting and, when attending this appointment, you were informed that you should have been there at 9.30.

E: You have asked JCP to clarify why you were interviewed by two people instead of one at the above meeting. It has failed to provide a satisfactory response.

I would just like to explain that I have noted your other comments in your Email of 29 September 2010 and can confirm that the remaining points that you have raised will be covered as part of our investigation into the elements listed on the previous page. For this reason I have only amended elements ‘B’ and ‘D’ from my original letter of 29 September 2010.

I confirm the elements of complaint detailed above will form the basis of our examination. If you agree that your complaint has been accurately defined please contact me as soon as possible, it would be preferable if you could telephone me to avoid any delay. If you feel this letter does not accurately reflect your complaint, please contact me by 13 October 2010. We have accepted these complaints on the basis that they have not been the subject of legal proceedings or an Ombudsman’s investigation. If this is not the case, you must tell me. Likewise, if you decide to take this action during our investigation, please notify us.

If I do not hear from you by 13 October 2010, I will assume your complaint has been accurately defined, and your complaint will be passed to the Initial Action Team.

Please note that we are currently experiencing a high volume of complaints, and I hope you will understand that we deal with complaints in the order that we receive them to ensure that we provide a consistent level of service.

Your complaint is currently held in a queue, and as soon as a Resolution Officer is available to start the examination of your complaint, he or she will contact you direct to discuss your complaint, and determine the way forward. You will be given the opportunity, if necessary, to provide this office with any further information or evidence in relation to your complaint.

You will not hear from this office until your case has been allocated to a Resolution Officer, but please be assured that your complaint will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

Martin Bruce

Gateway Officer

Martin Bruce

Gateway Officer

Independent Case Examiner's Office

Tel No: 0151 801 8824

**********************************************************************

This document is strictly confidential and is intended only for use by the addressee.

If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or other

action taken in reliance of the information contained in this e-mail is strictly prohibited.

Any views expressed by the sender of this message are not necessarily those of the Department

for Work and Pensions.

If you have received this transmission in error, please use the reply function to tell us

and then permanently delete what you have received.

This email was scanned for viruses by the Department for Work and Pensions' anti-virus services and on leaving the Department was found to be virus free.

Please note: Incoming and outgoing e-mail messages are routinely monitored for compliance

with our policy on the use of electronic communications.

**********************************************************************

Mr Erik Ribsskog

** Address removed for email *

29 September 2010

ICE Ref No: DWP00431/10

Dear Mr Ribsskog

Further to our telephone conversation of 27 September 2010, I am writing to clarify the elements of complaint we agreed to take forward.

From your correspondence I have clarified your complaints as follows;

A: On 20 May 2010 Jobcentre Plus (JCP) informed you that you would have to attend an interview on 3 June 2010. It failed to inform you that this was regarding ‘Employment Zones’ or to provide you with the correct literature regarding this. As a result you were not prepared when attending the meeting.

B: The literature that you received from Sencia (Your Employment Zone provider) contained three different addresses. This caused you to miss an appointment and as a result your Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) was stopped. JCP has failed to fully investigate this.

C: JCP has informed you that a degree you obtained from Oslo University was the equivalent of HND level 4. You have advised that it should be level 5 but it has failed to fully investigate this.

D: On 1 July 2010 you were asked to attend a meeting at Williamson Square Jobcentre at 11.15 on 14 July 2010. When attending this appointment you were informed that you should have been there at 9.30.

E: You have asked JCP to clarify why you were interviewed by two people instead of one at the above meeting. It has failed to provide a satisfactory response.

I confirm the elements of complaint detailed above will form the basis of our examination. If you agree that your complaint has been accurately defined please contact me as soon as possible, it would be preferable if you could telephone me to avoid any delay. If you feel this letter does not accurately reflect your complaint, please contact me by 13 October 2010. We have accepted these complaints on the basis that they have not been the subject of legal proceedings or an Ombudsman’s investigation. If this is not the case, you must tell me. Likewise, if you decide to take this action during our investigation, please notify us.

If I do not hear from you by 13 October 2010, I will assume your complaint has been accurately defined, and your complaint will be passed to the Initial Action Team.

Please note that we are currently experiencing a high volume of complaints, and I hope you will understand that we deal with complaints in the order that we receive them to ensure that we provide a consistent level of service.

Your complaint is currently held in a queue, and as soon as a Resolution Officer is available to start the examination of your complaint, he or she will contact you direct to discuss your complaint, and determine the way forward. You will be given the opportunity, if necessary, to provide this office with any further information or evidence in relation to your complaint.

You will not hear from this office until your case has been allocated to a Resolution Officer, but please be assured that your complaint will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

Martin Bruce

Gateway Officer

Independent Case Examiner's Office

Tel 0151 801 8824

Fax No 0151 801 8806

**********************************************************************

This document is strictly confidential and is intended only for use by the addressee.

If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or other

action taken in reliance of the information contained in this e-mail is strictly prohibited.

Any views expressed by the sender of this message are not necessarily those of the Department

for Work and Pensions.

If you have received this transmission in error, please use the reply function to tell us

and then permanently delete what you have received.

This email was scanned for viruses by the Department for Work and Pensions' anti-virus services and on leaving the Department was found to be virus free.

Please note: Incoming and outgoing e-mail messages are routinely monitored for compliance

with our policy on the use of electronic communications.

**********************************************************************