How to claim JSA without using the Government Gateway

The request was successful.

Dear Department for Work and Pensions,
This is a request under Freedom of Information Act.
How does a person who wishes to claim JSA do so if they do not wish to to use the Government Gateway?
Could you please provide me with any information that explains clearly the steps a claimant would take in such circumstances. Thank you.

Yours faithfully, S. Rotheram.

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Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

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S Rotheram
 
Please see copy of your FoI request attached
 
 
 
 
DWP Freedom of Information Request Team
 
 
 
 
 

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Dear DWP freedom-of-information-requests,
Thank you for your prompt reply. In that reply you stated :-
"For Jobseeker’s Allowance claims, all claimants who meet the criteria for claiming online will be required to do so."
Could you please give me or direct me too the claimants "criteria for claiming online".
Thank you.

Yours Faithfully, S. Rotheram

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Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

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Dear Mr Rotheram
 
Please find attached the reply to your recent Freedom of Information
internal review request, reference number IR 690:
 
 
 
Thank you
 
DWP Freedom of Information Team
 
 
 
 

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S. Rotheram left an annotation ()

Hello. The important part from the DWP's first answer (VTR 4029) is this :-
"If a claimant refuses to make their application online, and they are not eligible for a telephony gather, then they can request a clerical form JSA1 (or a form JSA4RR, if they are reclaiming JSA) to complete."

The important part from the DWP's second answer (IR 690) is this :-
Q "Could you please give me or direct me too the claimants "criteria for claiming online".
A. "Anyone can request copies of information which a public authority already holds in a recorded form, but the Freedom of Information Act does not require the Department to provide opinions or explanations, generate answers to questions, or create or obtain information it does not hold.
While your request would involve the creation of new information, I can provide a summary of the criteria considered when determining if a claimant can claim online:"

They (DWP) do then go on to and list a load of reasons for not claiming online, that presumably they must have just made up out of thin air.
I recommend that people read and digest both DWP answers, fully.

Dear DWP freedom-of-information-requests,
Thank you for your reply (IR690). In that reply you state "If claimant makes telephone contact the Contact Centre Agent will use the scripted diagnostic questions to make that assessment based on the responses provided by the claimant;"

With this(your)statement in mind could you please supply me with any written information that this process is voluntary and consensual for the claimant? or Not voluntary and consensual for the claimant? Could you please supply me with a copy of the "scripted diagnostic questions" as mentioned in your statement? Thank you.

Yours Faithfully, S. Rotheram

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Dear DWP freedom-of-information-requests,

It is more than twenty days since I put in my request. By law you should have answered it. I expect an answer by close of business Mon 28/10/2013. Thank you.

Yours Faithfuly,
S. Rotheram

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Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'How to claim JSA without using the Government Gateway'.

It is now over 20 days since I sent in my request. By law and by now I should have had an answer from you (DWP). Could you please answer my request and give me an explaination for the delay?

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h...

Thank you.

Yours faithfully, S. Rotheram.

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Ray Playforth left an annotation ()

"Where a claimant does not have access to their own computer, they will
be asked to make use of alternative internet providers, for example friends and family ..."

Nice to know that friends and family of new JSA claimants are being regarded as alternative internet providers by the DWP without so much as by your leave.

Perhaps friends and family members should invoice DWP for costs incurred in performing a function that they employ paid staff to carry out.

Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

2 Attachments

 
 
Dear Mr Rotheram
 
Please find attached our response to your recent Freedom of Information
request and subsequent review.
 
 
 
Yours sincerely
 
DWP Central Freedom of Information Team
 
 
 

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Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

2 Attachments

 
 
Dear Mr Rotheram
 
Please find attached our response to your recent Freedom of Information
request and subsequent review.
 
 
 
Yours sincerely
 
DWP Central Freedom of Information Team
 
 
 

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Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

2 Attachments

Mr Rotheram
 
Please see copy of your FoI request attached
 
 
 
 
DWP Freedom of Information Request Team
 
 
 
 
 

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Dear Department for Work and Pensions,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department for Work and Pensions's handling of my FOI request 'How to claim JSA without using the Government Gateway'.

Thank you for your reply. However, you did not explain to to me why there was such a long delay before you gave me an answer. Had you been more prompt with your answer I would not have had to seek an internal review. Could you do me the courtesy of explaining the long delay in your response?
I still have a few points that need some clarification. I therefore seek an internal review of th handling of this request. In I R 690, in answer to the question; "Could you please give me or direct me too the claimants "criteria for claiming online"." you state this "Anyone can request copies of information which a public authority already holds in a recorded form, but the Freedom of Information Act does not require the Department to provide opinions or explanations, generate answers to questions, or create or obtain information it does not hold. While your request would involve the creation of new information, I can provide a summary of the criteria considered when determining if a claimant can claim online: ......." If as you have stated my "request would involve the creation of new information". Could you please tell me where the information you produced came from and/or direct me to its source?
Also in answer to IR 690 you stated ""If claimant makes telephone contact the Contact Centre Agent will use the scripted diagnostic questions to make that assessment based on the responses provided by the claimant;" and I asked "With this(your)statement in mind could you please supply me with any written information that this process is voluntary and consensual for the claimant? or Not voluntary and consensual for the claimant?"
The answer you eventually gave me in FoI 4605/IR 809 is both inaccurate and evasive. It is inaccurate because the process I was asking about was the physical process of using a telephone to make a claim and engaging in said process. I was NOT asking about claiming online. So I will ask again, do you have any recorded information that this process (TELEPHONE) is: A/ Voluntary and consensual for the claimant? B/ Not voluntary and consensual for the claimant? For the sake of clarity could you answer both questions A and B please?
In FoI 4605/IR 809 you state that in answer to my misinterperated question "There is no information available about the JSA Online process being voluntary." This answer is evasive and could be misread and/or misunderstood so for the sake of clarity could you answer this question: Could you please supply me with any recorded information that claiming JSA on line is NOT voluntary and consensual? Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h...

Yours faithfully, S. Rotheram

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refuted left an annotation ()

Dear DWP freedom-of-information-requests,
"...the Commissioner considers that a reasonable time for completing an internal review is 20 working days from the date of the request for review. There may be a small number of cases which involve exceptional circumstances where it may be reasonable to take longer. In those circumstances, the public authority should,is a matter of good practice, notify the requester and explain why more time is needed."

It is now well more more than 20 working days since I put in a request for an Internal Review. Please could I have an explanation of why there is a delay in dealing with my request and why more time is needed? I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

Yours sincerely, S. Rotheram

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Dear DWP freedom-of-information-requests,

Your response to my request for an internal review is now overdue. Neither have you had the courtesy to to explain why there has been a delay. I expect a reply to my request by close of business on Wednesday 22 January 2014. You are now in breach of the F.O.I. Act.
.
Yours faithfully, S. Rotheram.

S. Rotheram

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Dear DWP freedom-of-information-requests,

Just for the record. A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h...

Yours faithfully, S. Rotheram.

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Dear DWP freedom-of-information-requests,

This is a request for an Internal Review. On the 19 November 2013, I asked for an Internal Review to clarify some points regarding this request ( which incidentally, was originally raised on 23 August 2013). My request for that last Internal Review (dated 19/11/2013) is now overdue. You have now exceeded the 40 working day deadline. It is now 46( 27/1/2014) working days days and counting. The guidelines for the F.o.I. Act state that you should have, by now, at least given me a reason for your delay in responding to my request. As it stands now, you are in breach of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, for both the the lack of explaination and exceeding the time limit for an Internal Review. Please answer my request for an Internal Review (dated 19/11/2013).
Your flagrant breach of the F.o.I Act is disgraceful. I have already got a letter of complaint typed up and ready to go to the I.C.O. I am aware that you will probably treat this missive as a new request and will start counting another 20 working days before you deign to give me an answer to my request for an Internal Review (dated 19/11/2013). I will therefore wait another 20 working days (I will not wait 40) and if I do not receive a reasonable and adequate response I will be complaining immediately to the I.C.O.

A full history of this request can be found on the internet at https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h...

Yours Faithfully, S. Rotheram.

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Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

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Dear Mr Rotheram,
 
In response to your further review of FoI 4605, this was answered on the
15 November 2013 to your WDTK address under review ref: IR809.
 
 
 
Dear Mr Rotheram
 
Please find attached our response to your recent Freedom of Information
request and subsequent review.
 
 
 
Yours sincerely
 
DWP Central Freedom of Information Team
 
 
 

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S. Rotheram left an annotation ()

Thanks Ray Playforth, Refuted, Followers and Passers By. I have obviously touched a nerve with the DWP. The answer is this :-
"If claimants are unwilling to use the JSA Online service then they can make a paper-based claim instead".
I just wanted them to admit(the above) this without all the caveats.
Complaint made to the I.C.O.

Operations FOI Requests, Department for Work and Pensions

1 Attachment

Dear S Rotheram,

 

Please find attached DWP response to your recent Freedom of Information
review requests.

 

 

Yours Sincerely

 

 

DWP Operations

FOI Team

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S. Rotheram left an annotation ()

"c] We hold no recorded information that claiming JSA online is not voluntary and consensual. Claims for benefit can be made by any of the methods allowed for by the law for the particular benefit concerned (the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987). Regulation 4ZC of those Regulations allows JSA to be claimed electronically by those who want to and are able to claim by that method. We encourage claims to be made online where possible but THAT DOES NOT AND CANNOT LEGALLY PRECLUDE JSA BEING CLAIMED BY ONE OF THE ALTERNATIE METHODS(My caps)."
The form you need is "clerical form JSA1 (or a form JSA4RR, if they are reclaiming JSA)".
Thank you ICO.