JSA & jury service

A client who has failed the WCA (ongoing MR) has claimed JSA. On attending the JC for her new claims interview she explained she is due to start 2 weeks jury service next week. She was told that despite this, she is expected to take active steps to find work during this period including registering with various employment agencies, applying for jobs and attending a mandatory CV-writing course.

Reg 14 (1) (r) of the JSA regs allows her to be treated as available for work during her jury service (as long as she has notified JC in advance- which she has) but does it also get her out of ‘actively seeking work’ during the period? After all, there is a limit to what she can do whilst sat in the jury room at the Crown Court waiting to be called- or is she expected to spend her evenings/nights doing what she is unable to do during the day?

Am I missing anything? I don’t want to go in with the tanks unless I am certain of my ground.

Regulation 19(1)(v) also treats her as actively seeking work for up to eight weeks, provided she is required to attend at least three days a week.

Thank you most kindly- knew there was something somewhere…

Tanks now rolling!

Another example of poor application of benefit law by the Department.

I was off ill last week and bored out of my mind.

Channel hopping and “Saints and scroungers” was on.

The apopleptic fury levelled against a DLA claimant who had got better and didnt report a change of circs was disgraceful.

Why dont they have a program called “DWP staff who break the law”?

It would require 24 hour programming though….......

As well as programmes about parliamentarians (who I believe don’t have to have CRB checks!)