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Work and health programme

tw25

Hope someone can help a little here as i am long term unemployed and JCP are trying to mandate me onto the Work and health programme ( WHP). I have been on and off JSA for years and currently on JSA. My health conditions are Fibromyalgia, chronic leg and back pain depression and RSI. Safe to say i consider myself to have a disability. Yet when reading DWP own WHP guide lines https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/678133/whp- bottom of pg 2 it says participants with a disability can be reffered on a voluntry basis. Not sure they can mandate me can they ?. My reasons for not wanting to go are ive had letters off the WHP wrongly and my job centre as they think ive been given the wrong letter. I have 2 weeks to get my head round this as they are on about mandating me. I wont volunteer as i need fuel costs and reasonable ajustment to be taken into account with my conditions.

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Comments

Antonia_Alumni

Hi @tw25 thank you for sharing this with us. Will tag in @BenefitsTrainingCo to look into this for you.

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hi @tw25 My understanding is that it is voluntary unless you have been unemployed for more than 24 months - I do not know if you have been but do say you have been on JSA for years. People with a disability can opt to join the programme, but if they are a JSA claimant, after 24 months they will have to participate. Have a loo at Paragraph 19 here which sets out the providers must compensate participants for travel and additional support costs. Of course if you feel your workcoach is being unreasonable taking into consideration your health conditions and abilities, then you should first speak to them about this and if you feel you have not resolved the issue, you could make a complaint to their supervisor. I would suggest an informal conversation is better at this stage and more likely to bring about a better result for you. Sarah

tw25

Thanks for your help BenefitsTrainingCo The link is not working for me though ?. I have already made a complaint but heard nothing back as the correct procedure had not been carried out on dwp behalf. Partly as i rarely see my coach and partly as i got a voluntry letter posted out to me with out talking about the whp in detail. See what happens wednesday but i no my pain will start to flare if they ask to much of me.

Adrian_Scope

Hi @tw25, I've fixed the link above and you can find a copy here for ease.
Please let us know how it goes on Wednesday.

tw25

No mention of WHP today and JCP are looking into the complaint i made.
I expect to be mandated at some point but it has to be done the right way which JCP never did.

tw25

Update from JCP as i had a phone call and the WHP is voluntry for me as i have done similar in the past. Not going into the ins and out but i for one do not trust JCP and feel one advisor in particular needs a bit of re training as i had 3 bits of evidence that should of been a red flag to at least double check regards WHP for me and she tried to force the WHP on to me by not following the correct procedure.
Least it's over for now.