Joe recently visited one of our Foodbanks for the first time. He had just been sanctioned because he was told to complete a job search on 25/12/13 and 01/01/14. He was asked by the Jobcentre why he had not looked for jobs on Christmas Day and on New Years Day and was then sanctioned for 4 weeks. He is now anxious he will be unable to pay his rent.
Joe was referred to us by a statutory agency that has worked closely with him for some time and has verified that they understand the account given above to be accurate. Joe has now applied for a Hardship Payment but will not find out what decision has been made about this for another 5 days. He said he felt disillusioned with the support provided by the Jobcentre: "I came from college and didn't know where to start [looking for work]. I needed advice but there's nothing. For young people there's no support. They [the Jobcentre] get me in and out as fast as possible." Joe has considered asking for advice on appealing against the decision to sanction him but was concerned about repercussions: "I don't want to appeal. If I do it they might sanction me further. I can't go on with no money".
Our thanks go to Joe for sharing his circumstances with us.
