Friday, June 03, 2011

Department for Work Pensions's threat to terminate our benefits on 8 June is very real



Action for Employment (A4E) is a private company founded and chaired by Emma Harrison CBE. As the interviewer in the video above points out, A4E has received £300 million of Government training contracts and controls 25% of the long-term unemployment budget for the Department for Work and Pensions. Last month the DWP threatened us by letter with the termination of our benefits on 8 June without an explanation (see blog of 18 May Department for Work and Pensions threatens to terminate our benefits on 8 June). Then, on cue, two days later A4E raised a "sanction doubt" on Declan's joint claim for Jobseeker's Allowance because he did not attend an unagreed 'work boost' - 30 hours per week of unpaid work for four weeks - at Booker Cash and Carry, to be trained as a warehouse operative! Today Declan was told he was expected to sit a basic maths test on Monday to be put forward for job vacancies in WH Smiths, the British newspapers, books and stationery retailer.

The situation now is simple: legally our jobcentre, Highgate Jobcentre Plus, must ask Declan for his answer to A4E's sanction doubt before 8 June, but Declan has already experienced a sanction by the Jobcentre without his views being sought (see blog of 20 May Central London County Court refuses to commit to taking Declan's case against Highgate Jobcentre Plus). So Declan has upped the ante with this email to our MP, Lynne Featherstone, who also happens to be a minister in the Home Office (the letter from Featherstone that Declan refers to in the first paragraph is published here):

Click to enlarge

All 54 breaches of contract cited in Declan's email above occurred right under the nose of Harrison, which can only mean she is fully behind them. Already Declan has emailed two specialist firms of solicitors looking for representation at the upcoming hearing of his application for permission to apply for Judicial Review against Highgate Jobcentre Plus of the Department for Work and Pensions (see blog of 14 April Declan's Notice of Renewal of claim for permission to apply for Judicial Review).


Secret Millionaire Emma Harrison goes to Dagenham, one of Britain's poorest areas and home to Europe's largest council estate. A steel worker's daughter, 43 year old Harrison is Britain's richest female entrepreneur.