A FURIOUS mum has demanded a refund after she drove 10 miles to a Jobcentre only to find it was closed.
Andrea Hill accused the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of "treating her like a second-class citizen" by not informing her of the closure.
The 44-year-old arrived at the building in Staffordshire at 9.30am only to find it was closed due to Coronavirus.
She and other job seekers who had also travelled to the centre were met with a note on the door explaining the closure.
She told StokeonTrent Live: "It’s annoying because I paid to get there and had no idea. It was rude.
"If we miss our appointment or are late we get sanctioned. If you don’t turn up or you miss your appointment more than once you get sanctioned so your benefits get stopped until you go back in and explain why you were off or if you had a medical reason why you were not there.
"You have to inform them through your journal and it’s up to them to decide if that’s an appropriate excuse."
She added: "It’s double standards. They’ve not notified us and there’s no sanction for them.
"It’s frustrating. I’m a single parent with two kids and that extra petrol money has been used. I’ve had to take time out of my day to get there. I know I am unemployed but it’s still about respect and they are treating us like we are stupid.
"Just because we are unemployed we are not second-rate citizens. I felt like we were treated like second-class citizens and it’s all on their terms. It’s not right."
"They are a double-edged sword. They can punish you for not turning up on their terms. I even asked them how do I claim my petrol back?
DOUBLE STANDARDS
"And they said I have to do it next week when I come in. I’m not sure how much fuel it cost but it’s a 10-mile round trip. It cost me my time and petrol."
She explained how she had rushed around that day to get her six-year-old to school and then left immediately to go to the appointment.
Andrea also said that she had received a text message from the DWP about the cancelled appointment but didn't get it until she was leaving the closed jobcentre.
A DWP spokesman said: "Staff and customer safety is our priority as our Jobcentres provide vital support to those who need it.
“We continue to work closely with the unions to ensure our sites are Covid-secure in line with public health and Government guidance and keep health and safety under constant review.”
Source: Read Full Article
