Lisa Said:

Where is my nearest Job Centre Plus?

We Answered:

It is on their website, here's the link - put in your postcode

Renee Said:

where is my nearest job centre plus in bishop stortford?

We Answered:

Your local Jobcentre Plus offices are located at 43 South Road, Bishop's Stortford, Herts, CM23 3JQ.
Just up the road from the mini-roundabout where the road splits towards the town centre and the railway station. http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=549…

Stacey Said:

Why is the Job Centre Plus website so useless?

We Answered:

Yep, it's always the same. It tells you to pick preferences then comes up with all sorts of jobs that are not good.
Have you tried direct.gov.uk
sometimes it does what is told this one.
good luck

Clifton Said:

Who in DWP is responsible for the 'Work Trials' of Job Centre Plus?

We Answered:

It sounds to me as though Work Trials are being misused.

The whole idea of a Work Trial is that it is a two-way process. It is not just for the employer to "get two weeks free" and assess whether he should emply someone. It is for the prospective employee to weigh up whether the job is right for themselves, before committing to taking the job.

The Work Trial can be terminated by either party at any time.

For an employer to set up a Work Trial, there must be a genuine job vacancy of at least 16 hours a week. They can't just ring up the Jobcentreplus office and ask to take someone on trial; they need to actually be looking to recruit someone.

The good thing is that it gives a person an opportunity to show what they have to offer an employer, not just their skills, but their peronality too. That doesn't always coem across on a CV or at an interview. Somone might be brilliant at interviews, and have all the right skills on paper, but may be the sort of person that is difficult to work alongside. On the other hand, they may not have everything an employer is looking for, but could demonstrate on a Work Trial that they are suitable for that workplace, and have the potential to do well there.

Who is responsible in DWP for Work Trials? Firstly, speak to the adviser who arranged it. Your next port of call would be the Labour Market and Recruitment Adviser. Their job is to deal with employers.

But if you want to know who is responsible for the implimentation of Work Trials, well, they've actually existed before DWP came into being. It is a government initiative, that over the past few years has been pushed really hard, as an extra recruitment tool.

Some employers will undoubtedly be misusing it. If you feel that is the case, speak to your local office in the first instance.

Dorothy Said:

I have recived a letter from job centre plus, it says somethign about benefits, What does it mean?

We Answered:

Hi I work in benefits and we normally send these type of letters out if we have received information that would lead us to suspect that the person could be committing benefit fraud. You will be interviewed, probably by a fraud officer in relation to the questions you answered on your claim form. If you are not committing fraud you have nothing to worry about, you can only be charged with fraud if they can provide concrete evidence.