Information on FAS discussion not received

johnny_ultimate

Hi all, hopefully someone can give a bit of guidance on this.

Received a letter this morning informing me that I had failed to attend a FAS Placement discussion (as I am well aware all job seekers have to attend), and now have to attend a discussion with a deciding officer, commenting that my job seekers benefit may be reduced or cut off entirely.

Problem is, I never received any letter informing me of said FAS discussion!

To say I'm a bit peeved off is an understatement. I have done everything by the book since I went on job seekers - never missing sign-on or collection days and informing them in detail of the few hours casual work I have done since signing on. It now seems I'm getting punished for a miscommunication on their side!

I contacted the welfare office immediately, but the officer who sent the letter is absent 'til Thursday - the day I'm scheduled in for a 9.30 interview with them :P FAS passed the buck to social welfare when I contacted them.

I don't have anything to hide, and am happy to fill out the enclosed questionnaire (have plenty of evidence of job-seeking), but am I in a position to request a FAS interview instead when I attend the SW interview on Thursday? I just feel I have done no wrong, and am unhappy at the tone of the letter I received today as a result!

Cheers for any advice!

The same thing happened to me a few years ago, I never received notice of my Fas interview, just a letter informing me of my failure to attend and an interview with the SW. All I could do was tell them I really did not receive the first Fas letter. They took my word for it and set up a new Fas interview for me, and that was it. Hopefully you'll have the same experience.

(It could be more common than they like to admit.)

Sephiroth_dude

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Hi all, hopefully someone can give a bit of guidance on this.

Received a letter this morning informing me that I had failed to attend a FAS Placement discussion (as I am well aware all job seekers have to attend), and now have to attend a discussion with a deciding officer, commenting that my job seekers benefit may be reduced or cut off entirely.

Problem is, I never received any letter informing me of said FAS discussion!

To say I'm a bit peeved off is an understatement. I have done everything by the book since I went on job seekers - never missing sign-on or collection days and informing them in detail of the few hours casual work I have done since signing on. It now seems I'm getting punished for a miscommunication on their side!

I contacted the welfare office immediately, but the officer who sent the letter is absent 'til Thursday - the day I'm scheduled in for a 9.30 interview with them :P FAS passed the buck to social welfare when I contacted them.

I don't have anything to hide, and am happy to fill out the enclosed questionnaire (have plenty of evidence of job-seeking), but am I in a position to request a FAS interview instead when I attend the SW interview on Thursday? I just feel I have done no wrong, and am unhappy at the tone of the letter I received today as a result!

Cheers for any advice!

let us know how you get on!

johnny_ultimate

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

let us know how you get on!

Well went this morning, and a very impolite deciding officer reluctantly and rudely offered me 'a last chance' with a new appointment. I understand the amount of chancers they must get in, but still no need to treat everyone like absolute crap.

Anyway, said they'd send on another letter with a new FAS appointment. Let's see if it arrives this time :rolleyes: