I called my local Jobcentre today to politely ask whether I could change the advisor appointment time to the morning so as I could attend the funeral as planned.
I bluffed my words when I was explaining why I couldn’t attend the time and accidentally said that I had an Interview, instead of saying Funeral, because I had my job centre pamphlet in front of me with ‘Advisor Interview Reminder’ as the heading.
I was then transferred to a bloke who from the first word spoke to me as though I was lying about the whole thing, when I had been nothing but nice and patient, saying if it were an actual job interview or a job, time wouldn’t be allowed off for a funeral due to it not being immediate family, but also they wouldn’t change it because I had bluffed my words and said I had an interview?
I was told that if I wouldn’t attend the Advisor Apt at that time, I am to phone on Wednesday and arrange to come in again but that will affect my benefit.
(In past employment’s, I’ve been granted leave to attend funeral’s which haven’t been immediate family.)
So because I’m skint, my option’s are to either miss my close friend’s funeral which is distressing, or to be as poor as a tramp for 2 weeks which is also distressing. I don’t milk my benefits in any way and if I could get any job today I bloody would just to get out of the whole bloody mess.
Told the job centre bloke i’d look online for my options and then phone back to speak to the manager. This has really upset me to the point that I was crying after the phonecall.
Anybody know how I could resolve this with the jobcentre?
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It isn’t unusual to not be allowed off for a funeral that isn’t an immediate family members. They have their policy and you have your emotional needs. I would check just how much it would impact your benefits, let them know you are willing to come in before your scheduled time and document that you were at the funeral and then make a choice on whether you will attend the funeral or not.