§ Mr. RooneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if a benefit sanction may be applied for failure to follow up the vacancy where a claimant identifies a vacancy himself and requests an in-work benefit calculation from an Employment Service adviser. [17865]
§ Mr. ForthResponsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 27 February 1997:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about whether a benefit sanction may be applied for failure to follow up the vacancy where a claimant identifies a vacancy himself and requests an in-work benefit calculation from an employment service 338W adviser. This falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of the Employment Service (ES).Where the jobseeker identifies a vacancy themselves and discusses it with an ES adviser, it is considered to be notified to the jobseeker. Provided the jobseeker's suitability for the job has been established, if they do not apply for the job, or do not attend for the interview, or refuse the job, the case may be referred to the Sector Adjudication Officer (SAO). If the SAO decides the job, the case may be referred to the Sector Adjudication Officer (SAO). If the SAO decides the jobseeker has acted without good cause, a sanction of up to 26 weeks could be imposed.For these, as with all vacancies notified to the jobseeker, an in-work benefit calculation can be done by an ES adviser.I hope this is helpful.