Jobcentre Plus and poor services to refugee customers

Refugees are not recognised by DWP as having additional support needs. They are mainstreamed.

Refugee customers do have additional jobsearch needs to mainstream customers.

Colleagues in the Refugee Careers Advisers Network tell me that they are also, as small voluntary sector organisations, spending much time and money to support distressed clients with mistakes and other poor Jobcentre Plus services.

We are not funded to mitigate Jobcentre Plus activities.

Below are reasons why overstretched JCP advisers should be offered additional training, information and advice on how to support refugee customers.

In the last week, 3 of my refugee clients have contacted me asking me for support about quite serious, unhelpful, mistaken actions by their Jobcentre.  That is 10% of my caseload.  It has so far taken around 2 hours of my time to assist them to sort the issues out.  This is not within my role and we are not funded by Jobcentre Plus to assist them.

 - A refugee client was informed in writing that he is an EEA customer and his benefits will be stopped in May.  A mistake.  A refugee is not a migrant.

 - 2 refugee clients successfully found employment. They have been told that their support will completely stop in the next days - leaving them with zero income for 1 month.  Also a mistake.


 - Many clients - many -  are put on a merry-go-round of jobsearch workshops, without the holistic targetted guidance and work experience that years of voluntary sector refugee services and research show that most refugees require.


Looking forward to low refugee job outcomes being identified by DWP so that money on longterm unemployment support can be saved by providing targetted services.