Lack of common sense on job-related benefits

From: Mrs Valerie Moody, Hodge Lane, Little Smeaton, Pontefract.

I CONCUR with Father Neil McNicholas and his letter (Yorkshire Post, February 22) regarding the inability of common sense to come into the equation regarding job-related benefits.

When I was 22, some 50-plus years ago, I had to leave my employment of four years and take some time to recover from a serious illness.

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When deemed by the doctor to be fit enough to seek employment on a part-time basis initially, I went to the then Labour Exchange to enrol and was there and then offered an interview at a place of work some distance from my home which would have necessitated catching three buses too and from work and therefore, long hours involved in taking the position.

I explained all this to the person dealing with me and was told that unless I produced a doctor’s letter stating I should not apply for this job, my benefit would be not paid.

I duly took into the office said letter but was told that my benefit had been suspended for six weeks any way.

Long before the six weeks was gone, I had found myself a position to suit me and so never did receive a penny in unemployment benefit. Never in all my working life have I received it since or, for that matter, sickness pay, as my parents kept me when I was still at home and unable to contribute to my board.