Job Centre Plus

 

Lines are open from 8:00am to 6:00pm, Monday to Friday. Charges may apply to calls from mobile phones, but the contact centre will call the customer back if requested. Customers who want face to face help filling in claims form call can still visit their local Jobcentre Plus office where this help will be provided.
 

Call to claim Incapacity Benefit, Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance: 0800 055 6688

 

In this page: Work Focused Interviews

 

 

SIBPA: Specialist Incapacity Benefit Personal Adviser    

 

  • Provide support & advice to incapacity benefit customers towards work
  • Conduct mandatory Work Focused meetings
  • Assesses levels of job readiness & identifies barriers to work
  • Completes an action plan with the customer
  • Explains the In-Work support available
  • Act as a referral point to contracted and non-contracted vocational services

 

DEA: Disability Employment Adviser

 

  • Advice & support for customers with a moderate/severe health condition regardless of benefit status
  • Assess levels of job readiness & identifies barriers to work
  • Voluntary DEA initial assessments
  • Gatekeepers to specialist vocational support for people with disabilities
 
 

Disability Employment Advisers (DEA’s) and Specialist Incapacity Benefit Advisers (SIBPA’s) in local Jobcentres
 

Because of the frequency of staff moves within and between Jobcentres it is not possible to give direct contact details for each site. Please call the main Jobcentre number as listed below and ask to speak to the DEA or SIBPA.

 
 

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH
 
Jobcentre details Postcodes served
Brixton Jobcentre Plus
 422 Brixton Road  London SW9
7AJ
Telephone 020 7301 8640 

SE24 0** only.
SW9 7** & 8** only.
Brixton Hill Jobcentre Plus
1-2 Hermes House
59 Josephine Avenue
London SW2 2JZ
Telephone 020 8465 2800 

SW2 1**, 2** & 5** only.

SE24 9** only.

 
Clapham Common Jobcentre Plus
Maritime House
Old Town

London SW4 0JW

Telephone 020 7800 4010

 

SW4 all postcodes.

SW8 3**,4** & 5** only.

SW11 1** & 6** only.

 
Stockwell Jobcentre Plus
Jebb House
155-159 Clapham Road
London SW9 0QQ
Telephone 020 7301 8500

 

SW8 1** & 2** only

SW9 0**, 6** & 9** only

 
Streatham Jobcentre Plus
Crown House, StationApproach
London SW16 6HW
Telephone 020 8465 2500

 

SW16 all postcodes.

SW2 3** & 4** only

SE19 all except a few streets served by Croydon/Thornton Heath Jobcentres.

SE27 all postcodes.

 

 

Work Focused Interviews 

A work focused interview is an opportunity to assess your paid and voluntary employment prospects and either identify suitable job vacancies for you or look at ways of improving your prospects through training, education or referral to a DEA or New Deal Job Broker.

 

Work focused interviews take place each time you make a new or repeat claim for one of a wide range of benefits, including: 
  • Income support
  • Severe disablement allowance
  • Invalid care allowance
  • Incapacity benefits
  • Bereavement benefits
This may also happen when a number of ‘trigger events’, such as a personal capability assessment, occurs. (The personal capability assessment is the test of whether you are capable of work). If there are no trigger events you will still be asked to attend a WFI at least once every three years: 
  • Lasts around 40 minutes
  • Identify customers job goals, circumstances and barriers towards work
  • Identify customers skills/ qualifications
  • Concentrate on customers abilities and achievements
  • Draw up action plan with customer
  • Ensures customer is aware of In-Work support available; and
  • Advise customers of the features and benefits of services available via Jobcentre +
It is mandatory to attend Work Focused Interviews and is a condition of entitlement that you attend or your benefit could be stopped or reduced, however interviews can be waived or deferred.


  Waiving
  • Where the claim is wholly retrospective
  • A customer has a terminal illness; or
  • The customer’s health condition is so severe that a WFI would not serve any purpose now or in the future
  • All waived interviews will be reviewed every 3 years by the SIBPA
 Deferring
  Deferred for up to 6 months in the following circumstances: 
  • The customer is in short-term sick leave from employment
  • The customer is in hospital or currently convalescing from a major operation / episode
  • The customer is too emotionally distressed to attend at present

 

When you attend the interview you have to participate in it not just attend which mean answering any questions you are asked about: 
  • Educational qualifications
  • Employment history
  • Vocational training
  • Employment related skills
  • Any paid or unpaid work you are currently doing
  • Any medical condition which puts you at a disadvantage in getting work
  • Any caring or childcare responsibilities you have
If, without good cause you fail to turn up for your work focused interview when you make an initial or repeat claim for benefit, you will not be awarded benefit. If it was a deferred interview in connection with a fresh or repeat claim, the benefit will be stopped. If your WFI is at a different trigger point then failing to turn up will result in your benefit being cut by 20% of the income support applicable amount.
 
 It is very important that if you receive a letter from the DWP inviting you to a WFI that you telephone the person if you feel unable to attend as an absolute minimum. Obtaining evidence from health professionals if you feel unable to attend is extremely important or you could lose your benefits entitlement.

 

Get advice, do not ignore the appointments or your benefit entitlement could be reduced or withdrawn completely.

 

July 2005


 
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