By Dave Toomer CAMPAIGNERS against the controversial Job Seekers Allowance staged a protest at Bolton Job Centre after an unemployed Bolton woman was left without benefit for a week.

Jean Johnson, aged 42, was told she had not taken adequate steps to find work because she had not applied for five vacancies advertised in Bolton Job Centre.

But anti-JSA campaigners claim two of the jobs had been filled last year and the other three were for people aged under 25.

Job Centre staff sent her details of the jobs through the post asking why she had not applied for the jobs and told her a doubt had arisen on her claim for JSA which meant the allowance would not be paid.

But when she asked for advice from the local TUC Centre for the Unemployed it was discovered that two of the jobs still being advertised on stands in the Job Centre had been filled in November. And the others were unsuitable because of her age.

And a week later Jean received a letter from the employment Service telling her the adjudication officer judging her case had decided she HAD taken steps to find work and her benefit was reinstated.

Protesters from the North West Campaign Against the JSA claimed Jean's case was part of an attempt to hound unemployed people off the jobless register.

The campaigners staged a demonstration in support of her at Bolton Job Centre on Moor Lane.

A spokesman for the Campaign, Derek Patterson said: "The JSA is aimed at intimidating unemployed people so they try to put the blame for unemployment on the unemployed themselves.

"If it had not been for the Unemployed Centre the Job Centre would still be advertising jobs which had been filled and I think this woman should have received an apology for what happened.

"I can sympathise with benefits staff and Employment Service workers because they are so desperate to hit targets set by the government that mistakes like this happen."

A spokesperson for the Employment Service said he could not discuss individual cases but commented: "Any person claiming Job Seekers Allowance must demonstrate that they are actively seeking work and if they can not their benefit will be suspended. If anyone has a complaint it will be investigated."

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