Mr Erik Ribsskog

By e-mail

2321 July 2010

ICE Ref No: DWP00811/09

Dear Mr Ribsskog

I am responding to your emails sent on 25 June and 12 July 2010.

With regard to your comments about this office contacting you, there is little I can
usefully add to the response sent to you on 24 June 2010. Following your request
that we contact you in writing, I have arranged that your case with this office be
noted as “correspondence only”.

I note your disagreement with the element of complaint about Jobcentre Plus.
Following your comments I have reviewed the actions taken on your case
concerning this issue. I have seen that on 25 November 2009 a gateway officer
telephoned you to discuss your complaints about Jobcentre Plus and there is no
record that you indicated at the time it was inconvenient for you. Following this
discussion a complaint agreement letter was sent to you dated 26 November 2009.
The element of complaint which had been agreed was detailed as:

You submitted a complaint to Jobcentre Plus regarding the conduct of a

member of its staff during an interview you attended on 21 May 2009.
Jobcentre Plus has failed to deal with your complaint in a timely and
appropriate manner.

I have seen that you telephoned on 26 November 2010, agreeing that this letter
reflected your complaint about Jobcentre Plus and again you made no reference that
the telephone call the previous day had been inconvenient for you. You were
informed that your complaint would now pass to the next stage of our investigation
process, and a resolution officer would contact you to discuss the way forward. I
must advise you that the elements of complaint are the foundations upon which we
base our investigation, but please be assured that we examine all relevant evidence
and have regular dialogue with our complainants throughout our investigation.

Clearly, it is important that a complainant is given the opportunity to provide as much

information as they feel may be relevant, and the details you have provided
concerning your complaint have been recorded on our database and will be
considered during our investigation. More details about our processes can be found
on our website - http://www.ind-case-exam.org.uk/en/complaints/index.asp#how. I
note that since you agreed your complaint and whilst you have been waiting for an
investigation officer to become available, you have raised further issues regarding
your ongoing dealings with Jobcentre Plus and have correctly been advised that you

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need to raise those issues directly with Jobcentre Plus and exhaust its complaints
process before we can consider if we could accept them for examination.

I am satisfied that the element of complaint as defined above covers the issues you
initially raised, and is in my view sufficiently detailed in order to conduct an
investigation. Whilst we hope that you will allow us the opportunity to investigate
your complaint, in view of your comments I should remind you that use of our service
is voluntary and you may withdraw your complaint at any time.

If you do agree with the element of complaint as defined overleaf, please let us know
by 9 August 2010 in order for this office to continue our examination. We will not
correspond with you indefinitely about this matter and, without your specific
agreement by 9 August 2010, we will close your case with this office. Pending your
response I have suspended all ongoing action on your case.

I hope this letter addresses your concerns. However, if you remain dissatisfied you
may ask your Member of Parliament to consider referring your case to the
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. More details of the Ombudsman
service can be obtained from:

Office of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1 4QP

Telephone: 0345 015 4033

www.ombudsman.org.uk

This office will cooperate with any investigation the Ombudsman might decide to
undertake. You should be aware that the Ombudsman routinely (but not exclusively)
expects complainants to have exhausted both the Jobcentre Plus and our services
before she accepts a complaint for investigation.

Yours sincerely

Margaret Fowler
Operations Manager