Job Seekers: How to complete your "Looking for work" form (ES4JP) electronically/online

If you're unlucky enough to be [out of work and] claiming Job Seeker's Allowance (JSA), you'll likely be familiar with the "Looking for work" form, the diary-style form the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) requires you to complete to ensure that you're staying within the confines of your agreement.

However, if you're like me, you may find it easier to complete the form electronically.  I actually type faster and more accurately than I handwrite (you can debate the downfall of handwriting in school's etc. if you so wish), plus I find it easier to have it up on the screen with my searches and applications, so I can copy and paste job titles and the like.

Now unfortunately, the DWP sadly doesn't [currently] offer a service whereby you can complete the form electronically, which is especially weird considering they're pushing the "Universal Jobmatch" service and moving toward more modern approaches to job searching.  I'd like to be able to complete the form through the Direct Gov website and have it visible to my advisor so I can save time, paper and money.  Perhaps we'll get paperless one day.

I'll describe the process that I use to work around this small hurdle.

You can actually download the "Looking for work" form from the DWP website (I found it by doing a Google search for "ES4JP" - the reference in the upper right hand corner of the form), the form is provided to be printed (I suppose in case you've lost yours), but it does give you a pretty version in a PDF format.

I then use PDFescape to upload and then type onto the form.  When I'm done, I print the form (I also save a copy to my Google Drive as an archive), and take it along to my session for inspection.

I would advise that you check with your advisor that this is acceptable.  I can see no reason why it would pose a problem, but I think it's always worth CYA before deviating from established procedure. Plus, if enough people do so, it will highlight a need to provide this as an official service.

If you are an employer and would like to hire the hardest working, creative, dedicated and versatile team player you'll find, I'd love to hear from you [LinkedIn | Email].