What can I claim?

Spendless

Justicia wrote:

I typed a nice, long post but it then went self-destruct once I tried to submit it... :rolleyes:

It really depends on what training you feel that you need to be honest.

You can get training directly, being a claimant of Jobseeker's Allowance, if it is available via a local, funded training provider. That of course limits any available training to schemes that the Gov't have classed as an aid to assisting you in obtaining future employment, ie. no sky-diving training...!! Most, if not all of the training provided by Jobcentre Plus is available to those who have been claiming benefit in excess of six months (there is a very good reason for this).





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What's the very good reason (if you don't mind me asking)? It doesn't apply to me nowadays but I know feeling very frustrated some years ago, that I couldn't get on a training course via the jobcentre, which would have made me more likely to get work, purely cos I hadn't been claiming for 6 months.

Justicia

No problem.

Statistics (real ones!) show that the vast majority of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance find employment successfully within the first six months of starting a claim, therefore if (in theory) everyone was eligible and decided to start a training course on the first day of claim then left to start the job that they have successfully applied for, then the Gov't expense would be large as the training providers that are contracted to provide the training would still be wanting to be paid as they have done all the preparation of venue, materials, expenses, etc. (providers are paid "per head" in attendance).

Take a truer fraction/percentage of the everybody (I would guess that if offered on a first day of claim the majority of clients would of course accept the invitation of training and help) and you still get a large bill to be paid even if they disappear off the course and off to work.

This of course (in my opinion) would probably then become another tabloid "scandal" as it is claimed a further waste of the budget and taxpayers money!

Therefore it is felt that those that are still unemployed and claiming at the six months are at an increased need of additional assistance (logical to me!), and will also be the ones who are potentially feeling/starting to feel the depression (not something they should be ashamed of, but in many cases suddenly changing from having something happening during most of your day to not very much can get to some people quite severely) of being unemployed for that length of time.

It's not an exact science and of course there are exceptions (as was pointed out on an earlier post, those who are disabled and may need further help to start with) and occassionally it doesn't work to this exact plan but you have to put the "goalpost" somewhere or no-one knows what is going on...!

Not a great post but hope it helps to explain it to you

modernmillie_2

Thanks for all of the replies so far. What I had in mind as far as training goes is some sort of web publishing course, because I think that would be an asset to me in finding my next job. Also I know there is something happening about the resurrection of Individual Learning Accounts, but not to people who earn more than £15k, which has ruled me out till now. More exploring to do I think!

Another question about housing benefit - on checking, B-S I think you're right - under the eligible rent gubbins, it's acceptable for a single person to have accommodation with 2 'living' rooms, so it looks like I will have the benefit reduced for my spare bedroom. Does anyone know is the reduction applied to the eligible rent or to my actual rent. To explain - say my actual rent is £500 per month, but the eligible rent for my property is £400. Say it's reduced by 30% (I have no idea if this is accurate, does anyone know?!) because of the second room - would this figure be taken from the actual rent (30% of £500 = £150) or the eligible rent (30% of £400 = £120)? Hope that makes sense!! I'm trying to work out what I'm going to have to live on - not very much at all I think, feel sick thinking about it!

Thanks again for the postings so far.

Alleycat

Have you thought about renting your spare room out at all? It would decrease the amount of benefits you would be entitled to as it would be considered to be a source of income, but might help keep the wolf from the door until you find more work?

Justicia

modernmillie wrote:

Thanks for all of the replies so far. What I had in mind as far as training goes is some sort of web publishing course, because I think that would be an asset to me in finding my next job. Also I know there is something happening about the resurrection of Individual Learning Accounts, but not to people who earn more than £15k, which has ruled me out till now. More exploring to do I think!

To be honest, I don't think that you will get a Web Publishing course through Jobcentre Plus. I can obviously only account for the area where I am based and around here there isn't to my knowledge any funded JCP courses that cover it.

You could possibly push it (once you are entitled to training ~ see previous posts) with the Advisor if you can justify that it will benefit you in seeking employment (with supplied examples and evidence that it is the only hurdle stopping you from getting work in a realtively acceptable amount of time), although I don't think you will get very far to be totally honest with you...

The other option is again a Learn Direct course. If you type "Web Publishing" into the search box then quite a few courses are listed and they appear to take around 9 hours to complete and you may, once registered unemployed get assistance with the funding of the course.

Not the best news above, but I hope that it helps.

P.S. ILA's? Blimey! I had a card for one of those but before I could do anything with it, it was obsolete...! :rolleyes:

modernmillie_2

Yep, ILA's are back - last time I think they were open to all, but this time to those earning less than £15k.

I would be breaking the terms of my lease if I were to sublet the spare room unfortunately, and not sure if I could get someone on a short term basis - I don't intend to be out of work for long. Even if I could, the amount I would get from it would be about equal to JSA - I'm not a sponger, but don't fancy having a stranger in my house for no financial gain at all.

black-saturn

Justicia wrote:

To be honest, I don't think that you will get a Web Publishing course through Jobcentre Plus. I can obviously only account for the area where I am based and around here there isn't to my knowledge any funded JCP courses that cover it.

The only computer courses they do at mine are basic ones. Hence the reason why it was so mind numbing.

Justicia

Unfortunately, due to alloted budget and also lack of providers willing to work on the slightly-cheap, the JCP funded courses are mainly for those wishing to obtain basic PC skills due to the increasing amount of job roles involving PC-based tools.

The Learn Direct centre around 'ere also offers a funded, basic PC skills course for free to claimants of benefit but due to a very low take-up it may be losing it's funding and closing very soon...

mummytofour

Hi,
Im sorry that this is happening to you, what a pain.

I have found this with regard to HB but I think each council has its own rules..

http://www.arun.gov.uk/assets/HB/BenefitCalc/wbc.htm

researcher

If you attended a 'web publishing' course at your local tech college and were unemployed you'd only pay the consessionary rate, which is usually quite low. Although you'd be paying out of your own pocket, you'd be able to access a much wider range of courses - and possibly of a higher standard.
When I did a desktop publishing course a couple of years ago, I paid about £120 I think, whereas the unemployed paid about £25. This included the exam fee for NVQ 2 - there were lots of different courses and levels of expertise available.

Good luck, and remember, treat this as an opportunity to progress and do something better with your life. Be positive, and who knows, you might even find something better before you have to claim a thing.

:santa2: