REdundancy - College? - HELP!?

Dev86

Hello there,

I was made redundant on Monday 18th of July.

I've been to the council and Job centere and applied for all I can. Because I am under 25, I am only eligibable for £52 JSA a week and £70 a week Housing benefit.(they aparently pay in full for the rent for the first 13 weeks - and within these 13 weeks i turn 25) This is not enough for me to continue living where I am at the moment.

I have been on 2 interviews in teh past week and have come close, but didn't get the job(kept on record for future vacancies etc)

Could someone tell me of my options at the moment? - I currently see it as, either down grading my flat to a cheaper place, or what I would really like to do is head to Telford to get on an AAT level 2 and 3 accountancy intensive course which takes 8 months(this is what i wanted to achieve part time in the evenings over a 2 year period)

Can anyone tell me if I am entitled to any grants to do wit hthis course at all , so that I hpefully dont have to move from my current home and have to move back in with my parents for perhaps a year?

I can possibly can sub-let this place to someone - this place i am at now is based in north wales , but ide be lodging down with my sister in shrewsbury for easier commute to college 3 days a week to college - would this stop me from gaining all housing benefit and job seekers?

I am very confused at the moment as to my options and waht i can and cant claim. I understand if i even gained a part time job, every pound i earned would be therefore removed from my job seekers allowance payout.... and as i am single and 24 I have no workin tax credits to rely on.....

Can anyone tell me of an option I could perhaps try in attempt to keep my flat, work part time and attend college 4 days a week?

My rent costs £525 a month.

Any more questions, please ask , i am really anxious about what to do next...

Thanks all

ehiogu41

Dev86 wrote: »

Hello there,

I was made redundant on Monday 18th of July.

I've been to the council and Job centere and applied for all I can. Because I am under 25, I am only eligibable for £52 JSA a week and £70 a week Housing benefit.(they aparently pay in full for the rent for the first 13 weeks - and within these 13 weeks i turn 25) This is not enough for me to continue living where I am at the moment.

I have been on 2 interviews in teh past week and have come close, but didn't get the job(kept on record for future vacancies etc)

Could someone tell me of my options at the moment? - I currently see it as, either down grading my flat to a cheaper place, or what I would really like to do is head to Telford to get on an AAT level 2 and 3 accountancy intensive course which takes 8 months(this is what i wanted to achieve part time in the evenings over a 2 year period)

Can anyone tell me if I am entitled to any grants to do wit hthis course at all , so that I hpefully dont have to move from my current home and have to move back in with my parents for perhaps a year?

I can possibly can sub-let this place to someone - this place i am at now is based in north wales , but ide be lodging down with my sister in shrewsbury for easier commute to college 3 days a week to college - would this stop me from gaining all housing benefit and job seekers?

I am very confused at the moment as to my options and waht i can and cant claim. I understand if i even gained a part time job, every pound i earned would be therefore removed from my job seekers allowance payout.... and as i am single and 24 I have no workin tax credits to rely on.....

Can anyone tell me of an option I could perhaps try in attempt to keep my flat, work part time and attend college 4 days a week?

My rent costs £525 a month.

Any more questions, please ask , i am really anxious about what to do next...

Thanks all

No grants for living are available at FE colleges. All you will get is remission of course fees due to you been on an unemployment beneift.

Dev86

So that means course fees paid on top of my benefits?

ehiogu41

Your course fees (tutition) will be remitted by the college on proof of your unemployment benefit status (This won't effect your benefits). Some college's may still charge for registration/examination costs but you will need to check with your college.

RAS

have you claimed Council Tax benefit. If not, you need to do so urgently.

BitterAndTwisted

I think you'll find that no grants are available for AAT courses and that you will be expected to find the course fees yourself. At least, that was my experience.

If you lodge with your sister you will not qualify for any housing benefit/LHA, just your JSA. You need to look very carefully at whether your landlord will agree to you sub-letting. Most landlord will not. However, they might agree to an early surrender subject to various conditions.

ehiogu41

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I think you'll find that no grants are available for AAT courses and that you will be expected to find the course fees yourself. At least, that was my experience.

.

Not true. AAT at Level 2 and 3 are funded by the Skills Funding Agency. Therefore, any student who falls under an SFA fee remission reason will get the tuition element remitted. They may still have to pay any exmaination/registration costs but this is dependent on the college.

AAT Level 4 is not SFA funded therefore students would have to pay course fees no matter what.

BitterAndTwisted

As I said: that was my experience. I wasn't offered any information about the Skills Funding Agency or anything else when I was looking into it.