JSA Claimant - Re-training Fees

Linnear

Hi,
My son has been on JSA since being made redundant December 2012.

After continually looking for employment, he is now going in another direction and has just passed his theory exam (in 3 parts) for an HGV Licence.
In 2 weeks time, he will be doing the required course of driving with a registered HGV Training Company to obtain his HGV Licence.

So far it has cost just over £1000.

As he's on JSA is there anyway that he can claim all or part of this cost as he's re-training to get himself off the unemployed register?

Thanks for any advice.

gk1980

It's not something that he'd be able to claim retrospectively I believe. He should speak to his adviser though as they may be able to make an application for some of the training through Low Value Procurement. Tell him to speak to an adviser ASAP. Certainly as he was made redundant he should have been put though the rapid response service which is made available to recently redundant claimants.
I think that has to be done in the first 13 weeks of a claim though although I'm sure others will be able to advise if I'm wrong on that point.

busy_mom_2

Very rare JCP will pay retrospectively. It is not the decision of the individual adviser of JCP manager, these decisions are made via district office for each individual office.

Rapid respnse has to be within 13 weeks, LVP can be at any stage until WP.

Did your son not enquire about help before he started the HGV training?

Linnear

My son has his pre-arranged appointment with his advisor tomorrow.
He didn't ask his advisor about this but just did it off his own back.
I'm asking now as I saw something on a tv documentary recently, where it was mentioned that a fee would be waived on a plumbing course as the applicant was on JSA.

Thanks for your replies anyway.

busy_mom_2

Linnear wrote: »

My son has his pre-arranged appointment with his advisor tomorrow.
He didn't ask his advisor about this but just did it off his own back.
I'm asking now as I saw something on a tv documentary recently, where it was mentioned that a fee would be waived on a plumbing course as the applicant was on JSA.

Thanks for your replies anyway.

In this case very unlikely they will pay I'm afraid. RR and LVP are all based on supply and demand, how many HGV jobs in your area, how may people with HGV signing on are they likely to fill these positions. Then they consider under LVP why has your son paid all this out and not asked before?

anamenottaken

Linnear wrote: »

My son has his pre-arranged appointment with his advisor tomorrow.
He didn't ask his advisor about this but just did it off his own back.
I'm asking now as I saw something on a tv documentary recently, where it was mentioned that a fee would be waived on a plumbing course as the applicant was on JSA.

Thanks for your replies anyway.

That was probably an offer from the college using funding to which they have access rather than the Jobcentre arranging and paying for the training. Colleges do often reduce fees for people on income based JSA.

scooby088

From what I remember the jobcentre will not fund these types of courses.

saintjammyswine

JCP will not normally fund these courses although some offices are running schemes, mostly in the early pilot stages to assess suitability. The courses are normally funded through FE Colleges with access to ESF SSU (Skills Support for Unemployment) or SSR (Skills Support for Redundancy) funding, one of the criteria being that the candidate is on either JSA or ESA (WRAG). It can be funded through the 'normal' college funding with the fees waived for the same benefit circumstances although the courses available are fewer and the colleges will not get as much funding (not usually enough to cover costst) which is why they dont offer it often. Retrospective funding is very highly unlikely(99.99%) to not be available as JCP have to go though processes of authorisation.