London Black Cab Knowledge

DeeWren

This question is still to do with my previous threads, but my son is now moving out of his home and will be staying with us for a while until he get's himself on his feet.

After the holiday he is going to the Job Center, Housing Department etc to see where he stands legally and financially but he will probably have to claim some sort of benefit (we believe income-based JSA) until he is sorted.

My question is, we know you can claim benefit if you are training for certain skills, but does anyone know if that would include the London Black Cab Knowledge? It is a proper skill that you have to have a TFL licence to start, plus a police CRB check, all of which he has and he's over halfway through the third blue book of the Knowledge (there are four), so it will be a terrible shame if he has to pack it all in at this stage. We would prefer he continue with it, but of course having to leave his family home has sort of changed things greatly.

Anyone know? Thanks.

happy35

it will depend how much time he is spending doing this, they will be looking to see if he is studying full time

If he isnt then it would be to see if doing this course will interfere with him taking a job. If it is a case of him being able to study at his own pace in his own time then it may be ok as I know people who have continued to study for Open University degrees they started while in work and continued when looking for another job.

hazyjo

He might not be entitled to JSA if living with you - my BF has been told he probably won't get a penny when he moves in with me permanently cos I'm earning. Not happy, but what can you do. I'm not even looking for rent payment but for him to not get a penny?! Don't see why it should be down to me to support him. He is looking for part time work so hopefully something will turn up soon.

Jx

fluffnutter

hazyjo wrote: »

He might not be entitled to JSA if living with you - my BF has been told he probably won't get a penny when he moves in with me permanently cos I'm earning. Not happy, but what can you do. I'm not even looking for rent payment but for him to not get a penny?! Don't see why it should be down to me to support him. He is looking for part time work so hopefully something will turn up soon.

Jx

Living with a partner and living with parents are treated differently. You're expected to support a partner who lives with you, but not adult children.

claire16c

hazyjo wrote: »

He might not be entitled to JSA if living with you - my BF has been told he probably won't get a penny when he moves in with me permanently cos I'm earning. Not happy, but what can you do. I'm not even looking for rent payment but for him to not get a penny?! Don't see why it should be down to me to support him. He is looking for part time work so hopefully something will turn up soon.

Jx

I got JSA for a few weeks when I job searched when I came back from travelling before I found a job and I was living with my husband who was earning.

Aslong as your boyfriend has had a job that earned him enough NI contributions I think in the past tax year, he will get JSA for 6 months. Its only when it goes onto the income related bit after that it would stop.

peachyprice

hazyjo wrote: »

He might not be entitled to JSA if living with you - my BF has been told he probably won't get a penny when he moves in with me permanently cos I'm earning. Not happy, but what can you do. I'm not even looking for rent payment but for him to not get a penny?! Don't see why it should be down to me to support him. He is looking for part time work so hopefully something will turn up soon.

Jx

You need to check that, it don't think it's right, my OH was certainly able to claim JSA when he was unemployed. He wasn't entitled to anything other than JSA, but that he certainly did get.

And as above, adult children living with parents are entitled too.

FBaby

Sorry but I don't understand this thread. Why would he have to give it up? Does he have caring duties? If not, surely he has more than enough time during the day to continue to study for it, even if it takes a bit longer AND look for a job? Why does one negate the other?

paulineb_2

Surely he could sign on and still study and look for work and even if he got a job he could keep the study on.

All he needs to do is to be able to keep to the job seeking agreement that he makes when he signs on

Ive studied and signed on before, oddly enough they werent happy about me doing even a one day a week course part time, but if I did it at weekends, they said it was fine, Im a fitness instructor and before I started teaching freelance I did a few fitness courses, mostly at weekends and there was no problem with that at all.

To be honest, I dont know why the DWP even need to be told about this, as long as hes looking for work, could take a job if hes offered, whether he sits at home and studies every day in the meantime really isnt a big deal.

When I last signed on, a couple of years ago, all they were concerned about was that I evidenced that I was looking for work, they didnt care what I was doing with my free time apart from that.

DeeWren

Yes Fbaby my son does have caring duties for his youngest son while his ex partner works part time. He also been looking after their home up until now. So, living with us, looking after his son until his ex returns home and then he's looking for work it looks as if the "knowledge" will have to go on hold. Doing that as an option while claiming benefits for a while would have been a help to him in the long run, but well, such is life I suppose.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

barbarawright

Don't most people do their Knowledge in the evening?

FBaby

well, in the end, it is up to him, if he wanted to do it, he could. I studied for a Master's degree part-time, whilst holding a full-time job and being a single mum to two children under the age of 5. The thing is, I then really wanted to change my career so was very motivated to do it. I studied during my lunch hour, then after the kids were in bed and most of Saturdays when the kids were with their dad. I was exhausted, but that's another matter.

If your son is really motivated, he will find a way to do it all.