Mortgage protection and full time course

WilfWolf_2

I was recently made redundant and have started a year long PGCE (teaching) course to retrain. In looking into the mortgage protection (I was banking on having my mortgage paid while I was studying to support my family) I was told I would need the job centre to sign part of the form for my claim to continue.

The job centre said that as I was on a full time course and had some redundancy money I couldn't claim. The mortgage protection company refuse to pay without the job centre signing. This means that I am penalised for actively retraining; I would be paid if I did nothing for a year.

Is there any way around this? A friend said that I should be able to sign on just to get my national insurance contributions covered. Is this the right way to go about it, or are there other solutins?

Many thanks in advance, especially as I only have 2 weeks to get the forms in.

WilfWolf_2

Many apologies for the bump but I am getting quite desperate as I had budgeted for this to support the family for the next year. (If this is the wrong forum please feel free to move it)

toonfish

They won't pay as you are choosing not to work - it's an insurance policy. You can't just take time off work because you fancy it, regardless of the merit of whatever else you are doing.

MarkyMarkD

As toonfish says, you shouldn't have budgeted for this income which is intended to pay you if you are unable to work, not because you choose not to work. You are not being penalised for actively retraining, you are simply not eligible for the benefit because you are not involuntarily unemployed.

poppy10_2

Or rather, you are involuntarily unemployed as you were made redundant, but you are now choosing not to work or look for a job, so are not entitled to claim unemployment benefits or claim on your protection insurance.

WilfWolf_2

Ok not the answer I wanted (obviously) but thanks for the advice anyway.

dmg24

If you were to study for your PGCE on a flexible/ part time basis you may be able to claim, as you would be eligible for JSA.