Government wrong to penalise those seeking training

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 16th Jul 2009

Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member, Peter Black, has said the government must stop removing the jobseekers allowance of people who are on training schemes to help them back into work.

A constituent contacted Mr Black after his son was told that he was not eligible for jobseekers allowance while attending a course in plastering. Mr Black wrote to the Department for Work and Pensions, who informed him that they will not pay jobseekers allowance to people who are on training schemes because Job Centre staff would have to take a decision on whether the training course was appropriate and whether it would benefit their chances of finding work. Those being trained under the Welsh Assembly Government's ReAct scheme are included as being unavailable for work, and are not entitled to benefits.

Peter Black said:

"For many people, accessing training is their best chance of getting back into work following redundancy or long term unemployment. Removing the benefits of those who are utilising training schemes will prevent many who rely on their benefits to pay for such necessities as food and bills from being able to help themselves back into work."

"I don't understand why the Department for Work and Pensions does not trust their staff to make decisions based on a course's usefulness? Giving them discretion to balance a course against the personality and ability of the individual and employment opportunities in the local area means they are potentially in a better position to judge this. Instead of being "arbitrary and unsound" as the Minister states in the letter, they would be appropriate and informed."

"Instead of putting faith in their staff to make common sense decisions, the government are preventing many people from bettering their employment opportunities and life chances. It is a ridiculous decision based on trying to lower the Governments benefits bill rather than helping people to help themselves out of poverty."