Jobseeker's Allowance (Hansard, 3 March 1995)

§ Mr. McCartney
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if unemployed people receiving the job seeker's allowance will be able to participate in(a) postgraduate courses, (b) degree courses, (c) courses in preparation for a degree, (d) diploma of higher education courses, (e) higher national diploma courses, (f) A-level courses, (g) GCSE courses, (h) teaching qualification courses and (i) other courses of a similar nature; and if he will make a statement.

§ Miss Widdecombe
People on full-time courses will not be able to claim jobseeker's allowance.
People claiming JSA will be able to take part-time courses provided that they remain available for and actively seek employment. In the case of courses funded by the Further Education Funding Council, part-time courses will be defined as courses of up to 16 guided learned hours a week. This definition will not extend to higher education and other sectors, where we expect the definition of a part-time course to remain essentially unchanged. Similar arrangements will apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

§ Mr. McCartney
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if unemployed people claiming the job seeker's allowance will be able to study part-time higher education courses for up to 21 hours a week; and if he will make a statement.

§ Miss Widdecombe
People on full-time courses will not be able to claim jobseeker's allowance.
People claiming JSA will be able to take part-time courses provided that they remain available for and actively seek employment. That will include part-time higher education courses, where we expect the definition of a part-time course to remain essentially unchanged.
745W

§ Mr. McCartney
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in what circumstances when the jobseeker's allowance is introduced the Employment Service client advisers will accept that participation in a part-time education or training course is a positive outcome and an active step in looking for work; and if he will make a statement.

§ Miss Widdecombe
A course of up to two weeks' duration will be accepted as an active step in seeking employment if it will help improve the jobseeker's chances of getting work. Longer courses, whether part-time or full-time, will not be accepted as an active step in substitution for job search activity.
Starting a course of education or training which takes the jobseeker out of unemployment is treated as a positive outcome of an Employment Service advisory interview and we propose to continue this.

§ Mr. McCartney
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the maximum number of hours that unemployed people claiming the jobseeker's allowance will be allowed to participate in courses run by voluntary organisations and local authorities which are partly funded by the European social fund; and if he will make a statement.

§ Miss Widdecombe
People on full-time courses will not be able to claim jobseeker's allowance.
People claiming JSA will be able to take part-time courses provided that they remain available for and actively seek employment. In the case of courses funded by the Further Education Funding Council, part-time courses will be defined as courses of up to 16 guided learning hours a week. This definition will not extend to higher education and other sectors, where we expect the definition of a part-time course to remain essentially unchanged. Similar arrangements will apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
These rules will apply to all courses, including those funded by the European social fund.