Can I attend a training course whilst claiming ESA?

knucklehead

Hi, I am receiving income related ESA support group and PIP and I was just wondering if I attended a training course if it would affect my ESA entitlement.   A Training course opportunity paid for by the government for unemployed people has come up and I would be interested in applying for it as I think it would give me something to focus on even though it would be a struggle for me and take me out of my comfort zone. It would be 7 hours a day mon-fri for 6 weeks and there is no pay involved just experience gained. I’ve mentioned in a previous post I’m due to be reassessed for ESA  in October and I am not sure if applying for this course would go against me if it comes down to an appeal situation. I have never seen this course advertised before, it’s now or never and it would be right up my street but would it be ok go ahead and apply for it or miss out ?
Thank you 

Belintte

MMMMM a bit of a dodgy one this it really depends if your in the support or work group. O.K if in the work group but might have probs if in the support group.

knucklehead

Yeah I’m in the support group.
ok thanks for response 

poppy123456

HI,

Providing doing the training course doesn't contradict the reasons you're in the Support Group then i see no reason why this wouldn't be possible.

knucklehead

Ok thank you, I’ll give them a call next week to check. 

Tori_Scope

Have you been able to give them a call @knucklehead?

knucklehead

No I didn’t call them yet as i thought it’s more likely to be allowed in the work related activity group than the support group as Belintte suggested. 

poppy123456

knucklehead said:

No I didn’t call them yet as i thought it’s more likely to be allowed in the work related activity group than the support group as Belintte suggested. 

I disagree. Permitted work is allowed in either group, therefore I see no reason at all when a training course wouldn’t be allowed. Providing it doesn’t contradict the reasons you’re in the Support Group.

newborn

It is not directly what you are asking about, but the first thing which strikes me is this course is indirectly discriminatory.  Which is unlawful.  And if the government is  sponsoring this, then the government itself is breaking the law.
Does their impact assessment include the likelihood that some disabled people can manage reduced hours for either study or work, but not an intensive block of full time attendance, such as you describle. (It may not apply to you, but will to others).  This may be a new course, but an obvious work-round might be something like offering flexible hours, with the option for people to attend two courses, covering half the ground with each  intake of student groups.  (You don't detail the area of study, but possibly another "reasonable adjustment" might be offering at least part of the course by watching on live video link)

P.S It happens I know someone in roughly that area of government provision, so it would be particularly interesting to know the answer to this.

knucklehead

Hi, the description of the course doesn’t mention disabled people at all it just says for unemployed people so I may not have even been eligible for it I didn’t persue it in the end. I can’t see it being discriminatory as it was openly advertised in a public media app. There is no mention of flexible hours either it’s just like I said 7 hours a day for 6 weeks it’s possibly aimed at people on Universal Credit I’m not sure.  Either way I’ve missed the deadline now