signed up to FAS course without consent

Awhile back I posted on behalf of my housemate who recieved a letter to attend an open day on.a course that's part of the momentum skills initiative. The course was not one he was interested in and when he spoke to the FAS an MS representatives they agreed it wasn't something he should pursue given his qualifications and career interests.

Anyways fast forward two months to yesterday morning when he recieved a letter congratulating him on his successful application to the course. A phone call from the person running the course followed a few hours later and when he explained that he never applied for the course he was told that "the places needed to be filled" and if he didn't attend the course he would "lose his benefits".

I told him that his best bet is yo head into FAS tomorrow and speak to them as spending the next 6 months being forced to do a course really isn't fair. And before people start accusing him of being a freeloader, he has been upskilling and looking into FAS course aswell as returning to college to pursue a degree in IT.

dobman88

What is the course? If it is a handy course, he may as well do it if he has nothing else on. 2 reasons, it will keep him occupied and he will have another qualification to his name.

If he is already attending a course then he should go to fas and talk to them. But do they really have any control over whether he keeps or loses his benefits? I'm not sure they can just stop his benefits for such a silly reason.

As I said the course is an area that he has no interest. He could easily do the course and occupy himself for 6 months but it really would just be a waste of his time and unfair on the other participants.

What has really annoyed him is not that he was signed up to a course without his concent but rather the attitude of the woman running it who pretty much told him, do the course or lose his benefits. Really is quite an underhanded way to fill vacancies.

Grab All Association

Next they will be forcing people into slavery jobbridge schemes (I have a feeling someone will correct me that they are doing this already)

L1m1tless

My girlfriend has a degree and masters. They forced her to go on a course in plant potting, pottery and computer skills

Its a good thing though, because they just opened up that huge pottery factory there recently.. Oh no wait, they didn't.

dobman88

Deleted User wrote: »

As I said the course is an area that he has no interest. He could easily do the course and occupy himself for 6 months but it really would just be a waste of his time and unfair on the other participants.

What has really annoyed him is not that he was signed up to a course without his concent but rather the attitude of the woman running it who pretty much told him, do the course or lose his benefits. Really is quite an underhanded way to fill vacancies.

Can the woman running the course really stop his benefits?? Genuine question cos I have no idea. If she can, it is a complete joke that they hold people to ransom like that. Your mates best bet is probably go to the local welfare office and show them his qualifications and prove there is no point doing said course, (if they want proof). Luckily I have only had to be on JSA once about 2 years ago for a very brief period and they treated me like sh!t.

FWIW, I do feel for your mate and the situation they are putting him in. Maybe bring some job applications to the welfare office too to show them that he is trying?