To ask Her Majesty's Government for how long an individual has to claim jobseeker’s allowance before taking up a full-time training course while claiming benefits. [HL447]

Jobseeker's allowance recipients may receive access to full-time education or training through the New Deal programme. Recipients are currently required to participate in the mandatory New Deals when they have been receiving benefit continuously for either six months, if aged 18 to 24, or 18 months (or 18 out of the previous 21 months if there has been a break in their claim) if they are aged 25 or over. In the New Deal for Young People, one of the four mandatory options is full-time education or training. The New Deal 25 Plus contains an intensive activity period of at least 13 weeks and one option is work-focused training.

The Flexible New Deal will replace these programmes from October 2009 in the first roll-out areas. It will be a mandatory programme for people unemployed for 12 months, though some may enter earlier. Participants may be offered full-time training on the programme where it is felt necessary for their return to work.

People in certain disadvantaged groups (such as ex-offenders, homeless people, people with literacy and innumeracy needs and others categories) may, subject to capacity, voluntarily enter the New Deal programme at any time and from the first day of their claim.

In addition, from October 2008, DWP introduced changes that mean that the 16-hour study rule in JSA will no longer be a barrier to short employment-focused training. Those who have been receiving JSA for more than six months—or those whom personal advisers believe need urgent help to update skills—will be able to take part in full-time employment-related training for up to eight weeks. In the autumn a pathfinder was set up in the West Midlands to test this new approach and we are encouraging Jobcentre Plus personal advisers to use it at a local level. We are also ready to consider requests to extend the eight-week limit from the most effective city strategy pathfinders, or to look at other innovative proposals.

It does remain a requirement of receiving jobseeker's allowance that the recipient meets the labour market conditions of being available for and actively seeking full-time work. Consequently, just as with the New Deal programmes, a claimant taking part in such training will be moved from jobseeker's allowance and on to a training allowance for the duration of their placement.

Meanwhile, it is recognised that short, full-time training can assist some people in an early return to work, and jobseeker's allowance customers are permitted to study full time for two weeks each year. This flexibility is being used to provide pre-employment training as part of local employer partnerships. A person may, of course, take up other forms of full time training at any time but if the labour market conditions could not be satisfied he or she would not be entitled to jobseeker's allowance while undertaking such training.