Fiddling the job figures?

LETTER: This summer I left college after finishing my exams. While others chose to go straight to university I opted to wait a year in order to earn some money so that I will be less reliant on my parents and my student loan.

I told my parents that I would not expect them to let me live in their house for free any longer. I knew finding work during the recession would be tough, but I also trusted that the Welfare State would look after me.

However, having failed to find work I phoned the Job Centre to claim Jobseekers Allowance.

Half an hour later, having given them virtually every single detail on me, I was told to report to Telford Job Centre for an interview. Here, I was informed that in the eyes of the Welfare State I was still in college until the start of September.

This sounds fair, but why then did I receive a letter a few weeks earlier telling me that I would no longer receive my Education Maintenance Allowance after my exams as I was no longer enrolled at college?

Is this a case of the state trying to avoid paying citizens what they're entitled to, or is it just an attempt to fiddle unemployment figures by keeping college and school leavers off the dole for as long as possible?

Even without the contradiction of the EMA, I was told that due to my parents receiving £20 a week in Child Benefit until the end of August I couldn't sign on.

But the best bit is that when my mum asked if they could cancel the payment so that I could sign on she was told no, but then informed that if I get a job before the benefit stops she has to call them immediately!

Tom Wright (Age 18)

Randlay