A jobseeker who claims he had his benefits stopped for enrolling on training courses to help him get back to work is suing Jobcentre bosses.

Dad-of-two Roger Boswell, 45, had his Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) payments stopped by Openshaw Jobcentre in September after he was judged to have made himself unavailable for work.

He had enrolled on a number of courses at Middleton-based Mantra Learning, which provides warehouse vehicle training, and council-run Gorton Work Club so he could gain new qualifications after more than a year unemployed.

He told a tribunal hearing at Manchester Civil Justice Centre he only signed up for the training – including forklift truck driving and IT courses – after becoming frustrated at a lack of progress in his Jobcentre search and had been penalised for showing his own initiative.

Mr Boswell, of Buckley Road, Gorton, will find out later this week if he will win back more than £1,500 in cancelled JSA payments.

The former bed shop boss told the M.E.N: “I didn’t feel like I was getting anywhere at the Jobcentre and I wanted to take matters into my own hands, so I signed up for the work club which I thought would help give me some skills.

“I was still going to my appointments and I’d have still gone to any interviews but they said that because I was going to these courses, I wasn’t looking for work. It’s been a nightmare. I had no money over Christmas, I’ve had to rely on the support of others and I’m in debt up to my eyeballs. But as well as the money it was about trying to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else because it’s been an absolutely ridiculous situation to be put in.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Work and Pensions said it could not discuss individual appeals, but added that rules regarding training courses are made clear to claimants.

She said: “It’s only right that we should make sure people do everything they can to find work if they want to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance. We always make it clear to people what the rules are and sanctions are only used as a last resort, but anyone who disagrees with a decision can appeal."