The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has withdrawn a training programme offer after mistakenly enrolling a 57-year-old man from Wales into a scheme designed for younger jobseekers.
John Colamatheo, from Wrexham, was initially told to join a training programme aimed at 16 to 30-year-old Universal Credit claimants to become a Universal Credit Agent. However, he was informed after a week that he had been incorrectly placed on the programme and that the offer was being withdrawn.
Speaking about the experience, Colamatheo said, “I needed it, not for the money, but for my mental health. I wanted that camaraderie, that feeling of being in a workplace, around people.”
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He added that he had been preparing for the training seriously, saying, “I wanted to go to the training looking smart. I could ill-afford to spend the money but I reckoned I would cover it after I started getting paid.”
During the second week, Colamatheo was told the job was only open to people aged under 30, a detail not mentioned in the original job advertisement. He warned other claimants, pointing out, “We are not talking about manual labour here where age would be a factor. This is a desk job advising people. I can’t see how that should be only available to a certain age range.”
The DWP acknowledged the mistake, confirming Colamatheo had been “mistakenly placed” in the Movement to Work programme, which supports 16 to 30-year-olds into employment through a national charity.
Following the incident, which Colamatheo said had “destroyed his confidence,” the DWP issued an apology. A spokesperson said, “We sincerely apologise for this error and are in contact with Mr Colamatheo to discuss other job support available, as we help him to explore further employment opportunities.”