Long waiting time for adjustment study support • “You feel tied down”
Mona Björklund from Stockholm became unemployed last autumn. Since then, she has been on social security and studying part-time. Now ahead of the fall, she has decided to further her education in sustainability in the construction and real estate industry and has applied for adjustment study support.
The second the clock struck midnight and applications opened on April 1st, Mona submitted her application. Since then she hasn’t heard anything.
– Now it’s the first of September and next week my studies start and I still haven’t been notified. When I call and talk to CSN, you don’t get information about where you are. It is not possible to get information if or when I can believe I will find out, says Mona to TV4 Nyheterna.
“You feel tied down”
Mona has been able to support herself and her daughter through the money from the unemployment insurance fund, but now that she starts studying full-time, she will no longer be able to receive it.
– I know nothing. What I do know is that if I’m going to start studying next week, I have to stop reporting to social security. Then I am no longer a job seeker.
Sustainability in particular is something that engages her and she dreams of studying further, but the economy and uncertainty put a damper on the wheel.
– In this situation, I am in a pinch. I want to do the right thing and I am committed. But I feel hindered. It limits. The energy is blunted when there is resistance in the logistics. When the obstacles become too high and many, you feel tied down.
Long processing times
Stefan Tärnhuvud is press secretary at CSN and he regrets the long waiting times.
– We have been struggling with extremely long processing times since the support was launched two years ago. We don’t have time for all applications and it takes a long time to find out if the person is eligible. It is regrettable, he says.
It is now hoped that the waiting times will be shorter in the future, after hiring more administrators, receiving system support and working to simplify the rules so that each application can be handled faster.
– There are those who waited for eight weeks and there are those who waited for a year, says Stefan Tärnhuvud.
While Mona continues to wait for her decision on the transition study grant, she is considering applying for CSN instead, even though she does not think that the regular student loan would cover the living expenses for both her and her daughter. Now she worries that she won’t be able to afford it and will be forced to drop out of education.
– If it doesn’t work out, it absolutely can happen. It feels so boring.
Facts: Support for you between the ages of 27 and 62
The transition study support is for those who want to further their education in their professional field or learn a new profession.
The support can be applied for all Swedish educations that give the right to study funds. For example, it could be education at a university or college, Komvux, folk college or vocational college.
To be entitled to the support, you must have worked at least eight of the last 14 years and at least twelve of the last 24 months.
The support consists partly of a contribution of up to 80 percent of the salary, up to a maximum amount, and partly of a loan that you can top up with if you want.
Source: CSN and others.