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Developments following recommendations of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration
Ombudsman's decision re learner complaint - January 2003
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman) investigated a complaint by a learner whose account was used without his knowledge. In this case the ILA could not be re-credited and as a result the learner incurred additional expense in order to pursue his chosen course of learning. The Department accepted the Ombudsman's recommendation to reimburse the individual for the out of pocket expenses which he incurred. The Department has also written to over 20,000 other account holders whose ILAs were used without their knowledge to offer reimbursement for any similar costs that they may have incurred.
Ombudsman's decision re provider complaint - 31 March 2003
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman) investigated a complaint by a learning provider who had difficulties booking learners onto the ILA system prior to scheme closure. As a result of that investigation the Ombudsman recommended and the Department accepted that the learning provider should be reimbursed for the resulting lost income.
The Department for Education and Skills is very sorry that this learning provider and a number of others experienced these difficulties.
In line with Government accounting guidance we wrote to learning providers who may have been similarly affected to extend this offer of reimbursement to them.
We intend to make full payment, that is, the discount that would have been claimed and paid had the learning taken place, in respect of those learners who:
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properly applied to open accounts before 24 October 2001;
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were committed to purchase learning with a specific learning provider;
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had not been issued with account numbers by the time the system closed down at 6.30pm on 23 November 2001.
All claims will need to be validated according to the above conditions. The nature of evidence required is set out in our letter to learning providers.