Could I be denied the BTEA by being judged on expenses in my current A/C?

I very much doubt it, for social welfare they can and do look at your accounts and what goes in and out. For btea where you fill in the a/c info it is simply to allow them t pay direct into your account, you'll see on the same page there is option to pay to a post office in which case you don't have to supply bank details.

Also to the best of my knowledge you have to be on SW for 9 months to get BTEA, so that may have been why your friend was declined.

May as well throw in the application anyway and see what they say, when I did they were pretty quick getting back to let me know.

siblers wrote: »

I filled in my current a/c details for my BTEA but I'm slightly curious about whether or not I could be declined it due to some of my expenses in my current a/c (like direct debit fees for 3 broadband). A friend of mine said he was denied because he had over 2k in his current a/c and was paying monthly installemtns for his car insurance. He was told that if he could afford car insurance, he could afford college. He was on social welfare for about 8 months (I started out on JSB last July, moved to JSA in february) Although he isn't sure if it was the BTEA he applied for. Thanks

BTEA is not means tested (although if the student was also claiming for a spouse/partner, the spouse's/partner's payment is means tested).

You are presently on JSA which, although means tested, allows you to have up to €20,000 in savings.

The formula for assessing the value of capital including property (but not your own home), savings and investments is as follows:

Capital Weekly means assessed
First €20,000 Nil
Next €10,000 €1 per €1,000
Next €10,000 €2 per €1,000
Balance (€40,000 +) €4 per €1,000
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/irish_social_welfare_system/means_test_for_social_welfare_payments/means_test_for_jobseekers_allowance.html

While you are on BTEA for the academic year, you will not be means tested but, if you don't find work in the summer between years of your approved course, your JSA would, as always, be means tested.

1.8.1 Postgraduate Study

From 1 January 2003, the postgraduate option of the Back To Education Allowance is payable only to persons who wish to pursue a postgraduate course of study that leads to a Higher Diploma (H.Dip.) qualification in any discipline or to persons in pursuit of a Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary & Secondary Teaching).

Other types of postgraduate qualifications are not recognised for BTEA purposes. e.g. Masters, MA, MSc, M.Phil etc. However, there is an exception to the eligibility rule for Masters based on ‘life experience’ whereby a person is admitted to a Masters programme without a primary degree. The person needs confirmation from the college detailing the basis of their offer of a college place and confirming that it excludes the requirement to hold a primary degree. A small number of cases have arisen where a college has granted an exemption from the requirement to hold a primary degree and has admitted a person to a Master’s course on the basis of relevant life experience. In the context of the ongoing review of the operation of the scheme, it was decided to extend entitlement to back to education allowance in these instances on an exceptional basis. Under no circumstances will BTEA be awarded to a person who already holds a postgraduate qualification


1.10 Progression in education course

The approved full-time education course must lead to a higher qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications other than that already held. It is not considered that existing graduates should have an entitlement to BTEA to pursue a course at a similar qualification level as, inter alia, this can lead to displacement of persons seeking such qualifications for the first time. Reference should be made to the National Framework of Qualifications (see appendix 3) e.g. If a person holds a Fetac level 5 qualification, they must be progressing to a level 6 qualification.

http://www.dsfa.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/bte_all.aspx