Still waiting on the BTEA

Mrs Garth Brooks · 01-10-2011 3:08am #1

I applied in july for the BTEA. It was the third week in august, i got worried as i had no accommodation sorted and i had to move. So i called into the office and was told i should hear back the following week. I never did. I called into them early september and the application was just opened. But it wasnt processed. What's with the wait? I was told i should get a letter the following week. I never did.
I rang them a couple of times also and was told i have to wait. I rang them last friday and was told i should get a letter this week. I never did.
They dont realise this is a very stressful time. I didnt sort out accommodation at all until this week. As i was waiting until august until i got an answer. But i never did. If i was to get the btea, i could go ahead but if not, i wouldnt have the hassle of signing contracts and losing deposit.
I am after completing my third week and its now october. And im still waiting. I could do with the book allowance right now. Im still getting the dole until i get a reply. They think this is fine as im still getting it. But its not. I have read that if i dont get the btea, i would have to pay back the dole for the weeks im in college.
Im trying to avoid hassle and stress. Its why i applied in july. And the last thing i need is for them to tell me i wont get it. To end up not affording rent and living and to tell me i owe them money.
I tried ringing during the week. No answer. Im four hours away from them and cant take a day off. Im meant to have a sign on day next week and since im still on dole, what happens if i miss it? Though i get the slip of paper to sign but that goes home, 5 hours away. Should i get someone else to sign it for me?
This is a joke. Im so stressed out about this. What can i do? Would writing a letter help? I have decided im not paying the dole back if i dont get the btea. I cant pay what i dont have and i wanted to avoid this in the first place. Do they like to see people suffer?
Anything i can do besides ringing them. They never answer.

Balagan · 01-10-2011 8:25am

Is there a family member who can go to the Social Welfare office on your behalf with your PPS number and check up on the status of your application and inform them you can't come back all that distance to sign on next week? They could return/bring your signing on slip with a note that you are in college and awaiting BTEA processing. The family member should get the name of the person who deals with them. If that is not possible, post a letter to SW. The book allowance is not likely to come through till heading for the end of October. There is no way you would have to pay back your social welfare payments for the weeks you've been in college and awaiting BTEA approval if you are not granted it after their delay. The system is surely in a big mess but not at that low. Hang in there.

ShaShaBear · 01-10-2011 3:08pm

I had the same problem, only the SWO is in the area I attend college. They told me once my application was processed, I would not be expected to sign on. But I was also waiting until almost the end of October before they changed me from dole to BTEA (however, I was lucky to be getting dole into my bank at the same time).

Mrs Garth Brooks · 01-10-2011 9:12pm

Ok just maybe i might be getting somewhere. Just maybe. I normally get my dole slip in the post on the same day my mother gets it at the end of the month. My mother's one came on thursday but mine didn't. So they may have processed it during the week and a bit slow to send me the letter. I still got the dole payment through the bank account on thursday so if im right i may be granted the BTEA.

My question is what does it say on other people's bank statement. Does it mention BTEA or just some kind of code that contains the same digits as your PPSN?

ShaShaBear · 02-10-2011 3:21pm

My question is what does it say on other people's bank statement. Does it mention BTEA or just some kind of code that contains the same digits as your PPSN?[/QUOTE]

The PPSN combination, yes.

Mrs Garth Brooks · 02-10-2011 9:03pm

Ok thats great. I never got the dole slip to sign. And i still got the dole payment. So im thinking they may have switched me over. Otherwise i would have either get the slip to sign if they didn't process it. I didn't get that. So it must be processed. I still got the payment so it must be good news. I hope so.

Newport81 · 03-10-2011 6:03am

I applied for btea two weeks ago. I haven't heard anything either but have too sign on this tues ie. Tmrw just wondering will this defo be ok as am full time course now?

Mrs Garth Brooks · 03-10-2011 5:43pm

Never mind. My guess work is wrong. I got through to them on the phone. It still hasn't been processed.

Its a fcking joke.

DubDJ · 03-10-2011 6:42pm

HardLuckWoman wrote: »

Never mind. My guess work is wrong. I got through to them on the phone. It still hasn't been processed.

Its a fcking joke.

Have you always been paid into the bank? As I thought they'd done away with this. And you could only be paid that way if you were receiving BTEA. I get my payment right into the account and it does contain a strong of numbers and letters that contain parts of my PPSN.

Mrs Garth Brooks · 03-10-2011 6:52pm

They started to pay me through the bank last month as i was moving to the other side of the country and couldn't hardly be travelling weekly to the post office. That's the most they ever did for me.

DubDJ · 03-10-2011 6:56pm

If your payment description changed from whatever it was before to the code with the PPSN number then that sounds like BTEA to me. But if it always looked like that then don't get your hopes up.

Mrs Garth Brooks · 05-10-2011 6:19pm

Finally!

Got a letter in the post today. My mother sent me a text as i had her in charge of my mail as it went home. I have been granted the btea. I can stop worrying. But the stress of that crap. I couldn't relax for the past three weeks. And wasted all of august worrying over this ****. Instead of getting ready for college. I have a pile of work to do already but couldn't as i was trying to get a place. I swear its been so stressful and to have these shower of cnuts taking the piss.

I can't beleive they get away with this crap. When i rang them on monday it wasn't done. Though i came across some complaint thing on their website last week and decided to fill that in for the fun of it. I dont know if that helped.

What's this allowance of 500 used for? Drink? Im tempted. But i probably wont get that until next april when im almost finished.

Starting college, moving for it, not finding a place until you're three weeks into the course, the fear of not getting it and having no money coming in, the possibility of dropping out. Real stressful.

I cant believe they put people through this and get away with this crap.

mp22 · 05-10-2011 6:25pm

Enjoy college

Closed

Still waiting on the BTEA

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