Illness benefit to Disability Allowance(refused)Applied for BTEA(refused)

Hi I'm looking for help/info on my problem, I'm 34 years old and I had a accident in work 04/09 and while out on occupational injury benefit i was made redundant, after 6 months i was transferred to illness benefit.My 2 years illness benefit finished on the 26/09/11.I was advised by my Doctor and my specialist to re-train myself.


After spending nearly 18 months at home doing nothing with little or no improvement in my injury and nearly going insane I decided in sept 2010 to go back to school to do my leaving cert and i got a exemption from illness benefit to do this.I did not qualify for BTEA as i wasn't on it long enough but was excepted on VTOS and was told if i went on to 3rd level collage next year i would get BTEA.In april I applied to CAO for a course in CIT in Cork. In the mean time i got a letter for illness benefit telling me to apply for disability allowance as there is a waiting list of 17 weeks so to apply now so my payment would not be interrupted.So i applied. I done my leaving cert and done well, I got the points i needed for my course and i was offered the course and i accepted it.


I contacted illness benefit the start of sept to tell them i was starting collage and i needed to apply for BTEA.They sent me out the form i filled it in gave all the info they were looking for. Started the course on the 12/09/11 got a letter from the collage saying i had started a full time course.


After a week or so i heard nothing from BTEA so i rang them to ask what was happening and i was told i was refused BTEA as i had not been on illness benefit for 2 years I was short 14 days.I was shocked at this and explained my case to them but they didn't care.They said since i had applied for DA if i was accepted on that i could transfer to BTEA.


Illness benefit payment ceased on 26/09/11 and they told me to contact my community welfare officer for a payment till DA give me a decision.

DA was refused on the 27/09/11 not enough medical evidence so i sent in a up to date specialist report and a letter from my Doctor saying there was no inprovement.


The community welfare officer refused me any payment because DA was refused and that I was a student who could not sign on for jobseekers.

I rang BTEA at 1pm today and they informed me that they reviewed my up to date reports and that I have been refused DA.
I turned down a pc maintenance and repair course on vtos to do my course.


Can anyone advise me on my rights if i have any?


If i don't get on DA i cant transfer to BTEA so i will have to give up collage,sit around doing nothing.


Thanks