BTEA questions??????

indiana jones

I am to be made redundant on 25th oct 2009. would i be eligible for BETA by september 2010? i would be on the dole nine months by the start of september. would i be able to apply for BETA before the nine months as long as my course starts after the nine months?
also if i do a FAS course in the meantime would i still be eligible to apply for BETA?

amacachi

indiana jones wrote: »

I am to be made redundant on 25th oct 2009. would i be eligible for BETA by september 2010? i would be on the dole nine months by the start of september. would i be able to apply for BETA before the nine months as long as my course starts after the nine months?
also if i do a FAS course in the meantime would i still be eligible to apply for BETA?

AFAIK they've had a new guideline brought in for BTEA to nine instead of 12 months, and they have a little discretion on top of that. FÁS courses shouldn't be any problem, but you should definitely ask in your local office to be sure. If you're getting a redundancy payment it may affect whether or not you can get the BTEA. Again the only way to be almost sure is to ask at the local office.

Citizens Information: Graham

Hi


the qualifying time for the Back to Education Allowance drops from 12 months to 9 months if you are approved by the local Job Facilitator, or if you're taking part in the National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) process.

Time spent on a FAS training course can count toward the qualifying period.

Graham Long
Citizens Information

indiana jones

thanks so much for your reply. just one question , where would i find my local jobs facilitator? are they with FAS or part of social welfare? sorry for sounding stupid, but im new to all this.

Citizens Information: Graham

Hi


you can contact a Job Facilitator through your Social Welfare Local Office. They work on an appointment basis so an appointment will be made for you with the facilitator for your area.

There's more information on this here: http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2009-06-10.1056.0

Graham Long
Citizens Information

Jeanious

indiana jones wrote: »

I am to be made redundant on 25th oct 2009. would i be eligible for BETA by september 2010? i would be on the dole nine months by the start of september. would i be able to apply for BETA before the nine months as long as my course starts after the nine months?
also if i do a FAS course in the meantime would i still be eligible to apply for BETA?

Yeah fas courses count, and ya should be eligible with the 9months period....but, once youre made redundant, dont ya automatically get an entitlement to the BTEA anyway? Fairly sure i saw that somewhere.

Citizens Information: Graham

Hi coyle

once youre made redundant, dont ya automatically get an entitlement to the BTEA anyway? Fairly sure i saw that somewhere

That's right, if you get a statutory redundancy payment, and you're entitled to one of the qualifying payments (Jobseeker's Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance are both qualifying payments) you may be able to access the Back to Education Allowance without waiting for the qualifying period.

Graham

john-joe

Hi, can i work while claiming btea?

If so how many hours?

Thanks

Citizens Information: Graham

Hi john-joe


you generally need to be enrolled in a full time, day time course of study to get the Back to Education Allowance. After that I gather there aren't any restrictions on working.

Graham Long
Citizens Information

john-joe

Citizens Information (Graham) wrote: »

Hi john-joe


you generally need to be enrolled in a full time, day time course of study to get the Back to Education Allowance. After that I gather there aren't any restrictions on working.

Graham Long
Citizens Information

Yes I am enrolled in full time course, must get conformation on how many hours I can work without it affecting my payment.....

alrightcuz

it wont affect your payment while in college but in the summer months while your waiting to go back , your payment will be means tested and if you don't qualify for assistance and get 0,, that wont affect your btea in yr 2 come september youll still get the full amount.

Tzkaka

Citizens Information (Graham) wrote: »

Hi john-joe


you generally need to be enrolled in a full time, day time course of study to get the Back to Education Allowance. After that I gather there aren't any restrictions on working.

Graham Long
Citizens Information

Hi Guys,

This is an old post I know but it relates to my current situation. I am Due to be laid off but not redundancy! I want to go back to college in September this year to start a degree course.

If I go on the dole straight away will it be taken into account when applying for BTEA? Or do I have to see one of these FAS guys first before I can start claiming Job Seekers?? Or can I see them any time during my unemployment?

If I am out of work by the end of this month I would only be unemployed for 7-8 months before my course would start. Would this mean I can forget about BTEA this year? I don’t want to spend over a year unemployed doing nothing…

I have no other degree but spent a year in a course in GMIT Galway in a part time course, will this stand to me at all? Any info would be great as my head is in a mess over the whole thing to be honest. I know I need to get a move on soon with things!!!

Thanks

Citizens Information: Graham

Hi Tzkaka


it sounds like you've figured out most of the conditions around the Back to Education Allowance.

In general you can get the allowance after 12 months on one of the relevant SW payments, or after 9 months if your application is approved by a Jobs Facilitator. Jobs Facilitators work for the Department of Social and Family Affairs - you make an appointment through your Social Welfare Local Office. You would usually speak to a Jobs Facilitator after you start on one of the Jobseeker's payments but they may be able to make an appointment beforehand.

I don't know if you completed the course in GMIT or if the year was part of a longer course, so I don't know if or how it might affect your application - again, worth discussing with the Jobs Facilitator. There is also more on this in the operational guidelines (link below).

I'm also not sure what you mean by laid off rather than redundancy in this case, but you can find out more about these here: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/employment/unemployment-and-redundancy/redundancy/lay-off-short-time-working-and-redundancy.

By far the most comprehensive source of information on SW payments is the Department's operational guidelines. You can find the guidelines for the Back to Education Allowance payment here: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/bte_all.aspx. Hopefully these will help with sorting through the various questions.

Graham Long
Citizens Information

Tzkaka

Citizens Information (Graham) wrote: »

Hi Tzkaka


it sounds like you've figured out most of the conditions around the Back to Education Allowance.

In general you can get the allowance after 12 months on one of the relevant SW payments, or after 9 months if your application is approved by a Jobs Facilitator. Jobs Facilitators work for the Department of Social and Family Affairs - you make an appointment through your Social Welfare Local Office. You would usually speak to a Jobs Facilitator after you start on one of the Jobseeker's payments but they may be able to make an appointment beforehand.

I don't know if you completed the course in GMIT or if the year was part of a longer course, so I don't know if or how it might affect your application - again, worth discussing with the Jobs Facilitator. There is also more on this in the operational guidelines (link below).

I'm also not sure what you mean by laid off rather than redundancy in this case, but you can find out more about these here: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/employment/unemployment-and-redundancy/redundancy/lay-off-short-time-working-and-redundancy.

By far the most comprehensive source of information on SW payments is the Department's operational guidelines. You can find the guidelines for the Back to Education Allowance payment here: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/bte_all.aspx. Hopefully these will help with sorting through the various questions.

Graham Long
Citizens Information

Hi Graham,

Thanks for the post. I am slowly getting a clearer picture. I called to speak to a local citizins advice officer in my local office. He explained to be that 6-9 months unemployment and acceptance to a degree course (higher standard to my previous 1 year course) and as long as i register with FAS, this would be sufficient to qualify for BTEA.

He said that there is room to play with and they would not turn down my application even if only unemployed for 6 or 7 months... provided i had followed the above steps (FAS registration & Degree course acceptance).

How are your feelings on this as i would be interested in a second opinion???...

With regards to my comment on being let go but not redundancy that was just me mixing up my own head sorry.. Any further info would be great.

Cheers,

Citizens Information: Graham

Hi Con


I think you should try to speak to your local Jobs Facilitator as soon as possible - they will give you a good idea what they can do in terms of shortening the qualification period for the BtEA.

If you have already done a course below degree level this shouldn't affect your application for the BtEA. Also, I'm sure you know this already - the CAO deadline this year is 1 February.

Graham Long
Citizens Information

Tzkaka

Citizens Information (Graham) wrote: »

I think you should try to speak to your local Jobs Facilitator as soon as possible - they will give you a good idea what they can do in terms of shortening the qualification period for the BtEA.

If you have already done a course below degree level this shouldn't affect your application for the BtEA. Also, I'm sure you know this already - the CAO deadline this year is 1 February.

Graham Long
Citizens Information

Cheers Graham,

if you get a letter from your doctor to say you need to leave your job due to stress will welfare put you on the sick or could you still get jobseekers?

If it was stated that it was the particular job you were doing was not suitalbe as opposed to not being fit to work at all?

tetsuo_83

I'm sorry to jump in on this thread, but you seem to know what you're talking about so perhaps you could answer my question.

I was made redundant back in september and have been on JSB since then, that will obviously run out this summer and i'll have to apply for JSA...

What i'd like to know is if I am accepted for a place on one of the courses I applied for, then will the the fact I was made redundant override any of the time period constraints (ie 9 months 12 months etc) or the need to contact a facillitator? And can I apply for the BTEA if/when I'm told I have a place on the course?

26 years old, applying for a bachelors degree course, no third level qualifications and out of education for over 5 years.

Thanks, Brian.

Citizens Information: Graham

if you get a letter from your doctor to say you need to leave your job due to stress will welfare put you on the sick or could you still get jobseekers?

If it was stated that it was the particular job you were doing was not suitalbe as opposed to not being fit to work at all?

Hi Tzkaka

As far as I am aware this would depend on the Deciding Officer. Here is what the operational guidelines for Jobseeker's Benefit say on welfare.ie:

"A person may be disqualified for receiving JB for up to 9 weeks from date of leaving employment if s/he has left the employment voluntarily and without just cause.

'Good cause' is not defined and it is for the Deciding Officer to apply a common sense meaning to the expression in considering the case. Factors that may be taken into account could include the circumstances surrounding any changes in working conditions, the financial situation of the firm; whether leaving the employment amounted to constructive dismissal (i.e. the person left the employment following harassment/abuse from the employer)."

(source: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/jb_jobseekben.aspx#part4)


Graham Long
Citizens Information

Citizens Information: Graham

Hi tetsuo_83


If you have been awarded Statutory Redundancy and you have an entitlement to JA / JB, you should be able to qualify for the Back to Education Allowance without the usual qualifying period.

It would still be a good idea to discuss your plans with the Jobs Facilitator - they should be able to help you with any of the details involved.

You should apply for the Back to Education Allowance when you are accepted on the course. You can find out more about this here: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/bte_all.aspx#2.1

Graham Long
Citizens Information

Tzkaka

tetsuo_83 wrote: »

I'm sorry to jump in on this thread, but you seem to know what you're talking about so perhaps you could answer my question.

I was made redundant back in september and have been on JSB since then, that will obviously run out this summer and i'll have to apply for JSA...

What i'd like to know is if I am accepted for a place on one of the courses I applied for, then will the the fact I was made redundant override any of the time period constraints (ie 9 months 12 months etc) or the need to contact a facillitator? And can I apply for the BTEA if/when I'm told I have a place on the course?

26 years old, applying for a bachelors degree course, no third level qualifications and out of education for over 5 years.

Thanks, Brian.

Hi Brian,

Basically if you have been unemployed since last september and you get accepted to a course this september (Provided it is superior to any previous qualification you may have) then you will qualify for BTEA. Your redundancy etc should not be taken into consideration.

Look to speak to your local Deciding officer from your welfare office and they will clarify all for you. I was lucky that my local deciding officer was very nice and supportive but unfortunate that i do not have enough jobseekers under my belt to qualify this year!

Hope that helps

tetsuo_83

Thanks guys.... I obviously still planned on talking to somebody in the social welfare office if/when I get a place on the course, but these answers here at least put my mind at ease until then that I should qualify.

Thanks again,
Brian.