Back to education allowance question.

thanatos12

Hey

I was just wondering do you have to wait until you register on ur college course before you can apply for the back to education allowance?

And also it says on their website that you have to be out of formal education for at least 2 years in order to apply for the back to education allowance, do they define formal education as secondary school??

Long Term Louth

thanatos12 wrote: »

Hey

I was just wondering do you have to wait until you register on ur college course before you can apply for the back to education allowance?

And also it says on their website that you have to be out of formal education for at least 2 years in order to apply for the back to education allowance, do they define formal education as secondary school??

You dont have to register to apply for BTEA, include a copy of offer with application.
In order to receive BTEA there are a number of ways in which you may qualify. If you read the BTEA section of the Social welfare site, this will explain most of the qualifying conditions.

Little Acorn

Hi thanatos12,

I'm not sure about that 2 year rule thing, but I know you can also qualify for BTEA if you are 9 months or more receiving Jobseekers Allowance, [time spent on a fas course will count as part of the qualifying period],
there are also a list of other payments that you could have been receiving other than jobseekers allowance that can allow you to qualify.

Apply now, so they can tell you if you are going to be awarded it or not, but they will not start paying you until you drop them in proof of your registration in college.

I think that's how it works anyways!:)

thanatos12

In relation to the 9 months or more receiving Jobseekers Allowance, does it make a difference if i was doing a FETAC course during that time??

batistuta9

thanatos12 wrote: »

In relation to the 9 months or more receiving Jobseekers Allowance, does it make a difference if i was doing a FETAC course during that time??

i think they'll count that as part of the 9 months, they deffinaly count fas courses so they should count fetac and little acorns right apply now but the wont pay you until they get the registration letter

thanatos12

batistuta9 wrote: »

i think they'll count that as part of the 9 months, they deffinaly count fas courses so they should count fetac and little acorns right apply now but the wont pay you until they get the registration letter

Ok im registering monday so ill send them a copy of the registration thing. Does it take long before they start paying you??

batistuta9

thanatos12 wrote: »

Ok im registering monday so ill send them a copy of the registration thing. Does it take long before they start paying you??

i dont think so you'll probly get your dole next week and b.t.e.a the week after and a €500 book grant/drink grant but you have to get approved for b.t.e.a first so if you havent done that do it straight away on monday with the reg. letter

thanatos12

batistuta9 wrote: »

i dont think so you'll probly get your dole next week and b.t.e.a the week after and a €500 book grant/drink grant but you have to get approved for b.t.e.a first so if you havent done that do it straight away on monday with the reg. letter

drink grant:p ye iv already applied for it and they sent me a letter looking for proof of when i did the leaving cert, i guess that means they are already looking at my application. Il send them the proof of the leaving cert thing monday then the registration letter tuesday and hopefully that will be that.:)

ddooris

Hey

I went down to my social welfare office today just to check on my application because i know friends of mine had gotten a letter back to be stamped by the college.....

AND GUESS WHAT!!! THEY LOST MY APPLICATION :mad: I'M SO ****ING ANNOYED RIGHT NOW. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

I EVEN MADE A POINT OF BRINGING IN TO THEM MYSELF TO MAKE SURE THEY GOT IT.

IF SOMEONE CAN'T DO THERE JOB RIGHT SACK THEM AND GIVE IT TO SOME WHO CAN.

batistuta9

thats hatefull... what did you say to them about it? it dosnt make a difference anyway if your getting the full dole youll not lose out on any money.
if things dont work out at college for you u should go in and apply for a job there:P

ddooris

batistuta9

Wish it was that easy i'm finishing a fas course on the friday and starting dit on the monday......would be easier if i was on the dole (same office and all that) ......but the change from fas will be messy

batistuta9

ddooris wrote: »

batistuta9

Wish it was that easy i'm finishing a fas course on the friday and starting dit on the monday......would be easier if i was on the dole (same office and all that) ......but the change from fas will be messy

what do you mean the change from fas will be messy?

ddooris

batistuta9

If i was collecting dole its the same office that i'd be getting BTEA from it would be a simple switch over and i wouldn't miss any payments. fact that i'm going from FAS to BTEA the swop over might take longer and I could miss out on a few payment.

I know it will be back dated.......but hey can't be waiting for that :mad:

RoyalMarine

if its delayed by so long, go see your community welfare officer, and they will issue a payment if your in need.

however, you wont get it from btea when you get back dated.

batistuta9

yeah RoyalMarineComm's right the community welfare officer should pay you if you dont get any money, but i think when i was at fas they pay you like at work a lying week so you should get money from them next week:D

SugarHigh

Little Acorn wrote: »

Hi thanatos12,

I'm not sure about that 2 year rule thing, but I know you can also qualify for BTEA if you are 9 months or more receiving Jobseekers Allowance,

If you have only been out of education for 12 months but have received JSA all that time would that mean you are qualified for BTEA?

Xxminkey09xx

i have been granted back to education allowance but i am not getting paid in the bank im gettin paid in the post office does anyone know what day i would be able to collect that?? thanks xxx

RoyalMarine

Xxminkey09xx wrote: »

i have been granted back to education allowance but i am not getting paid in the bank im gettin paid in the post office does anyone know what day i would be able to collect that?? thanks xxx

mine goes into the bank wednesday night, early thursday morning. I would assume yours would be available for collection thursday in the post office.

However, the staff in the post office will be able to give you the exact day its available from.

also, if its available on tuesday, then you have until friday to collect it.

Xxminkey09xx

aw thanks a million i got it last year in the bank but there were a few delays with it this year so i am getting it tomorrow on a friday and i wasnt sure if i could collect on thursdays.. thanks xxx:D

rlow68

I hold Level 7 from DIT, but unfortunately my course has no level 8 at the same college, so I was offered admission by NUI Maynooth for the Level 8 of the same course, but to start from year 2, but unfortunately my Back to Education was refused because I m not starting from the 1st year, thereby denying me the opportunity of getting my level 8 and able to move on for Master and above.
Can anybody confirm if their decisions against me was right, as I do not understand why the government should limit my education at level 7 when I have the opportunity of moving forward.
At the same time I see no reason why some courses stop at level 7 when this same course is offered at the Universities to level 8, as this situation are presenting students with level 7 impediments to progress beyond level 7 unless they move from Institute of Technologies to Universities., which is one of the reasons I m in this position.

I would have decided to do the course notwithstanding, unfortunately I am only able to get a part time job which the government is subsiding through JSA, which means if I attend the college I will need to pay back all the JSA during the course because one is not allowed to be a full time student when on JSA but on Back to Education Allowance.

I will be expecting peoples response of what I can do or if there is nothing I can do please.

Long Term Louth

rlow68 wrote: »

I hold Level 7 from DIT, but unfortunately my course has no level 8 at the same college, so I was offered admission by NUI Maynooth for the Level 8 of the same course, but to start from year 2, but unfortunately my Back to Education was refused because I m not starting from the 1st year, thereby denying me the opportunity of getting my level 8 and able to move on for Master and above.
Can anybody confirm if their decisions against me was right, as I do not understand why the government should limit my education at level 7 when I have the opportunity of moving forward.
At the same time I see no reason why some courses stop at level 7 when this same course is offered at the Universities to level 8, as this situation are presenting students with level 7 impediments to progress beyond level 7 unless they move from Institute of Technologies to Universities., which is one of the reasons I m in this position.

I would have decided to do the course notwithstanding, unfortunately I am only able to get a part time job which the government is subsiding through JSA, which means if I attend the college I will need to pay back all the JSA during the course because one is not allowed to be a full time student when on JSA but on Back to Education Allowance.

I will be expecting peoples response of what I can do or if there is nothing I can do please.

You need to speak to the jobs facilitator at your local social welfare office, as the ultimate decision will lie with them explain your situation to them they can be very obliging.

If unsuccesful, You could also ask Maynooth if you can start at year 1.

rlow68

Long Term Louth wrote: »

You need to speak to the jobs facilitator at your local social welfare office, as the ultimate decision will lie with them explain your situation to them they can be very obliging.

If unsuccesful, You could also ask Maynooth if you can start at year 1.

As advised I will see the facilitator, but starting from year 1 means my whole 3 years at DIT for the level 7 is wasted., what a life

Annasopra

Long Term Louth wrote: »

If unsuccesful, You could also ask Maynooth if you can start at year 1.

would he get BTEA doing that?

DubDJ

I also applied and got accepted to the BTEA. I usually got paid on a Tuesday! And I put down bank & Post Office details on my application. But I was up last week and I was told I'll still be getting paid on Tuesdays in the Post Office. So should be tomorrow. Just hope when I go up I will get paid.
Any idea how much i'll be getting paid???

RoyalMarine

BTEA is €196 per week. you can also apply for rent allowance if you meet their criteria.
You should also be elligable for a medical card.

DubDJ

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

BTEA is €196 per week. you can also apply for rent allowance if you meet their criteria.
You should also be elligable for a medical card.

Thanks for the help

DubDJ

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

BTEA is €196 per week. you can also apply for rent allowance if you meet their criteria.
You should also be elligable for a medical card.

I was getting €100 a week because i'm under 21 and I thought when they said it was a standardised payment and not means tested I would get the €196 a week but apparently not.
Plus they changed the payment date to Thursday and said I wont get the Annual Education Allowance for a few weeks? Dunno if anybody knows a reason why this is as I read on their site it was paid every year with your first payment.

Long Term Louth

Johnnymcg wrote: »

would he get BTEA doing that?

As he is going from level 7 to level 8 I'd imagine he will, but the next budget may have implications to all future study options.

Long Term Louth

DubDJ wrote: »

I was getting €100 a week because i'm under 21 and I thought when they said it was a standardised payment and not means tested I would get the €196 a week but apparently not.
Plus they changed the payment date to Thursday and said I wont get the Annual Education Allowance for a few weeks? Dunno if anybody knows a reason why this is as I read on their site it was paid every year with your first payment.

Have a look at this site, IMO you are entitled to €196 while on BTEA.

http://www.studentfinance.ie/mp7715/check-rates-of-payment/index.html

DubDJ

Long Term Louth wrote: »

Have a look at this site, IMO you are entitled to €196 while on BTEA.

http://www.studentfinance.ie/mp7715/check-rates-of-payment/index.html

Yeah your are correct indeed. I just checked there on welfare.ie
"Back to Education Allowance is paid at a standard rate. This means, if you are getting a reduced rate of payment it will be increased to the maximum standard rate of payment while you are getting BTEA. If you are already getting the maximum rate, you will continue to do so."

So why i'm still getting the reduced rate is unknown to me???

Thanks for the help anyways! Still curious about the €500 getting paid at the end of October opposed to the start of the academic year which is September.

RoyalMarine

i would follow up on the increased rate asap, but when ever they do increase it, it will be back dated.

the 500 book allowance is always paid in october, for many reasons.

the most obvious one would be to stop people signing up to college, and getting the book allowance, and then dropping out.
At least if you do 1 month of the course it shows your interested and committed.

DubDJ

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

i would follow up on the increased rate asap, but when ever they do increase it, it will be back dated.

the 500 book allowance is always paid in october, for many reasons.

the most obvious one would be to stop people signing up to college, and getting the book allowance, and then dropping out.
At least if you do 1 month of the course it shows your interested and committed.

Thanks so much RoyalMarineComm you've been a big help. I will drop up Thursday and find out why they havent increased the rate. I just assumed the money was paid in September because a friend from college told me he got his paid 3 weeks ago. He's a mature student so probably been on it for a while.
Thanks again!

DubDJ

Just thought i'd follow up I read on their site you get paid the maximum possible relevent payment which basically means the lower amount of €100 unfortunately. Suppose couldnt be getting nothing at all.

Here's the post I took the info from anyways : http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/pages/bte_all.aspx#1.14

markc1184

Does anyone know if there is a set date when the BTEA book allowance gets paid out? I provided all documentation etc from the college that they asked for 4 weeks ago and i'm still waiting even though they said it would be in my account the week after. The local office doesn't seem to like answering the phones either.

DubDJ

markc1184 wrote: »

Does anyone know if there is a set date when the BTEA book allowance gets paid out? I provided all documentation etc from the college that they asked for 4 weeks ago and i'm still waiting even though they said it would be in my account the week after. The local office doesn't seem to like answering the phones either.

Same issue here not waiting that long but 3 weeks and when I went up which was October 2nd and asked he told me October is when you get it. Sometime in October I suppose so it should be one of the next 3 Thursdays. Hopefully tomorrow.

markc1184

DubDJ wrote: »

Same issue here not waiting that long but 3 weeks and when I went up which was October 2nd and asked he told me October is when you get it. Sometime in October I suppose so it should be one of the next 3 Thursdays. Hopefully tomorrow.

I was hoping for tomorrow myself, have some stuff for college i'd like to get sorted ASAP, but my weekly amount is in the bank at the moment but no sign of the €500. Looks like i'll have to keep hanging on!

DubDJ

markc1184 wrote: »

I was hoping for tomorrow myself, have some stuff for college i'd like to get sorted ASAP, but my weekly amount is in the bank at the moment but no sign of the €500. Looks like i'll have to keep hanging on!

Im tryna get them to change it over to the bank for me so im still the post office. I assume everybody gets it at once. A friend of mine in college got his 4 weeks ago though probably because he was already on it this isnt his first year.
Hopefully sometime soon need college books immediately myself!

RoyalMarine

im a second year myself, and i havnt recieved it yet. come to think of it, last year i recieved it in the second week in october, which would be this week, but no sign of it yet

DubDJ

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

im a second year myself, and i havnt recieved it yet. come to think of it, last year i recieved it in the second week in october, which would be this week, but no sign of it yet

Had a phonecall from them today just confirming my bank details so I asked him about it. He said he's gonna start going through them on Monday and we'll get it either this Thursday or next Thursday. Im with the Kings Street Office but id say its the same with the others.

Yag reuoY

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

im a second year myself, and i havnt recieved it yet. come to think of it, last year i recieved it in the second week in october, which would be this week, but no sign of it yet

You poor thing -- having to wait for 500 quid on top of the full maintenance grant + dole + rent allowance.

:rolleyes:

RoyalMarine

Yag reuoY wrote: »

You poor thing -- having to wait for 500 quid on top of the full maintenance grant + dole + rent allowance.

:rolleyes:

i lost my entitlement to my grant due to a techincality.

and your sarcasm is not funny.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

my mother rang the Social Welfare this morning about my BTEA and they said it's processing, my brother claims it's a good sign, do you think I'd get it before Christmas?

RoyalMarine

they havnt processed it yet?! wow! usually they are fairly decent to get it sorted!

no harm in pushing them every now and then by calling into the office or a quick phone call.

regardless of when you get it, you get it all back dated to the date you started college + your €500 book allowance.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

they havnt processed it yet?! wow! usually they are fairly decent to get it sorted!.

I applied late, didn't even know I could get it, could make a big spiel about it lol.

+ your €500 book allowance

never heard anyone getting that, I don't need any books, so I don't think I'd get it

RoyalMarine

its called a "book allowance" but you can use it for anything you want.

its a small setup fee for students. i use it for my rent deposit etc.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

its called a "book allowance" but you can use it for anything you want.

its a small setup fee for students. i use it for my rent deposit etc.

it'd be great for my art supplies, do I apply for it? or what's the story with it? thanks so much

RoyalMarine

Sera wrote: »

it'd be great for my art supplies, do I apply for it? or what's the story with it? thanks so much

as soon as you provide evidence that your a fully registered student in the college, you should get it then.

Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy

RoyalMarineComm wrote: »

as soon as you provide evidence that your a fully registered student in the college, you should get it then.

Thank you so much, you're very helpful

hdowney

I am a smidge curious. Some ppls on here are saying they are getting their BTEA in the post office they same way they did their JA. Is there a reason for this. I thought that BTEA was paid into a bank ac. A friend of mine got BTEA last yr and the yr before and they had it paid into a bank ac. I don't like the idea of them turning round and telling me that I STILL have to collect payment from the po, cos my course is gonna be quite a busy one, like lots of classes and stuff, so getting to my local po to collect the money probably wont suit me.

batistuta9

they'll not make you collect it in the post office its optional i think, actually i thought you had to get it paid into the bank ac. dont worry about it, if you are just go in and ask them

hdowney

sound. i'lll apply more toward d summer once d interview stage for mature applicants is over and whatnot and deal with it from there. cheers for replyin