Part time course and back to education allowance

carareen

hi there i am wondering if it possible to get btea if i am doin a part time course and how much is the btea?

the course is 2 mornings a week, im on jobseekers allowance at the moment and wondering could i stay on it and do the course?

leannejoshua

You need to be doing a full time course to get BTEA, as far as I know you can do a part time course and keep your JA.

Balagan

Yes, you can apply for the Back to Education Programme, Part-Time Option - the Social Welfare will give you the same application form as for full the Back to Education and if accepted for the part time option, you will receive the same amount of payment as before, sign on and collect in the usual way.

Jobseekers Allowance & Jobseekers Benefit recipients may participate in a part-time course and continue to receive their JA / JB payment under the Back to Education Programme, Part-Time Option...
Payment
This scheme does not involve any special payment or allowance and participants satisfy all the conditions for receipt of JA / JB (including eligibility for secondary benefits, where applicable). In all respects the person should be treated as any other JA / JB recipient.
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/pages/bte_pteo.aspx

carareen

thank you i have applied and waiting for response

macattack1987

I have a question in relation to this topic:
if your on a reduced JA before you receive the BTEA, does this mean it will be increased?

leannejoshua

macattack1987 wrote: »

I have a question in relation to this topic:
if your on a reduced JA before you receive the BTEA, does this mean it will be increased?

Yes u will get €188 if you have kids you will get the increase for qualified kids 2

carareen

i was on 151 on ja
wil i be 188?

Balagan

No, with Back to Education Programme Part-Time Option your money stays the same.

macattack1987

Balagan wrote: »

No, with Back to Education Programme Part-Time Option your money stays the same.

so what benefit is the back to education allowance?
Apologies for my ignorance:eek:

Balagan

macattack1987 wrote: »

so what benefit is the back to education allowance?
Apologies for my ignorance:eek:

Under the Back to Education Programme Part Time Option, the subject of this thread, those approved study part time, continue to receive their usual Social Welfare payment, continue to look for work, continue to be means tested and sign on and collect their payment in the usual way.

Back to Education (BTEA) is for full time students and those approved receive, during the academic year while the course is in progress only, a payment equivalent to the full Jobseekers, a yearly book allowance, are exempted from means testing and jobseeking, don't have to sign on and have their payment made into their bank account.

macattack1987

Thank you Balagan, you have been more than helpful.

cladda1112

sorry but i dont understand. What is the point of applying for it then if everything stays the same. Why not keep drawing benifit/allowance as normal. Is it not alot of form filling for nothing.

eastbono

cladda1112 wrote: »

sorry but i dont understand. What is the point of applying for it then if everything stays the same. Why not keep drawing benifit/allowance as normal. Is it not alot of form filling for nothing.

If you remain on JSA or JSB and take up a full time course or part-time course then you are not eligible for jobseekers......as you will not be jobseeking and available for work with reference to part time option you still have to be looking for work on the days you are not attending the cours.. If you attend college and do not apply for BTEA or Part Time Education Option SW are notified of this.

cladda1112

ok except your answer and thanks for reply but still think its just a information/form filling exercise as i am still looking for a full time job and would leave course if i got one. On the BTE form you have to fill out bank, education etc details and what for...as its only a part time course i still will have to collect at post office. Still have to sign on the same so i dont see what dif it makes. Plus lots of others think the same as 5 others doing the course with me havnt bothered filling out forms. As that is all they see it as. Oh and was told that i would be staying on jsb

mrsbyrne

cladda1112 wrote: »

ok except your answer and thanks for reply but still think its just a information/form filling exercise as i am still looking for a full time job and would leave course if i got one. On the BTE form you have to fill out bank, education etc details and what for...as its only a part time course i still will have to collect at post office. Still have to sign on the same so i dont see what dif it makes. Plus lots of others think the same as 5 others doing the course with me havnt bothered filling out forms. As that is all they see it as. Oh and was told that i would be staying on jsb

If you don't fill the application form and have your claim considered, then you simply cannot have JSB/JSA for the days that you are doing the course as you will not be "available for work" on those days, so you will have those days deducted from your JSB/JSA.

cladda1112

yes but as its a part time course they do not know i am doing the course if i dont tell them. And also why do i have to give past education and bank ac as what has that to do with anything. And would it not be better just to tell them that you are doing a course and then they take a note of it. Why all the form fill for nothing

avfc1874

totally agree i'm doing a part time course and i can't see the point of form filling if you're not going to benifit from it

eastbono

cladda1112 wrote: »

yes but as its a part time course they do not know i am doing the course if i dont tell them. And also why do i have to give past education and bank ac as what has that to do with anything. And would it not be better just to tell them that you are doing a course and then they take a note of it. Why all the form fill for nothing

All I can advise you to do is apply for BTEA as I know sw will be notified that you are on a course. When this happens there will be an overpayment assessed against you for the days you were not available but if you are on BTEA be it even part-time there will not be any overpayment as you will be deemed looking for and available for work on the days you are not on the course.

mrsbyrne

cladda1112 wrote: »

yes but as its a part time course they do not know i am doing the course if i dont tell them. And also why do i have to give past education and bank ac as what has that to do with anything. And would it not be better just to tell them that you are doing a course and then they take a note of it. Why all the form fill for nothing

Of course they will know you are doing the course! You gave your PPSN number when applying for/registering for the course, didnt you?Once again you must understand you are geting JSA on the basis that you are "jobseeking" ok? if you are attending a course on say Monday and Tuesday then you are not "jobseeking"on those days, are you? So you cant get any payment for those days. Do you see how that works? So the amount of JSA you get will be reduced by 2 whole days. Thats one third of your JSA gone. Unless that is you apply for BTEA. If you have been on JSA long enough (9months) and if the cours is approved, and if you have not already completed a course of equivalent or lesser level, and you meet certain other criteria, then you will be allowed to keep all of your JSA. They ask about your educational history so that hey can establish if you have already completed a course at this level, if you have you wont qualify for BTEA. This is because they want you to progress up the third level ladder, and at some point have enough qualifications to secure employment, not spend 40 odd years fecking about with Mickey Mouse courses which are never going to lead to anything! This makes sense i hope ! They need your bank details as if you are going to be in a classroom, you might not be able to make it to the PO to collect your money. i cant see what the big ordeal is about filling up a straightforward application form. Your life is going to be very difficult if you balk at every bit of red tape that comes your way. over and out.

cee_jay

cladda when you are signing you have to keep SW informed of any changes in your circumstances. This includes doing a part time course.
You need to fill out a form so SW can assess what type of course you are doing, if it is part time they need to see if it will affect your availability for work.
If you do not complete the form, SW have an exchange of information agreement with educational institutes and they will find out you have been enrolled on a course, and you will be assessed with an overpayment to pay back everything you have been paid. They won't look to see if its part time or not, as you never informed them.
Also not informing them is fraud, and any discussions that may be of a fraudulent nature are not permissible on this forum.
I advise you to read the forum charter before posting here again.
Thread locked, as you have been told numerous times to just fill out the form and this discussion is going nowhere.