Back To Education Allowance/ Rent allowance

starflake

Hi all,

I started a degree at the beginning of September and am getting back to education allowance into my account weekly. I have been recieving rent allowance for the past 6 months but I have to collect that each week at the post office. I have classes from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Could you tell me is there anyway at all I could have CWO put the rent allowance in to bank seeing as the BTEA is going there each week? The post office is a 35 min walk from the college and I'll be going on placement in November and I won't be able to collect it then. Would greatly appreciate advice as a trip to the CWO would mean I'd have to miss a lecture or two! Thanks!

OakeyDokey

My sister is on the same payments and she is receiving both payments in her bank account, rent allowance isn't paid by the Social Welfare so you'll have to ring the Health Board about it or call into your local Health Center. If you explain your situation I can't see them saying no.

starflake

Thanks a mill for that I'll call them tomorrow

ShaShaBear

Let me know how it goes because my CWO told me to lump it and won't give me any alternatives to skipping class to collect.

nearlytherenow

starflake wrote: »

Hi all,

I started a degree at the beginning of September and am getting back to education allowance into my account weekly. I have been recieving rent allowance for the past 6 months but I have to collect that each week at the post office. I have classes from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Could you tell me is there anyway at all I could have CWO put the rent allowance in to bank seeing as the BTEA is going there each week? The post office is a 35 min walk from the college and I'll be going on placement in November and I won't be able to collect it then. Would greatly appreciate advice as a trip to the CWO would mean I'd have to miss a lecture or two! Thanks!

Hi Starflake, I dont mean to be nosy but could you tell me what your circumstances are presently as I was thinking about going back and doing a degree but didnt think I would get BTEA and R/A ?? thanks hun

ShaShaBear

nearlytherenow wrote: »

Hi Starflake, I dont mean to be nosy but could you tell me what your circumstances are presently as I was thinking about going back and doing a degree but didnt think I would get BTEA and R/A ?? thanks hun

You need to be in receipt of rent allowance before you start to receive BTEA and you will be allowed to retain it.

starflake

Hi, They said they wouldn't give it to me via bank account because they need to be able to monitor when people collect it. The best they can offer me is change of post office to collect it Saturday mornings. I'll have to get a lift back to my home town each saturday whilst on placement in November! Oh well! Worth the try anyway! Thanks for advice!

ShaShaBear

Yeah that's pretty much what they told me too =/

cee_jay

starflake wrote: »

Hi, They said they wouldn't give it to me via bank account because they need to be able to monitor when people collect it. The best they can offer me is change of post office to collect it Saturday mornings. I'll have to get a lift back to my home town each saturday whilst on placement in November! Oh well! Worth the try anyway! Thanks for advice!

If it is causing that much difficulty for you to collect it, it should be available to you through your bank account.
From the BTEA Guidelines http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/bte_all.aspx#3.1:

Back to Education Allowance is paid on a weekly basis. Participants are requested to supply details of their bank account and payment of the allowance may be made by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). Other methods of payment may include Electronic Information Transfer (EIT) or postdraft (PDT). Exception is Incapacity Supplement which is by cheque.

Perhaps put your request in writing to the Manager/supervisor of the hatch you deal with, stating how difficult it is for you to collect at the PO, and request payment to your bank account?

ShaShaBear

cee_jay wrote: »

If it is causing that much difficulty for you to collect it, it should be available to you through your bank account.
From the BTEA Guidelines http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/bte_all.aspx#3.1:

Perhaps put your request in writing to the Manager/supervisor of the hatch you deal with, stating how difficult it is for you to collect at the PO, and request payment to your bank account?

Think the rent allowance was what he meant, they won't pay that into the bank account for students - we have to collect it.

Lugh Ildanach

As another poster suggested above you should put your request in writing, citing the difficulty you have in collecting it. If they refuse, ask for the reasons in writing and then ask for the decision to be reviewed by someone more senior. If this doesn't work, then you could contact the Ombudsman. There is no reason that students shouldn't get paid into their bank account if they are having difficulty collecting it, especially as they get their BTEA that way.

You could contact your students union, a local unemployed support/resource group or the Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (01 856 0088) for assistance, or perhaps your local TD.

starflake

Thanks so much for the help guys, I'll give this a go