BTEA - Leave of Absence - Illness Benefit?

*Hank Scorpio*

Hello,

I have a query related to BTEA and taking a leave of absence from uni for health reasons.

I currently am in 2nd year of my 3rd level course but have applied for leave of absence for the rest of this year due to illness. I get the BTEA.

I went to my local social welfare office today and told them this and that it is my plan to go back to second year in Sep 2012 when hopefully I will be better.

They told me that I should apply for Illness Benefit for the time I'm out ill and when I feel better to get moved on to JA, and then come Sep 2012, back to BTEA.

The illness benefit seems very much related to your PRSI contributions but I've been in college for 3 years now as before I started my degree I did a 1 year FETAC Lvl 5 course. Before that course I was unemployed for about a year so dont have any recent PRSI contributions.

Does anyone have any advice on this?

Aoibheann

I'd definitely recommend the State Benefits forum for queries about the Illness Benefit - I can move the thread there if you'd like, but if you'd prefer to leave it here it'd be fine. I don't know much about the illness benefit that isn't covered here, but if your social welfare office recommended it, it could be possible!

*Hank Scorpio*

Hi

Yeah, I posted it over there too and got some more replies so you can delete this I think.

Aoibheann

I'll lock it for now. If you'd like to re-open it at any point, send me a PM.