Disability Allowance & BTEA

lukep13

Hi,

Was looking through the welfare website and citizens information, i was not able to find a clear answer, perhaps one of the helpful members would be more knowledgeable about it.

I recently started receiving Disability Allowance. My partner is currently attending a night course at one of the colleges. She is getting a welfare payment as a Qualifying Adult.

She would like to pursue full college education in the fall. She was told i believe the tuition/fees would be 650 or i think 450 if she is qualifying dependent on a social payment

Question i have is:

1) With our current payment from SW, i believe we would be able to save up the money to pay the fee.... I also heard of the Back to Education Allowance, is that a better option?? Basically, what would be the difference in us saving up the money and just paying the fee, or applying for BTEA... How does this affect if anyway my Disability Allowance+ her payment as a qualifying dependent

Thank you

Rooneymara

If she meets the qualifying criteria she would receive the full amount of Disability allowance and so would you.
"The Qualified Adult Dependent of a person who has an existing entitlement to the Back to Education Allowance can qualify for BTEA in their own right for the duration of an approved course of study.

To qualify under this option, the applicant must be a Qualified Adult Dependent (for the required qualifying period i.e. 3 months for SLO, 9 months for TLO (2 years in case of IB recipients)) of a person who satisfies the eligibility criteria for participation in the BTEA scheme immediately prior to the commencement of the approved course of study.

The Qualified Adult Dependent, in such cases, is entitled to the maximum standard personal rate of the relevant Social Welfare payment that the claimant is in receipt of. The Qualified Adult Dependent also qualifies for the annual Cost of Education Allowance.

In effect, this provision allows the Social Welfare claimant and his/her Qualified Adult Dependent to qualify independently for participation in the Back to Education Allowance Scheme.

This provision applies to all BTEA relevant Social Welfare payments where there is an increase in respect of a Qualified Adult Dependent in payment.

Note: Periods spent in receipt of a Qualified Adult Allowance may not be added to periods in receipt of a personal rate of social welfare payment in order to link a claim to qualify for Back to Education .
"

here's a link to the BTEA guidelines:

http://www.welfare.ie/en/operationalguidelines/pages/bte_all.aspx

lukep13

Thanks for the reply, explains it well.