BTEA over summer /New grant system

Milkmaid

Hi wondering if anyone can help...I am in receipt of One Parent payment and due to age of claim I can get this payment until youngest is 16 in dec 2013
.. I have tried every avenue to get a full time job having always worked but my hours are so low I am down to 20euro a week earnings..I have applied for 100s of jobs but no luck.
I have decided to go back to college to do a PLC course and heard about the BTEA allowance but I am afraid I will lose my OPFA over the summer and after the course finishes.
I rang about a grant and SUSI told me that the new grant is paid monthly so which is better for my family?

Also I currently get 202euro for me and 1 teenager and having trouble buying food. Ex husband is under psychiatric care so no help there
Very desperate..any advice?

eastbono

Milkmaid wrote: »

Hi wondering if anyone can help...I am in receipt of One Parent payment and due to age of claim I can get this payment until youngest is 16 in dec 2013
.. I have tried every avenue to get a full time job having always worked but my hours are so low I am down to 20euro a week earnings..I have applied for 100s of jobs but no luck.
I have decided to go back to college to do a PLC course and heard about the BTEA allowance but I am afraid I will lose my OPFA over the summer and after the course finishes.
I rang about a grant and SUSI told me that the new grant is paid monthly so which is better for my family?

Also I currently get 202euro for me and 1 teenager and having trouble buying food. Ex husband is under psychiatric care so no help there
Very desperate..any advice?

You can apply for btea allowance and you revert back to OPFA when course finishes. You cannot receive a maintenace grant and btea but you can get the grant to pay registration fees. If you already hold a qualification higher than the plc course you are doing you will not qualify for btea but you can go to college and retain your OPFA until it is cut off in dec 2013. But be aware when it is cut off and if you are in full time education you will not be able to claim jsa as you will not be available for work.

Milkmaid

Thanks Eastbono, I am still wading through all the online information and trying to make sense of it.
Seems like I would be ok for BTEA for 2012/2013 and then have to switch to jobseekers allowance.
Any idea how to go about switching from OPFA to dole next year? Will I be able to put in a claim for dole before OPFA runs out.....starting to panic a bit now!

eastbono

Milkmaid wrote: »

Thanks Eastbono, I am still wading through all the online information and trying to make sense of it.
Seems like I would be ok for BTEA for 2012/2013 and then have to switch to jobseekers allowance.
Any idea how to go about switching from OPFA to dole next year? Will I be able to put in a claim for dole before OPFA runs out.....starting to panic a bit now!

Sorry for not getting back sooner. Let this with me and I will find out as this is going to crop up more and more e.g. people in receipt of OPF and BTEA and OPF runs out while on BTEA.

eastbono

Milkmaid wrote: »

Thanks Eastbono, I am still wading through all the online information and trying to make sense of it.
Seems like I would be ok for BTEA for 2012/2013 and then have to switch to jobseekers allowance.
Any idea how to go about switching from OPFA to dole next year? Will I be able to put in a claim for dole before OPFA runs out.....starting to panic a bit now!

Ok if you are on BTEA and you OPFA runs out due to new age limits your BTEA will continue to be paid. Unsure about about switching to JSA as soon as I get clarification on this I will come back to you.

Milkmaid

Finally something that makes sense in helping people get on their feet again!
Thanks a lot:)