Back to Education Initiative

Godot.

Are there any additional benefits that can be gotten for this? I daresay the cost of books, travel (30 miles) and exam papers will all add up and I'm only on E100 p/w

almat1981

Godot. wrote: »

Are there any additional benefits that can be gotten for this? I daresay the cost of books, travel (30 miles) and exam papers will all add up and I'm only on E100 p/w

There is a €500 lump sum at the start of the year to cover books ect.

bulmersgal

almat1981 wrote: »

Godot. wrote: »

Are there any additional benefits that can be gotten for this? I daresay the cost of books, travel (30 miles) and exam papers will all add up and I'm only on E100 p/w

There is a €500 lump sum at the start of the year to cover books ect.

That's gone Down to 300 now with last years budget.

Should u not receive 188 a week from the Btea

IRISHSPORTSGUY

bulmersgal wrote: »

That's gone Down to 300 now with last years budget.

Should u not receive 188 a week from the Btea

BTEA is for secondary schools/colleges and BTEI is for adult education. Get to keep my social welfare payments and nothing else, as far as I know.

Hope I'm wrong or I'll find it very tough to make ends meets.

Good luck to the OP, I'm in a similar boat.

Gael23

You get the same as you do on your existing payment plus €300 towards books etc.

JayJay123

Just a quick question, does BTEA pay for fees too??

almat1981

nope, but if you qualify for btea you should get the grant for fees only. apply to the local vec

JayJay123

Thanks almat1981

JayJay123

Sorry one more question!

Will it matter that I did 1 year of a course a few years ago? Or does it go on the fact im a mature student now?
About getting the fees paid i mean..

almat1981

Depends on the course e.g if you did a level 7 course, and are now doing a level 8 then no.But its not very clear try citizens information or give the local vec a call.

Balagan

Godot. wrote: »

Are there any additional benefits that can be gotten for this? I daresay the cost of books, travel (30 miles) and exam papers will all add up and I'm only on E100 p/w

Is this for a part time course? Back to Education Allowance is for full time courses, PLC or college, and carries with it payment equivalent to the maximum JA/JB plus the €300 cost of education allowance. The Back to Education Initiative courses are part time, free to those who have not completed their Leaving Certificate, Social Welfare Recipients, Medical Card Holders and their dependents and participants continue to receive their usual social welfare payment so long as they continue to be eligible for it. Don't think travel costs are covered and if you are entitled to free tuition the perhaps the cost of exams is covered also.

confuseddotcom

Balagan should they not get the maximum 188 for the Duration of the Course even if their regular payment is lower at 100, I thought I read somewhere that they would still be able to get the full 188 throughout the Course? I could have picked that up wrong though.

Balagan

For Back to Education Allowance, yes you are entitled to the full €188.00 during the academic year and only budget changes affect this amount.

Otherwise, the following are the circumstances under which someone on an age reduced Jobseekers Allowance payment qualifies for the full amount and I don't see Back to Education Initiative payments or Back to Education Part Time Option listed among them. Check out the list to see if maybe you qualify for full payment under one of the other criteria listed. The best way to be sure though is to ask at the Social Welfare office or ask those who are running the course.

Maximum rate of Jobseeker's Allowance that applies to claimants aged 18 - 24 years (inclusive)
From 29th April 2009 the maximum personal rate of Jobseeker's Allowance for all new claims for persons who are under 20 years is €100.00. Any such customers who have not reached 20 years before 30th December 2009 will remain on the reduced rate until they reach 22 years at which point the maximum rate of 150.00 applies.
The qualified adult rate of €100 applies if the couple have no children.

From 30th December 2009 the maximum personal rate of jobseeker's allowance for all new claimants aged 20 and 21 years is €100. The qualified adult rate of €100 applies if the couple have no children.
From 30th December 2009 the maximum personal rate of jobseeker's allowance for all new claimants aged 22 and 24 years is €144.00 (was €150). The qualified adult rate of €124.80(was €130.10) applies if the couple have no children.

The reduced rate does not apply in the following circumstances:

If a claimant has a qualified child dependant
If a claimant has a qualified adult and a qualified child dependant
If a claimant makes a claim for Jobseeker's Allowance immediately having exhausted their Jobseeker's Benefit
Persons transferring directly from Disability Allowance to Jobseeker's Allowance
If claim is linked to an earlier claim
People aged 18 to 24 participating in a Youthreach course for young early school leavers or a full-time course in a Senior Traveller Training Centre
Claimants who qualify for the Back to Education Allowance full-time second level course or post Leaving Cert course
People aged 18 to 24 participating in a full-time FAS training course.
Persons leaving the care of the Health Service Executive at age 18 e.g. those in foster homes or HSE care facilities or who were under HSE care within the last 12 months before they reached age 18.

glagirl

Back to Education Initiative is a part time course. You keep what ever you are getting on welfare. Get material ie copies etc free. Thats all. I know from experience. Different to Back to Education allowance which is for a full time course. You can get CETs with BTEI. Free childcare that is the only extra.