Turned down for BTEA

fish slapped

HI guys,

I've been turned down for BTEA.

because;
" You were not receiving a jobseeker's payment immediately before starting your course of study"

I was however on a C.E.scheme up to the start of my course and had claimed J.S. before commencing the C.E. scheme.

In the literature regarding BTEA :

"Satisfying the qualifying period
You do not have to have been getting your qualifying payment continuously. Periods spent on other relevant social welfare payments (or getting credits or in short-term employment) that are not broken by more than 12 months (52 weeks) can be used to determine whether you satisfy the qualifying period criteria. You must always be getting a qualifying payment immediately before starting your course.

Time spent on the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA), Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), full-time FÁS/Failte Ireland training courses, FIT, Community Employment schemes, Part-time Job Incentive scheme, Community Services Programme, Rural Social Scheme, TÚS, the National Internship Scheme, Workplace Placement Scheme (WPP), Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Short Term Enterprise Allowance, FÁS Job Initiative, Revenue Job Assist and JobBridge may count towards the qualifying period.

You may go directly from one of the above schemes to Back to Education Allowance provided you were getting one of the qualifying social welfare payments listed above immediately before or after you started the scheme. If there is a break of more than 4 weeks between leaving the Scheme and starting an approved course of study you must establish an entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment to qualify for BTEA. "

So I'm left wondering whats the story and will I have to give up my place to try and find work, as I cannot afford to attend uni without some form of financial funding....

Any ideas???

snubbleste

Put all that in writing and send it the the person who sent you the refusal.

Long Term Louth

If your situation is as you state, then you are entitled to BTEA, Contact the facilitator in your local social welfare department and discuss it with them. Dont give up your course until you see the facilitator.

Annasopra

Pursue it - talk to the social welfare

fish slapped

Got onto local welfare dept. this morning and they reckon to do out a letter of appeal explaining my situation and drop it into them, they will then send it on and there should be no issue ...

so that's what I did...

Time will tell...

thanks guys and gals.

Musicman2000

Who ever sent you that letter are in the wrong, you should be entitled to it as per their website. I am in the same situation as yourself i applied for it back in Early September and waiting on a reply if I will be entitled or not. Have a feeling i will be sending the same letter as you.

gozunda

FS - How did this work out for you?

fish slapped

Got on to my local W/O, them then rang the deciding officer, who said - oh yeah, why was that then?? he'll have to appeal.
So I wrote a letter of appeal sent it off and was granted on the appeal.

Madness really ....

what?

Seems to be a trend forming. Them behind the desks are told to make it as difficult as possible to claim owt.
Regarding my own BTEA, I was asked for a letter from CIT, so I got one, it said I was accepted on a course, nope not good enough, has to say enrolled, got that, brought it to the office(different person) nope it has to say attending.
Keep at them and good luck

Super Split

Had serious issues with the BTEA last year. I had been previously on it for a FETAC course but got turned down for my degree course so started a minimum wage job while I reapplied. I had been told in the BTEA head office that once I was moving up a level in education I would have no problems.
I left my job and started college September 2011 only to be told that I was ineligible as it had been over a year I was working. It came down to 13 days that I was ineligible by but they wouldn't budge. I went to every local TD, Newspaper, radio station to put the pressure on. The final bad news was broken to me by a letter from Minister Joan Burton. I didnt give up even when I was actually days away from quitting the course. It was pure hell for 2 months as I had my heart set on going back to college but I had told the Registrar I couldn't continue in college but she persuaded me to stick at it for a week. My Welfare officer got back in touch with my VEC who reviewed my case and decided I was entitled to the Maintenance Grant top-up. It worked out a fair bit less than the BTEA but it has paid my rent and bills and I'm now in 2nd year and getting by, just about!
Moral of the story. Don't give up. They will try and delay it and f**k you around but use every avenue available. Be it in your college, the media or local and national representatives.

briano.de.rhino

Is the BTEA a type of social welfare payment? or is it from a seperate category or govt dept.? Thanks.

Maldesu

briano.de.rhino wrote: »

Is the BTEA a type of social welfare payment? or is it from a seperate category or govt dept.? Thanks.

Social Welfare payment. It's all handled by them

EFEN

Was told I qualify for the BTEA then turned down the because I am co-habiting even though we share all bills etc, but now can't afford to continue in college. Does anybody have any knowledge of why this should be so.