Changes in Back to Education Allowance

petersburg2002

It seems the annual €300 cost of education allowance is now abolished for new and existing recipients. People will no longer get the maximum €188 weekly rate. Instead they will be paid the weekly rate that they were receiving when they qualified for BTEA.

cee_jay

Those people subject to the reduced rate JA due to their age will no longer receive €188 when on BTEA - they will receive €160 instead.

mrsbyrne

I didnt see that coming. A bit of a shame really. it was encouraging folks back into the classroom. get a skill. make yourself employable. oh well.:(

Keogh08

The €300 cost of education allowance is gone for new and existing participants.

Does anybody know if the equiliser payment will affect existing participants?

cee_jay

It doesn't say on welfare.ie. The only details they have included there are:

The €300 Cost of Education Allowance payable to Back to Education Allowance participants will be discontinued for new and existing participants. (2013)
The weekly rate payable to Back to Education Allowance participants will be equalised with their previous social protection payment. (January 2013)
A standard maximum rate of €160 per week will apply to Back to Education Allowance participants who were previously in receipt of an age-related reduced rate Jobseeker's payment. (January 2013)

darragh o meara

Just what I needed. 1 more semester til I get my degree and now it looks like ill be gone in January and all because I live with my girlfriend who is treated as my wife for social welfare purposes. I get €80 a week during the summer and its a severe cut with most bills going unpaid til I get back to college and back up to the €188 per week. My travel costs too and from college cost more than €80 a week alone.

The cost of education allowance I can live with being cut but the weekly payment I can't and before anyone asks no my girlfriend can't support me as shes struggling herself to keep the child and house going with what she has left. I'm physically sick now at the thought of it. Dirty rotten basterds!!

cee_jay

Darragh, normally when changes like these come through, there can be "saver clauses" for those already in receipt of the payment. Basically, it affects new applicants but those already in receipt of the payment do not get reduced straight away. It hasn't been announced that this is definitely the case though, as it is too soon after the budget, so you will have to wait and see unfortunately.

mattymatmat

Just wondering if anyone knows if it's true dat if ur on btea in January 2013 it is going to be reduced to whatever job seekers allowance u receive during d summer if this true im down 440 per month, im screwed

petersburg2002

Amazed that it didn't seem to get even a mention on all the Budget coverage.

darragh o meara

petersburg2002 wrote: »

Amazed that it didn't seem to get even a mention on all the Budget coverage.

I was listening and thought we were safe but obviously not to be honest I had an idea the book allowance was either going to be slashed again or abolished and I personally could live with that as most of our lecturers believe that if you pay the student registration fee then you should at least get all the notes you need printed for you. It's the travelling thats gonna kill me, costs about €80-90 in fuel alone and public transport isn't an option where I live and what's more I can't even apply for these maintenance grant as you can't get both BTEA and the grant ( they done away with that too )

All I wanted to do was make something of myself and contribute to the future well being of my country and not wallow on social welfare for longer than I absolutely need too. I was never previously in college and worked hard for nearly 12 years and paid all my taxes and now this. One semester from getting my degree.

Balagan

The changes will also affect VTOS, Youthreach and Fas.

Participants on VTOS, Youthreach and FAS further education and training programmes who move from Jobseekers payments will no longer have their new payments increased to the maximum €188 per week, in cases where their Jobseekers allowance is less than this. However, people under 25 will continue to receive a top-up rate of up to €160 per week. While a reduction is necessary, given the difficult economic circumstances, there will still be a financial incentive for young people to take up further education and training opportunities. This measure will be replicated by the Department of Social Protection in respect of the Back to Education Allowance Scheme. http://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Press-Releases/2012-Press-Releases/PR2012-12-05.html

Sadly, it means many thousands will be unable to afford to continue in education after the Christmas break. And yes, the media, even the broadsheets and RTE, have missed it completely thus far.

UPDATE

Seems it's likely to be good news after all for those presently on BTEA on payments upped to €188 and who seem likely not to be affected by the Budget changes in respect of payments being reduced to what they were receiving on JSA. Hopefully this exemption for people already on courses will include those on VTOS and other schemes.

The €300 Back to Education Allowance will be discontinued for new and existing participants
New participants on the Back to Education Allowance who had been in receipt of a reduced rate of a qualifying payment because of means, will not have their Back to Education Allowance up-rated
New participants on the Back to Education Allowance who had been in receipt of a reduced aged related rate of Jobseeker's Allowance of €100 or €144 per week will receive €160 per week on their Back to Education Allowance per week. Previously, this had been €188 per week.
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Press/PressReleases/2012/Pages/pa051212.aspx

whats_my_name

Hi guys,

Talk about going under the radar, only seeing this in the paper today! Any more word on this? Im currently half way through my degree, does the change affect those who are already in receipt of BTEA or new applicants??

Thanks.

kieran byrne

if my payment is reduced i will b well and truly screwed.there was no hint of this leading up to the budget and it has taken everyone by surprise.hopefully it is only for new applicants.i have budgeted out my payments over the year and if it is reduced to what i was previously on i will be forced to drop out of college as i couldnt survive on only 100 a week.is a bad move by the government as less people are now gonna go onto 3rd level simply because they cant afford to.

beaner88

darragh o meara wrote: »

Just what I needed. 1 more semester til I get my degree and now it looks like ill be gone in January and all because I live with my girlfriend who is treated as my wife for social welfare purposes. I get €80 a week during the summer and its a severe cut with most bills going unpaid til I get back to college and back up to the €188 per week. My travel costs too and from college cost more than €80 a week alone.

The cost of education allowance I can live with being cut but the weekly payment I can't and before anyone asks no my girlfriend can't support me as shes struggling herself to keep the child and house going with what she has left. I'm physically sick now at the thought of it. Dirty rotten basterds!!

Damn that is unfortunate. You need to think about the long picture though. You can always finish that last year in the future. Get whatever work you can and save as much the next year or two and then you could go back to college and finish your degree and hopefully move on to a better job.

phoenix999

Previous posters should note that the cuts to the main payment are just for new applicants. I think there is a Press release about it on the DSP website. However the €300 book grant is gone for everyone, including existing recipients.

See Page 4:

http://www.welfare.ie/en/press/pressreleases/2012/Documents/pa051212.pdf