BTEA

petisandy

Hi,
I want to apply for BTEA, as I intent to start college this september (2014), but I'm missing about 15 days in order to qualify.
Has enyone been into this situation and still been granted for it ? I am already 35 years old and I would not like to waste another year...
I would appreciate any advise on what to do..
Thank you

eastbono

Will you be short the 15 days at the time you are due to start college? If that is the case then no you will not receive BTEA as the rules have to be adhered to.

LegacyUser

Thank you for your reply... I uderstand the state prefer to pay me for nothing rather than letting me get qualify... I really had my hart set on this, altough the commitment to college wouldn't be as easy

Balagan

As mentioned, the rules about eligibility are strictly applied. However, it is often worth going to the Dept of Social Protection Office and making an inquiry about your eligibility. There is provision for 'linking' periods of eligibility which some people don't know about and may incorrectly think they are not eligible. Nothing to lose in checking up on it.

1.11 Linking Periods

Periods spent on BTEA qualifying Social Welfare Payments or on Jobseekers/Illness Benefit credits, that are not broken by more than 12 months (52 weeks), can be used in determining if an applicant satisfies the qualifying period criteria.

1.12 Other Schemes that count towards the qualifying period for BTEA

Periods spent on the BTEA, Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), Full-time FÁS/Fáilte Ireland Training Course, FIT, Community Employment Scheme, Part-time Job Incentive Scheme, Community Services Programme, Rural Social Scheme, Tus, National Internship, WPP, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Short-term Enterprise Allowance, FÁS Job Initiative or Job Assist may count towards the qualifying period for BTEA purposes. This provision applies only in cases where the BTEA applicant has an underlying entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment immediately prior to commencement of their course. In the case where a person drops out of one of these schemes, a case officer should recommend BTEA as better intervention. IQAs on these schemes are not eligible for BTEA.

Period spent on Youth Reach can count towards the qualifying period for BTEA provided the person establishes an entitlement to a relevant social welfare payment prior to, or after completion of Youth Reach programme.
Periods spent in prison can be taken as, or count towards the qualifying period for BTEA once an entitlement to a relevant Social Welfare Payment has been established.
Time spent on Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) or Direct Provision from the Health Service Executive can count towards the qualifying period for BTEA. This applies only in circumstances where the person establishes an entitlement to a relevant Social Welfare payment immediately prior to commencing an approved course of study and satisfies the linking rules.
Persons awarded Statutory Redundancy under Irish legislation may have immediate access to the BTEA scheme, (or within one year of the award of the Statutory Redundancy), provided an entitlement to a relevant Social Welfare payment is established immediately prior to commencement of an approved course of study. However, persons who opt for a voluntary redundancy scheme cannot have immediate access to BTEA.
http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Back-to-Education-Allowance-Scheme.aspx

petisandy

Thank you for you post, Unfortunately non of above apply to me...I have been working all these years. I'm just gonna have to wait another year or do something else...very sad ...

mosii

Hi,I would ring the back to education section Tel:(071) 967 2616
Locall:1890 927 999 and explain your situation,they are very helpful as I was on to them a while back and the lady I was talking to was extremely helful.Best of luck keep us informed on how you get on if you ring.

mosii

hi ,did you ring,

spygirl

would you consider doing a 2nd level course for this year instead? Vec or solas course etc?qualifying times for these kind of courses are shorter and if your in receipt of it this year you can step up onto a third level course next year and continue with the allowance while studying for the degree??

petisandy

hi mosii, thanks for your tip, but I was given exact same answer: rules are rules ... I might do something else this year, and try again next one... it feels like eternity !

petisandy

tks spygils too...I might do that insted, just as I said before, it feel such a long time ahead...

Garfin

If you were made redundant ,I think there is no time period to wait. Check out the website welfare.ie

wmpdd3

my partner was the same, it was just days he was out. he had to do a 2nd level and then go on to 3rd level.

it was decided by the local office and they don't do appeals at all.

mosii

Hi, im signing on for unemployment benefits from yesterday, 2 questions, 1 .I will not have my p 45 and my statement of lumpsum(,Approx,10k,) for 2 weeks, will my claim for benefits start from mon,or when my p45 and lumpsum statement,is passed into the social welfare, and 2,how long is the average waiting time for unemployment benefit now.Thanks for your time. I want to try and get my timing right to try and get my btea in sept.To be honest my local social welfare officer dosent give me any confidence,He was a bit negative when talking to him ,I got the feeling of resentment, any one else get this treatment,thanks again

Garfin

mosii wrote: »

Hi, im signing on for unemployment benefits from yesterday, 2 questions, 1 .I will not have my p 45 and my statement of lumpsum(,Approx,10k,) for 2 weeks, will my claim for benefits start from mon,or when my p45 and lumpsum statement,is passed into the social welfare, and 2,how long is the average waiting time for unemployment benefit now.Thanks for your time. I want to try and get my timing right to try and get my btea in sept.To be honest my local social welfare officer dosent give me any confidence,He was a bit negative when talking to him ,I got the feeling of resentment, any one else get this treatment,thanks again

That attitude must be a prerequisite to getting the job, it is just poor service and no way to treat people especially those who have just been made redundant! Do your research and print it off, highlight what conditions apply to your case and have it in hand when you are meeting them.

mosii

Thanks for reply, true the attitude must be a job requirement, just another question if I meet the criteria for btea,can I still be refused by social,if this guy just decides he dosnt like me,and then says no,what can I do then

mosii

also any idea of waiting time for unemployment benefit and when does the date start for the claim as explained above,thanks again

Garfin

mosii wrote: »

Thanks for reply, true the attitude must be a job requirement, just another question if I meet the criteria for btea,can I still be refused by social,if this guy just decides he dosnt like me,and then says no,what can I do then

Try another office or contact the dept, there is 3 days you won't get paid for from your redundancy date but from then on you can claim, this is dependant on lump sum but unless you had a large amount it was 50k then there is no other waiting period. Check out the website its all there and good luck.

Garfin

mosii wrote: »

Thanks for reply, true the attitude must be a job requirement, just another question if I meet the criteria for btea,can I still be refused by social,if this guy just decides he dosnt like me,and then says no,what can I do then

Try another office or contact the dept, there is 3 days you won't get paid for from your redundancy date but from then on you can claim, this is dependant on lump sum but unless you had a large amount it was 50k then there is no other waiting period. Check out the website its all there and good luck.

mosii

thanks for reply,my lumpsum is 10k,so that's not an issue,i presume I had to go to my local office to sign on,i don't think you could sign on outside your local social office.I just heard stories this guy delayed claims on some people,just as long my claim date is not changed I should be ok.I was just thinking would he use the delay in my p45 to delay my claim,if you know what I mean,hopefully he wont,Thanks again for help

petisandy

hi mosii,your claim will start from the day you made your application, but you will have to wait @4/6 weekes before you get your first payment ..and the social officer will never give any confidence to anybody, you just have to meet all condition and it will be fine...

mosii

Thanks for reply,can they process my claim without my p45,or evidence of my lump sum.as I could be waiting a while for these,thanks again ..

Rorster_123

petisandy wrote: »

hi mosii,your claim will start from the day you made your application, but you will have to wait @4/6 weekes before you get your first payment ..and the social officer will never give any confidence to anybody, you just have to meet all condition and it will be fine...

Untrue. Claim processing for JB is generally under 2 weeks and in most offices is under a week. Please don't give out false information if you don't know the answer.

mosii

Thanks roster,can you tell me if the claim can be processed without my p45,and my statement of lumpsum.Thanks again for time and effort.

Rorster_123

Claim can be processed without your p45. You will be given time to supply it. The statement on the lump sum is needed to determine whether the claim should be disallowed for a period.

Make the claim on your first day of unemployment as, from what you say, its not a large redundancy package. The claim will then be backdated to this date for you(minus the 3 waiting days) when you have provided the redundancy details.

mosii

Thanks again Roster,I might be waiting two weeks for that statement of lump sum,so It will be at least 4 weeks so before I get my benefit,

Rorster_123

No I wouldn't necessarily say that. Once you have the documents in your claim should be put into payment soon after. JB claims are the easiest claims for us to process. You basically have an entitlement or you don't based on your work record.

No means test or inspector involved which cuts down on the wait.

mosii

That's great,Thanks again ,great to have accurate information,

mosii

Just one more query,if I am means tested later,do they check bank accounts or will they trust what people tell them,obviously I will have over 10 k as this will be on my lump sum statement,but I have 5 k in my savings account,in BOI.Im single now,but I own my own house,luckey enough,the only thing I done during the boom,thanks

Rorster_123

They generally ask for bank accounts but not always. If you have less than 20k it does not affect you. Your home is not part of the means test so you are fine there

mosii

Will they check around the banks,IF I only supply 1 bank account

Rorster_123

Let me put it this way. It is an offence to make a false declaration and you can be prosecuted for it. If in doubt an inspector can go to all the banks requesting details of all accounts held in your name.

mosii

Ok you have being a great help.Thanks again.

Musicman2000

Rorster_123 wrote: »

Let me put it this way. It is an offence to make a false declaration and you can be prosecuted for it. If in doubt an inspector can go to all the banks requesting details of all accounts held in your name.

Not true a Sw Inspector can't go around to banks asking for peoples account details the bank would in serious breaches of data protection.

mosii

How do they find out what a person has in the bank so.I suppose if they suspect you have a lot of money they can request a dirt tax review ,through tax man.

mp22

On account of the line of discussion I will close this now.