CE scheme question.

ooter

My brother gets disability allowance and has been accepted on to a CE scheme,he got a letter yesterday telling him to return his free travel pass.is this common practice,surely it's counter productive?
He'll be getting an extra €20 a week but sure it'll cost more than that in bus fares.

danjo-xx

Who was the letter from! Sounds like a load of rubbish.

3.11 IN WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES MUST THE FREE TRAVEL PASS BE RETURNED?

In the event of any of the following occurring, the Free Travel Pass must be returned to the address given below:

The passholder does not continue to reside on a permanent basis in the State
The Pass Holder changes address (Pass must be returned for change of address and renewal where the person holds a PAPER Free Travel Pass. Do not return if you hold a Public Services Card with Free Travel)
The Pass Holder no longer satisfies the criteria applicable to his/her particular Free Travel entitlement (Companion status will be amended as necessary, and appropriate replacement Pass will be issued)
the pass is worn or illegible
the passholder is no longer in receipt of a qualifying payment
3.12 FURTHER INFORMATION

Information on the Free Travel Scheme is available from:

Free Schemes Section
Social Welfare Services Office
College Road,
Sligo.

Telephone: LoCall 1890 500 000 (from Republic of Ireland) or 00 353 71 9193315 (from Northern Ireland or overseas)

ooter

this is the letter..

eastbono

From the letter you posted it appears your brother will no longer be receiving DA (Disability Allowance) as he will be on a CE scheme and he will have no qualifying payment to retain his travel pass.

danjo-xx

You are not entitled to DA because you are commencing on a CE scheme and you are not entitled to both payments

Fact is he will NOT be getting two payments if he commence a CE scheme because since

16 January 2012 new participants on Community Employment (CE) schemes cannot claim another social welfare payment at the same time.
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/unemployment_and_redundancy/employment_support_schemes/community_employment_scheme.html

Did he get permission from the department to take up a c.e. scheme, on the grounds of rehabilatve work.

The application for the employment to be considered rehabilitative must be made to the department and should be sent in as soon as the employment commences. In the case of Community Employment Schemes, approval is normally given on foot of certification of placement by FAS. In the case of other employment or self-employment a letter is required from the person's own medical doctor certifying the rehabilitative nature of the employment plus a letter from the employer describing the nature of the proposed employment, the number of hours being worked and the level of remuneration for the work. Where an application for employment to be considered rehabilitative is received, it may be forwarded to one of the Departments Medical Assesors for his decision on the rehabilitative aspects of the proposed employment.

If the person is not satisfied with a decision to refuse approval of an application to have employment or self-employment considered rehabilitative the decision can be reviewed, on request, in the light of any further medical evidence or other relevant factors which may be put forward. In such cases the medical papers including any further medical evidence would be referred to the Chief Medical Advisor or his Deputy.

If the person does not agree with the decision or revised decision on an application to have employment or self-employment considered rehabilitative, the person may appeal the decision to the Chief Appeals Officer, Social Welfare Appeals Office.

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Disability-Allowance.aspx

If not that could be the reason.

ooter

I don't know to be honest.
Looks like he's going to have to appeal.
What's pretty annoying is that if he was to get a job from the exact same "employer" doing the exact same work and hours it looks to me like he'd get to keep his DA and have an extra €100+ in his pocket plus his travel pass.
Thanks for the replies.