BTEA whilst on PAID work experience.

LegacyUser

Hello,

Just a quick query I have.
I know that you can be still be eligible for BTEA during summer months if work experience is an integral part of your course. I have the letter from college which states this.

However, are you still eligible to receive BTEA if this work experience is paid? Full time hours, and after tax and all other deductions etc. coming out with roughly 320 p/w - what happens regarding BTEA payment then?

Returning to college in September.

Thanks for any help or information you could provide.

Rorster_123

Paid work experience is a job
You cant claim BTEA while having a full time job.

brembo26

You are allowed to work and claim BTEA as long as you are entitled to it at the same time. There is no problem with that as its not a means tested payment.

Well this was the case when I was on it from 2011 to 2013.

hdowney

Yes but you are NOT entitled to BTEA during the summer months between years. You are entitled go back on JSA IF you need to (IE don't have a job for the summer) and yes you are right you are entitled to continue being paid BTEA if you are on college mandated work exp. However I think you may find that full paid (as this seems to be) work exp during the summer months may NOT qualify for you to continue to get BTEA or to get JSA over the summer months. You will be entitled to BTEA in the next year of your course in September assuming you are progressing so there is no problem there, but I doubt you'll get a payment over the summer.

brembo26

Once you can prove that the work experience is part of the college course you can get the BTEA payment extended into the summer months.

wmpdd3

my partner's work experience started during the summer holidays from college in 2nd year, he worked for 6 months from July till January, he was paid 100 per week but his btea was not reduced and he was still able to claim it for 3rd year.

He did have to get three letters signed by the employer and the college to confirm it was part of his course to do work experience.

Agent_99

Get a letter from the college to give to the social confirming that the work placement is part fulfillment of your degree and you will maintain your BTEA for the duration, had 5/6 friends do this whilst on co-op with no issues.

Balagan

hdowney wrote: »

Yes but you are NOT entitled to BTEA during the summer months between years. You are entitled go back on JSA IF you need to (IE don't have a job for the summer) and yes you are right you are entitled to continue being paid BTEA if you are on college mandated work exp. However I think you may find that full paid (as this seems to be) work exp during the summer months may NOT qualify for you to continue to get BTEA or to get JSA over the summer months. You will be entitled to BTEA in the next year of your course in September assuming you are progressing so there is no problem there, but I doubt you'll get a payment over the summer.

If you have given the Dept of Soc Protection evidence from your college that the work experience is part of your course and that the placement you have found is acceptable to your college, then your BTEA (which is a non-means tested payment) continues for that mandatory work experience period regardless of whether the work experience is paid or unpaid. Of course those earnings from the work placement are taxable in the usual way and may reduce secondary benefits.

eastbono

Just to clarify a point made by Balgan.... BTEA is means tested for new applicants since 2013.

Balagan

eastbono wrote: »

Just to clarify a point made by Balgan.... BTEA is means tested for new applicants since 2013.

You're right, I forgot that. So you now start BTEA on the same payment amount you were previously receiving but has the scenario whereby you could work and earn money while in receipt of BTEA, without the income affecting the amount of your BTEA, changed also?

eastbono

TBH...I am unsure of this. I would need to look at the guidelines in more depth.

eastbono

Had a quick look and it states that you can work part time without if affecting youre BTEA.

If you are unemployed, parenting alone or have a disability and are getting certain payments from the Department of Social Protection, you may attend a second-or third-level education course and get the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA). You can work part-time without affecting your BTEA payment.

LegacyUser

Hi Everyone,

Just want to say thanks very much for all the replies so far.

Some of the answers seem to be conflicting?
The social welfare know I am getting paid in the work experience but have still asked for the letter from the college which I have recently given them.

I guess I will hear back soon what happens re the btea payment.
I will update this thread when I get more information just in case anybody ends up in the same position as me at some point and would like to find out.

Thanks again everyone. :-)

mosii

As far as I know btea is not means tested,any one else agree

Balagan

mosii wrote: »

As far as I know btea is not means tested,any one else agree

As has been pointed out, it is means tested now in that, for new applicants since January 2013, the BTEA payment is the same amount as they were receiving in social welfare payments immediately prior to starting BTEA i.e., it is no longer automatically upped to be equal to maximum Jobseekers payment.
However, you are allowed to work while on BTEA, with the proviso that your studies are not put in jeopardy, and those work means are not means tested during term time, but are means tested in the summer between academic years of your course if you do not find full time work and go back on Jobseekers Allowance payments.

Since 1 January 2013, if you are a new BTEA participant aged over 25 your weekly BTEA rate will be equal to your previous social protection payment (the payment that qualified you for participation in the scheme).

If you are a new participant aged under 25 and you were getting a reduced age-related Jobseeker's Allowance payment, you will get a new personal maximum BTEA rate of €160 (any means you have will be deducted from this rate). You may also qualify for increases for a qualified adult and qualified children (see 'Qualified adult' below). People who were getting a Back to Education Allowance before 1 January 2013 are not affected by the Budget 2013 changes and continue to be paid at the same rate.
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/back_to_education/back_to_education_allowance.html