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Back to education Problem!!!

  • 09-04-2015 6:30pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 96 ✭✭


    Hi

    I started receiving btea in September when I started my course. previous to that I was on illness benefit because I broke my leg . I contacted my local social welfare office and they told me to switch over to jobseekers benefit once I was six weeks out before starting my course so I did. My btea got approved in September and I have received payments every Thursday into my bank account for 147 euro . Today I only received 117 and when I contacted btea helpline they told me to ring my local office then I contacted them and they told me my payment will be only 117 because my stamps are running low as I am on jobseekers benefit . It doesn't make much sense to me as I am on btea the last 8 months not jobseekers benefit. Ive a loan of 70 euro a week to cover my college fees and have been surviving just fine of 147 now I cant afford to live of 47 euro as I have to commute to college and back and diesel alone is 40 euro a week. Can someone please explain to me if they are in the wrong or is there any way to get my btea back to 147 a week ?

    Thanks


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,625 ✭✭✭wmpdd3


    Rates

    If you are a new BTEA participant aged over 26 your weekly BTEA rate will be equal to your previous social protection payment (the payment that qualified you for participation in the scheme). You may also qualify for increases for a qualified adult and qualified children.
    If you are a new participant aged under 26 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 can get your Back to Education Allowance paid directly to your bank account. It is paid for the duration of the course. If you were previously getting a jobseeker's payment, you do not get the Back to Education Allowance during the summer period between academic years. Your local social welfare office will contact you in March or April to ask the date of last attendance for the current academic year and you will not be paid BTEA beyond this date. You may get BTEA during the summer if you are on work placement or work experience that is an essential part of your course.
    If you defer a year of study you are treated as a new entrant when you return to your course.
    Keeping your secondary benefits

    If you qualify for the Back to Education Allowance, you can keep your entitlement to any secondary benefits you already have, for example, Fuel Allowance or Rent Supplement. However, any increase in income may affect your entitlement to Rent Supplement or the amount of supplement you get. For example, this can happen if you have additional income from part-time work.
    1.16 Rates of Payment prior to 01 January, 2013

    BTEA applicants approved prior to 1st January 2013, receive a weekly personal rate equivalent to the maximum standard personal rate of the relevant Social Welfare payment. These cases are treated as 'saver cases' for the duration of BTEA, provided the applicant does not have a break of an academic year in their course of study (see Para. 1.14.6 Repeat Years). Where applicable, increases are payable in respect of qualified adults and child dependants.

    1.16.1 QA/DCA Entitlement.

    If the primary payment was JA/DA, the rate payable should be determined by reference to the tapered QA rules that apply to JB cases. The claim should be treated similar to a JB claim and pay allowances accordingly. A reduced rate of QA is payable if the qualified adult has gross earnings or income in excess of €100 and up to €310 per week. An increase of €29.80 for each qualified child if an increase for a QA is payable or if parenting alone. Normal DCA rules are applied. If no increase for QA is payable, half-rate qualified child increase may be payable if the qualified adults gross weekly income is €400 or less per week.

    1.16.2. Rates of Payment after 01 January, 2013.

    Since January 1st 2013, the practice of uprating those on means tested payments JA/OFP and DA,etc. up to the maximum personal rate has been discontinued for new entrants.

    1.16.3 New entrants to BTEA (JA/DA) aged under 26 years old

    Since 1 January, 2014 the age threshold for age related payment on Jobseekers Allowance increased from 25 to 26 year olds (Budget 2014 refers). Persons aged under 26 years who are in receipt of an age related jobseekers payment who participate in the Back to Education Allowance scheme (new entrants only) will receive €160 per week. If means apply, the means are taken off the €160 rate. If married or co-habiting, underlying payment rules apply. i.e. family rate payment. Limitation (max rate pay) pertains to BTEA cases as currently applies when dealing with JB/JA/Preta/Farm Assist/IB/Invalidity and taking into account the uplift from the previous rate of €100/€144 to €160, where applicable.

    1.16.4 New entrants to BTEA aged over 26 years of age

    Since 1 January, 2014, the age threshold has been increased from 25 to 26 year olds (Budget 2014 refers). New entrants who are over 26 years are entitled to BTEA at the rate of their qualifying payment. Limitation (max rate pay) pertains to BTEA cases as currently applied when dealing with JB/JA/Preta/Farm Assist/IB/Invalidity.

    To decide rates payable for JA/DA customers, the underlying payment rules for the scheme should be applied.

    1.16.5 JB Primary payment

    From 1 January 2013, where a person on a graduated rate of jobseekers' benefit based on earnings bands applies for BTEA, the rate of BTEA is equal to their JB rate. However, the person may opt for a JA rate. However, from 01 January 2015, new BTEA applicants will only receive payment for the duration of the Jobseekers Benefit claim. When payment exhausts, means will have to be applied similar to a JA case.

    I can seem to find the rates or the process of working out the rates for BTEA, it all changed in 2013.

    1st, are you under 26?

    What was your Illness benefit payment?

    When did you payment move from the post office to the bank and how much as that payment?

    You should have gotten a letter detailing your btea rate and how they came to that amount. If you didnt get it, go to your local SW office and go to the schemes section and ask for this letter.

    If this letter is difficult to understand and it could well be, take it to the Citizen Information, they may be able to help.

    You may need a statement of your PRSI contributions, get it here:

    https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/secure/RequestSIContributionRecord.aspx

    If you think there's a problem with their workings you can question it, but I dont you can appeal BTEA.

    In the mean time apply for the student hardship fund (ask student union).

    What ever you do, do not leave, you'll have to pay to repeat, just stay registered, even if you have no money to attend.


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