Back to education allowance question ?

pudzey101

hi all im currently in receipt of 188 per week on social welfare , if i decide to take (BTEI) will my payments rate change as in go up or go down ? any help appreciated ?

mp22

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).



From here http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/back_to_education/back_to_education_allowance.html

rosmoke

8.4 Increase payment in respect of qualified adult/child dependent

Other than provided for in section 8.1 above, where a qualifying adult/child dependents payment is included in the qualifying payment (see 4.1, 5.1, 6.1), the BTEA payment should be calculated to include these allowances. If there is a change in circumstances which effect increases for Qualified Adult/child entitlements, a review of these allowances should be completed and the rate payable for these allowances adjusted accordingly.

kissmequick

"For third level courses you must have been getting a qualifying social welfare payment (see above) for 9 months (234 paid or credited days of unemployment). You must be getting the qualifying payment immediately before you start the course. For the Professional Masters in Education, you must have been getting a qualifying social welfare payment for 12 months (312 paid or credited days of unemployment.

Satisfying the qualifying period
You do not have to have been getting your qualifying payment continuously. Periods spent on other qualifying social welfare payments (or getting credits) that are not broken by more than 12 months (52 weeks) can be used to determine whether you satisfy the qualifying period criteria. You must always be getting a qualifying payment immediately before starting your course.

Time spent on the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA), Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS), full-time FET (formerly FÁS) training courses, Community Employment schemes, Part-time Job Incentive scheme, Gateway, Community Services Programme, Rural Social Scheme, TÚS, Workplace Placement Scheme (WPP), Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Short Term Enterprise Allowance, Job Initiative, Job Assist and JobBridge may count towards the qualifying period for BTEA purposes. This provision only applies where you have an underlying entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment immediately before you start your course of study."


From Citizen's Info, this has me confused now! Which comes first?!? Which one is the key main deciding factor? You have to have been getting a qualifying S.W. Payment for 9 months. That's grand, I was doing qualifying S.W. stuff so that should be okay, but, then in the third Para. it says "where you have an underlying entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment immediately before you start your course of study."


Sooooo, if I qualify from other purposes, how do I then also satisfy the prior immediate entitlement, how is that even possible? I've a headache now with all of this. Like, which of the 2 is the key factor they consider first? If immediate entitlement directly prior to starting College is what they look at first I don't think I'll be able to get it so if that's the case. :rolleyes: Or maybe I will! I can't even think hah! It might make more sense if they work it individual by individual and let the underlying factor be whatever that individual person did! I dunno. It's a bit iffy....

I've a funny feeling this is gonna go t1 belly-up.

rosmoke

There are more rules you need to fulfil but the two most important are this:
You need 9 months of qualifying payment, this can be any Jobseeker's payment or IQA AND you need to get a qualifying payment in your own name immediately before starting the course.
My application for BTEA was declined because I don't fulfil the second rule (I was getting an IQA on my wife's payment). But guess what, my temporary contract ended 2 weeks ago and I applied for Jobseeker's Benefit, so if I get it and there is no reason why I shouldn't I would then qualify for BTEA, but I'm not sure if I'll have time to wait for decision and appeal the decision, I hope they move fast because I have 21 days to request an re-examination of my BTEA application.