Going back to college while on disability allowance.

FarmersMarket

Several years ago I was doing a PhD. Unfortunately I developed severe panic disorder and agoraphobia and had to withdraw. Recently my illness has improved somewhat and I am desperate to get back to college next Autumn and eventually find work. I doubt I'll return to my PhD as I'm looking for a course which is one, or two years max. So, is it possible for me to get Back to education allowance again whilst on disability? Also what are the necessary steps I should take? I can't express in words how important this is to me, so any help will be most appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Owryan

If you are on DA you can keep that payment and may also be entitled to the maintenance grant from SUSI. You may lose other payments such as rent allowance however. Not sure what impact your attending a previous course will have on being awarded a grant/fees paid tho.

However you should inform the DSP if you are planning or do return to education

Gatling

Your perfectly entitled to return to education or do a course of your choice, you keep your payment and secondary benefits such as medical card and free travel ,rent supplement may have to be reassessed as it's means tested .see below for details

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Can-I-take-up-employment-education-or-training-and-still-ge.aspx

FarmersMarket

Owryan wrote: »

If you are on DA you can keep that payment and may also be entitled to the maintenance grant from SUSI. You may lose other payments such as rent allowance however. Not sure what impact your attending a previous course will have on being awarded a grant/fees paid tho.

However you should inform the DSP if you are planning or do return to education

Thanks for your reply, Owryan. I've never heard of SUSI but I'll check them out. Even if I don't qualify for a grant I'll just sell pretty much everything to pay to the fees.

Gatling wrote: »

Your perfectly entitled to return to education or do a course of your choice, you keep your payment and secondary benefits such as medical card and free travel ,rent supplement may have to be reassessed as it's means tested .see below for details



Thanks, Gatling. It's a massive relief to hear that I will retain my rent allowance! I intend to pursue my course in a different part of the country- to push myself out of my comfort zone- so my rent allowance would have to be means tested again regardless.

Thanks for the info', you've both been most helpful.

Balagan

Best to read the Back to Education guidelines at to which kinds of postgraduate studies are eligible for that scheme.

2.6 Postgraduate study option

Only in limited circumstances can BTEA be approved for jobseekers undertaking postgraduate study. There are no circumstances where BTEA can be approved where the jobseeker already holds a postgraduate qualification. Study for postgraduate qualifications for which BTEA cannot be approved include Masters in all disciplines, other than indicated below, MA, MSc, M.Eng, M.Phil., MBA, Professional Graduate Diploma, any discipline.

BTEA can be approved where the jobseekers intend to undertake studies leading to:

a Higher Diploma (H.Dip) in any discipline OR
a Professional Masters in Education (PME) which replaced the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) from September 2014 OR
a Master degree based solely on life experience where the applicant holds no other third level qualification. In such cases a Case Officer must ensure that the applicant provides documentary evidence from the third level institution confirming that admission is based solely on life experience and that the applicant is not the holder of any third level qualification). http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Back-to-Education-Allowance-Scheme.aspx#2.7

haveringchick

Balagan wrote: »

Best to read the Back to Education guidelines at to which kinds of postgraduate studies are eligible for that scheme.

2.6 Postgraduate study option

Only in limited circumstances can BTEA be approved for jobseekers undertaking postgraduate study. There are no circumstances where BTEA can be approved where the jobseeker already holds a postgraduate qualification. Study for postgraduate qualifications for which BTEA cannot be approved include Masters in all disciplines, other than indicated below, MA, MSc, M.Eng, M.Phil., MBA, Professional Graduate Diploma, any discipline.

BTEA can be approved where the jobseekers intend to undertake studies leading to:

a Higher Diploma (H.Dip) in any discipline OR
a Professional Masters in Education (PME) which replaced the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) from September 2014 OR
a Master degree based solely on life experience where the applicant holds no other third level qualification. In such cases a Case Officer must ensure that the applicant provides documentary evidence from the third level institution confirming that admission is based solely on life experience and that the applicant is not the holder of any third level qualification). http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Back-to-Education-Allowance-Scheme.aspx#2.7

OP is on DA so has no reason to apply for BTEA and will possibly be eligible for a SUSI grant aswell

godtabh

FarmersMarket wrote: »

Thanks for your reply, Owryan. I've never heard of SUSI but I'll check them out. Even if I don't qualify for a grant I'll just sell pretty much everything to pay to the fees.

Gatling wrote: »

Your perfectly entitled to return to education or do a course of your choice, you keep your payment and secondary benefits such as medical card and free travel ,rent supplement may have to be reassessed as it's means tested .see below for details



Thanks, Gatling. It's a massive relief to hear that I will retain my rent allowance! I intend to pursue my course in a different part of the country- to push myself out of my comfort zone- so my rent allowance would have to be means tested again regardless.

Thanks for the info', you've both been most helpful.

No one said you will retain your rent allowance

doc11

If your illness has improved and can do a PHD I wouldn't be confident of keeping DA over the course of 2/3 years education. If you can do a PHD with all that entails you certainty could be seen as able for work.

Gatling

doc11 wrote: »

If your illness has improved and can do a PHD I wouldn't be confident of keeping DA over the course of 2/3 years education. If you can do a PHD with all that entails you certainty could be seen as able for work.

That's all for Dr's to decide