Jobseekers Allowance/BTEA

Karen23

My son recently signed on for jobseekers allowance after finishing a course in May. This morning he received a letter of acceptance for a college course in September. I've been looking into BTEA for him and it says you must be on Jobseekers for at least three months to qualify and you must inform them as soon as you accept a college place.

Problem is, if he tells them now that he's accepting the course they'll stop his payment and he'll be under the three month criteria to qualify so will get nothing but he'll be over the three months by the time college starts.

Can he wait until he passes the three month deadline to inform DSP or will they know he accepted the course earlier on.

Seems unfair that he'll lose everything and qualify for nothing

Grab All Association

Provided it was a Fás or VEC course he was doing then he'll most likely qualify.

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 established an entitlement to a qualifying social welfare payment immediately before you start your course of study.

Karen23

Grab All Association wrote: »

Provided it was a Fás or VEC course he was doing then he'll most likely qualify.

Thanks for the reply.

The course he will be doing is a PLC.

The course he finished in May was a sports programme run by the FAI. It wasn't a recognised college course so he didn't qualify for any grants or funding and because the course started two months before he turned 18 so he didn't qualify for any SW payment.

It seems like a year on we're back in the same boat.

unseenfootage

The colleges usually send a list of registered students to the Social Welfare Office. They cross reference the list to see if there are any jobseekers on there.

Is it 3 months or 9 months on JA. When I started my course 4 years ago it was 9 months?

EDIT: it IS 3 months for Level 2...

Grab All Association

Just asked a friend who did plc 2012 in Colaiste Mhuire Thurles
She was there at least 2-3 weeks in before she got her BTEA. Her JSB was paid to her up until BTEA. She had to get a letter stamped from the school to prove she was in attendance. The one she got in July confirming acceptance wasn't accepted.

Tell him to stay on JSA and apply for BTEA in August/September.

unseenfootage

If he signed on in May then it will more than 3 months when he starts in September. He could stay on JA until then and then apply once the 3 months is up. He can apply for BTEA even in September.

Karen23

Grab All Association wrote: »

Tell him to stay on JSA and apply for BTEA in August/September.

This was my thought when I read his letter of acceptance this morning but when I read the info it says you must notify DSP immediately if you accept a college course but doing so will mean he won't qualify for BTEA. He could still do that but if the college does send a list to SW as said above he'll more than likely be in trouble and end up with nothing anyway.

Looking for a loophole while staying within the law. I wonder should he say nothing for now and see how it goes

unseenfootage

Karen23 wrote: »

This was my thought when I read his letter of acceptance this morning but when I read the info it says you must notify DSP immediately if you accept a college course but doing so will mean he won't qualify for BTEA. He could still do that but if the college does send a list to SW as said above he'll more than likely be in trouble and end up with nothing anyway.

Looking for a loophole while staying within the law. I wonder should he say nothing for now and see how it goes

What info is this?

On citizensinformation.ie it says

When you are accepted on a course, you should notify the Department of Social Protection by filling in the Back to Education Allowance application form (pdf), which is also available from your Intreo centre. From June 2014 all new BTEA claims for jobseekers must be recommended by a DSP case officer before a decision can be made on your BTEA entitlement
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/back_to_education/back_to_education_allowance.html

No timeframe or sense of urgency is indicated here. Do you have a link?

Karen23

The college enclosed information on different sources of funding and grants with the letter of acceptance and it says it on there , so maybe not a rule just an advisory maybe ?

Grab All Association

Karen23 wrote: »

This was my thought when I read his letter of acceptance this morning but when I read the info it says you must notify DSP immediately if you accept a college course but doing so will mean he won't qualify for BTEA. He could still do that but if the college does send a list to SW as said above he'll more than likely be in trouble and end up with nothing anyway.

Looking for a loophole while staying within the law. I wonder should he say nothing for now and see how it goes

He just has to stay low for a bit and try to make it look like he's actively jobseeking until September.

unseenfootage

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/353_Back-to-Education-Allowance.aspx

The DSP page also doesn't say immediately:

When you are accepted on a course, you should notify the Department of Social Protection by filling in the Back to Education Allowance application form (pdf), which is also available from your Intreo centre. From June 2014 all new BTEA claims for jobseekers must be recommended by a DSP case officer before a decision can be made on your BTEA entitlement.

I think it should be fine. You could double check with citizensinformation as well.

Karen23

Thanks for the replies and advice, appreciate it