BTEA and part time work

brokell22

Hi I was just wondering if anyone else is in the same situation
I'll start by saying I was refused the Back To Education Allowance (BTEA) last September because I was not on a social welfare payment for the required amount of time to qualify. (Had been on part time dole for 12 months but it only amounted to 150 days) I had been told that year by a social welfare officer that I would qualify so I had taken her word for it, stupidly.
I had left my job as the hours conflicted with college. By the time I got the letter to say I did not qualify for BTEA, I had already registered for college and my job was gone to someone else. It meant I could not afford to go to college and as a result had to go on full time social welfare which I didn't want to do. I wanted to go to college and better myself instead of being on social welfare. This affected me massively both financially and emotionally, I have never felt more let down in my life. I had worked from I was 16 years of age (I am now 22) and the last thing I wanted to do was to be on the dole but I had no choice. I tried to appeal the decision but was told the rules are the rules and "all information is available online and it's upto you to find that out."
I have just started college this year and got the Back To Education Allowance approved. I am under 23 and even though I do not live with my parents, I will not get the SUSI grant because I'm assessed by my parents means so therefore the BTEA had to help me pay my fees because my parents both work. I was under the impression (as I'd been told so by another social welfare officer and seen it online) that I could also work part time (max 20 hours) without it affecting my weekly BTEA of €160.
As of this year, any money at all made from part time work will result in my weekly allowance being cut because of changes made by the government.
I am struggling to find out how I will now afford college. My fees alone are €3,000 then I have to pay for bus,food,books etc. I had been budgeting all year to work out how I would afford college, I had been going by the information on the social welfare's official website which said that my weekly means would not be affected with part time work. This was only changed on their website after I started college. I cannot understand how they can justify this change. Each person should be assessed individually, anyone that qualifies for the SUSI grant to pay their fee's can also claim the BTEA so therefore those people should be assessed differently to those who don't get SUSI. The only way I could afford college was if I could work and still get my weekly allowance of €160.
The fact that TD's have gotten a pay rise of €5,000 makes me so angry. Why can those who want to get an education not be allowed to work part time and earn additional money to help them live and get through college without it affecting their weekly allowance, surely that is only fair ?? This is more of an incentive not to work, I cannot understand it.
Any help would be very much appreciated I don't know what else to do, emmigrating seems to be the only way forward and I dont want to do that! Surely we could get a petition going and get local TD's to join in and over rule this decision!

RAY808

Just found this out for myself, had the next five years of my life based on the fact that you can work part time on BTEA now they've changed it and I can't see how I can support myself in Dublin and go to college also. If I do a six hour shift washing dishes in the evening I lose 30euro for that day and only end up 15 euro better off, if you don't take into account what I have to spend to get into town for work. Sickened isn't even the word. If I work 4 days I lose it all and only end up 20 euro better off for working a 26 hour week while going to college, which discourages doing anything to try and improve your situation in life, guess that's the point of the changes to be honest. . .

Rubberchikken

I saw this change in the budget. Have to say badly thought out. Allowing someone on btea to work a small amount of hours and receive btea was helping so many to make a bit extra to live on and get valuable work experience.
Sadly these changes get lost in the bigger more media friendly changes the govt made so nothing gets said about them.

toofiddie

am currently in first year of a 4yr degree course.. am in receipt of BTEA.. i see from the changes in if i would like to get a part time job while studying it will be means tested.. my btea is pretty crap at €95 bcos it was means tested on hubby's wages.. we have 3 small kids and a big mortgage anywhoo.. where can i work out how much a part time job will affect my btea payment? any help would be much appreciated thanks in advance..