A lot of questions

LegacyUser

Hi there, I have some issues I was hoping someone could advise me with.

I just recently got accepted into a course that I was intending to pursue under the BTEA scheme, but have been told I don't qualify under the criteria, so therefore will not be able to proceed with the programme (I'm on illness benefit). I intend to re-attempt applying next year with the qualifying criteria.

I have a couple of questions in the mean-time. Over the course of the next year, I would still like to do volunteer work in the area that my degree involves (childline, the rape crisis centre etc.). Would I be allowed do these things whilst still on illness benefit? Also, there is an online course that I am interested in taking up, but the reward of the course is a level 8 special purpose award. Firstly, I am unsure if I am allowed to partake in the course with illness benefit. Secondly, I am unsure if I can qualify for some of the funding for the course back under a different scheme, and thirdly, will I be unable to apply for the BTEA scheme next next year if I do this course as it is a level 8 award, and my degree that I would begin pursuing next year is also a level 8. Any help would be appreciated.

Airyfairy12

You should change to job seekers benefit. If youre on illness benefit then by their terms youre not fit to work/study or volunteer.

To get BTEA you have to be completing a course that is a higher level than the education you already have, it has to be progression so if you do the online course and get a level 8 you wont be eligible for BTEA for another level 8 course.

You dont have to tell social welfare that youre volunteering.

Turnipman

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

You dont have to tell social welfare that youre volunteering.

You most certainly do if you're claiming a Jobseeker's payment.

Airyfairy12

Turnipman wrote: »

You most certainly do if you're claiming a Jobseeker's payment.

You only volunteer 2 - 4 hours a week and its unpaid. Youre still available for full time work. You dont have to tell social welfare.

LegacyUser

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

You only volunteer 2 - 4 hours a week and its unpaid. Youre still available for full time work. You dont have to tell social welfare.

You have to get written approval from DEASP if you intend to work voluntary..

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/disability_and_illness/disability_benefit.html

Scrool down to 'Work and Illness Benefit'

Turnipman

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

You only volunteer 2 - 4 hours a week and its unpaid. Youre still available for full time work. You dont have to tell social welfare.

But the OP mentions none of the above.

Presumably you're making it up as you go along in order to justify your earlier misleading advice.

Airyfairy12

Turnipman wrote: »

But the OP mentions none of the above.

Presumably you're making it up as you go along in order to justify your earlier misleading advice.

Im not making it up. I was on job seekers and did part time evening courses and I volunteered. Ive been a vounteer for years. Its very unusual for a volunteer centre to give more than 8 hours of work a week unless youve asked or told them you want more hours than that, the typical number of hours vounteers do, and the amount of hours required by most centres is 2 - 4 hours or less a week. Obviously volunteers can do more if they want but thats on the OP. I asked social welfare when I was on job seekers and they told me I can volunteer once im still available for work. Keep in mind theres allot of volunteer options that you can do from home such as volunteering for suicide prevention organisations and allot of volunteer positions entail sitting at a desk answering phones and replying to emails and making tea, standing on the street with a bucket or visiting old people for a chat. It fills up a bit of free time but thats it, its not even work and someone on illness benefit would have no problem volunteering, it would be great for them, get them out of the house and around people a couple of hours a week. DO you tell social welfare when you go for a night out and stay out for a couple of hours or every time you leave the house? Whats the difference between that and volunteering?

If the OP goes down the volunteer route without informing social welfare whats the harm? Hes not hurting anyone or scamming the system, hes getting himself back into an employment like environment which will only benefit him in finding employment. Why would anyone want to stand in the way of someone trying to better themselves?
Just because youre getting money from social doesnt mean they own you and need to know about every single movement you make or how you occupy your time.

ITMissy

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/voluntary_work_and_social_welfare_payments.html

Looks like you need permission.

troyzer

You could volunteer 40 hours a week and still be available for work? It's not like you're committing to volunteering, you can drop it or scale back the hours if a job comes up as long as you're available for work and actively looking.

Turnipman

troyzer wrote: »

You could volunteer 40 hours a week and still be available for work? It's not like you're committing to volunteering, you can drop it or scale back the hours if a job comes up as long as you're available for work and actively looking.

Feel free to take that up with the Department of Social Protection if you wish.

What is being discussed here is the requirement, if one is getting certain DSP payments, to inform the Department that one is performing voluntary work. Failure to inform them may lead to someone losing their welfare payment.

That's why it is essential that anyone in that situation who is reading this thread knows the facts, not the opinions.

Twelve Bar Blues

Turnipman wrote: »

You most certainly do if you're claiming a Jobseeker's payment.

My own experience of letting the DSP know about volunteering -
I was told by DSP that I could volunteer while on Job Seekers, as long as it was for a non-profit org.
I was going to tell them, until I spoke to two former volunteers (with the same charity) who advised that they were volunteering and filled in the forms etc., for the DSP to then badger the charity to get the volunteers paid positions (there is a minimum number of people on staff for the work that could not be dependant on volunteers) or to get them on a CE Scheme - the charity does participate in CE Schemes but had their people already in contract for a year. They also came down on the volunteers for volunteering - saying that they could be using the same time to get paid work. So all said and done, the volunteers had to walk away.

I have been volunteering for a few years now, and it did not hinder my search for employment. And after finishing with Turas Nua and THEN getting a job, I continue to volunteer and work.

Twelve Bar Blues

Turnipman wrote: »

What is being discussed here is the requirement, if one is getting certain DSP payments, to inform the Department that one is performing voluntary work. Failure to inform them may lead to someone losing their welfare payment.

That's why it is essential that anyone in that situation who is reading this thread knows the facts, not the opinions.

I agree - you are required to inform them and, in theory, it is allowed.
In theory.....