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Back to education allowance question (eligibility)

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  • 06-07-2011 3:18am
    #1
    Diana21x
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23 ✭


    Im 22 and have just completed a fetac level 5 childcare course in may. I was in receipt of back to education allowance for that course
    Im hoping to progress to a level 8 new course in university this september.
    The thing is I read you have to be in reciept of jobseekers allowance for 9 months prior to starting a course.
    I have been on jobseekers allowance for the summer since i finished the course but that only adds up to 3 months. Will i be eligible for BTEA?
    Or does My year in the fetac childcare course (when i was getting BTEA) count as time unemployed? which would therefore add up to over 9 months

    thanks


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    #2
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,062 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Diana21x wrote: »
    Im 22 and have just completed a fetac level 5 childcare course in may. I was in receipt of back to education allowance for that course
    Im hoping to progress to a level 8 new course in university this september.
    The thing is I read you have to be in reciept of jobseekers allowance for 9 months prior to starting a course.
    I have been on jobseekers allowance for the summer since i finished the course but that only adds up to 3 months. Will i be eligible for BTEA?
    Or does My year in the fetac childcare course (when i was getting BTEA) count as time unemployed? which would therefore add up to over 9 months

    thanks
    The best thing to do is speak to your social welfare office

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #3
    Diana21x
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23 ✭Diana21x


    Johnnymcg wrote: »
    The best thing to do is speak to your social welfare office

    I did, and they are even more confused than me! One tells me one story and another tells me a different one :/


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    #4
    Moon Indigo
    Registered Users Posts: 285 ✭✭Moon Indigo


    If you did the childcare course through VTOS for example and were on VTOS payment you should be entitled to it. If it was a PLC I'm not completly certain. My advice is to get it sorted ASAP and you could do this by contacting your local Adult Education Office. They should be in the phonebook or look them up online. Best of luck.


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    #5
    paperclip2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,280 ✭✭✭paperclip2


    Time spent on BTEA, VTOS, FAS courses, CE, etc may be counted towards the nine month period for BTEA eligibility for 3rd level courses. The piece below is taken from the DSP website
    Time spent on BTEA, VTOS, FÁS training courses, Fáilte Ireland Training course, Community Employment schemes, FIT, Rural Social Scheme, Back to Work Allowance, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Short Term Enterprise Allowance, FÁS Job Initiative, Revenue Job Assist, Supplementary Welfare Allowance, in prison or in Direct Provision can count towards the qualifying period. You may go directly from one of the above schemes to Back to Education Allowance provided you were getting one of the qualifying social welfare payments listed above before you started the scheme. You must start your approved course of study within four weeks of leaving the scheme. Otherwise you must be getting a qualifying social welfare payment immediately before starting an approved course of study.
    Link: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/BackToEducation/Pages/ThirdLevelOption.aspx


    I've found that many local office staff aren't up to speed on payments for education so you do need to be persistent. From reading your info unless there was a break in your claim history where you were on neither Jobseekers or BTEA you should be ok to apply for BTEA to progress from Level 5 to Level 8.


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    #6
    Saoirsef
    Registered Users Posts: 80 ✭✭Saoirsef


    Hi,
    I was in the same position and previous vtos and btea study absolutely counts, i finished my course in April and immediately switched back to jobseekers, now i'm working 3 days and signing for the others and i will qualify for btea. Don't worry i have been all over the website, the citizens info are sick of looking at me :p and 4 hatches in the social welfare, you will qualify for btea.

    I know its a panic but try not to worry, you have a greater chance having already been on a payment last year. They DO count that for eligibility, just stay on some kind of payment over summer even if you only sign for 3 days.;)


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    #7
    Diana21x
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23 ✭Diana21x


    paperclip2 wrote: »
    Time spent on BTEA, VTOS, FAS courses, CE, etc may be counted towards the nine month period for BTEA eligibility for 3rd level courses. The piece below is taken from the DSP website


    Link: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/BackToEducation/Pages/ThirdLevelOption.aspx


    I've found that many local office staff aren't up to speed on payments for education so you do need to be persistent. From reading your info unless there was a break in your claim history where you were on neither Jobseekers or BTEA you should be ok to apply for BTEA to progress from Level 5 to Level 8.


    Great thanks so much for taking the time to answer!


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    #8
    Diana21x
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23 ✭Diana21x


    Saoirsef wrote: »
    Hi,
    I was in the same position and previous vtos and btea study absolutely counts, i finished my course in April and immediately switched back to jobseekers, now i'm working 3 days and signing for the others and i will qualify for btea. Don't worry i have been all over the website, the citizens info are sick of looking at me :p and 4 hatches in the social welfare, you will qualify for btea.

    I know its a panic but try not to worry, you have a greater chance having already been on a payment last year. They DO count that for eligibility, just stay on some kind of payment over summer even if you only sign for 3 days.;)

    Nice one! thanks for the advice and for taking the time to answer! :)


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