Budget on BTEA

Procrastastudy

Any info anyone - hearing rumours that its been scrapped. Hopefully not true.

Oh it's just the book allowance thingy - phew.

Shryke

I think the rate of pay has also been effected.

steddyeddy

Is the rate of pay not related to age related reduced payments?

Shryke

steddyeddy wrote: »

Is the rate of pay not related to age related reduced payments?

"The budget factsheet states that the payment you receive will be equalised to the payment you recieved prior to btea"

I'm quoting another poster in a different thread, here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056825177

I don't know details at all yet myself.

steddyeddy

Shryke wrote: »

"The budget factsheet states that the payment you receive will be equalised to the payment you recieved prior to btea"

I'm quoting another poster in a different thread, here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056825177

I don't know details at all yet myself.

Grand thanks unfortunatly I dont qaulify as Im a poor post grad but my brother is on it and I hope it doesnt affect him too much.

paperclip2

From the Dept of Ed website this morning:

Weekly Payments for Education:
Participants on VTOS, Youthreach and FAS further education and training programmes who move from Jobseekers payments will no longer have their new payments increased to the maximum €188 per week, in cases where their Jobseekers allowance is less than this. However, people under 25 will continue to receive a top-up rate of up to €160 per week. While a reduction is necessary, given the difficult economic circumstances, there will still be a financial incentive for young people to take up further education and training opportunities. This measure will be replicated by the Department of Social Protection in respect of the Back to Education Allowance Scheme.

Grants:
As Minister Quinn has already signalled, the student contribution at third level will rise by €250 in 2013 to €2,500 and by €250 for the following two years to a maximum of €3,000 by 2015. The Budget will also see a 3% reduction in the income threshold for entitlement to student grants. This threshold rose every year from 1997 to 2009, in line with average industrial earnings. However, average incomes fell by 7.9% over the past few years but there has been no corresponding decrease in income thresholds for grant purposes since the economic downturn. Minister Quinn has, however, been able to maintain the existing rates of grant support for those qualifying in 2013.

http://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Press-Releases/2012-Press-Releases/PR2012-12-05.html

zzdp

not looking good for people on top up payments this is on welfare.ie today


Back to Education Allowance

• The €300 Cost of Education Allowance payable to Back to Education Allowance participants will be discontinued for new and existing participants. (2013)
• The weekly rate payable to Back to Education Allowance participants will be equalised with their previous social protection payment. (January 2013)
• A standard maximum rate of €160 per week will apply to Back to Education Allowance participants who were previously in receipt of an age-related reduced rate Jobseeker's payment. (January 2013)

Last Updated: 05/12/2012 15:54
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Download the Budget Factsheet (PDF, 380KB)

Scioch

AlfieBear wrote: »

"The weekly rate payable to Back to Education Allowance participants will be equalised with their previous" - is this for new claims only or for everyone?! if its for everyone, i will lose €62 a week :mad:. is this from january? thanks.

How will you lose €62 a week ? €160 will be the payment for those on an age related reduced payment wont it ? The equalising thing only refers to the fact that those not on full Jobseekers not getting full BTEA, not that your BTEA will be the same as your Jobseekers.

Thats how I understand it anyway, but I am open to correction.

Edit to add. I dont think your current payment will be affected either. The change will just be effective for new applicants from January.

AlfieBear

Scioch wrote: »

How will you lose €62 a week ? €160 will be the payment for those on an age related reduced payment wont it ? The equalising thing only refers to the fact that those not on full Jobseekers not getting full BTEA, not that your BTEA will be the same as your Jobseekers.

Thats how I understand it anyway, but I am open to correction.

Ok thanks! Maybe I'm picking it up wrong! I thought it meant BTEA €188 would be reduced to your previous jobseekers payment, €126 in my case. I'm a mature student & not sure what age related reduced payment means.

Just saw on above post that age related is for under 25's?

THANKS FOR THE INFO SCIOCH! Checked citizens advice & it is for new applicants! Phew ðŸ˜.

Scioch

AlfieBear wrote: »

Ok thanks! Maybe I'm picking it up wrong! I thought it meant BTEA €188 would be reduced to your previous jobseekers payment, €126 in my case. I'm a mature student & not sure what age related reduced payment means.

Just saw on above post that age related is for under 25's?

I'm not sure about the age related payments but I think its under 25 yeah, there are a few different age related payments. Previously everyone on BTEA regardless of age or welfare just got the 188. Now only those who got 188 on Jobseekers will get it. All the rest will get the 160 as far as I can tell.

AlfieBear

Scioch wrote: »

I'm not sure about the age related payments but I think its under 25 yeah, there are a few different age related payments. Previously everyone on BTEA regardless of age or welfare just got the 188. Now only those who got 188 on Jobseekers will get it. All the rest will get the 160 as far as I can tell.

Great, thanks again!

zzdp

AlfieBear wrote: »

Ok thanks! Maybe I'm picking it up wrong! I thought it meant BTEA €188 would be reduced to your previous jobseekers payment, €126 in my case. I'm a mature student & not sure what age related reduced payment means.

Just saw on above post that age related is for under 25's?

THANKS FOR THE INFO SCIOCH! Checked citizens advice & it is for new applicants! Phew ðŸ˜.

this is the case for new people applying for back to eduction allowance in 2013. people applying in 2013 that are over 25 on a reduced payment will not receive the top-up to 188.

the difference being,for example at present, if your on 80 Euro unemployment allowance a week, due to mean test, this would go up to 188 if you went on back to eduction, reducing ,to 80 Euro for the summer months and then going back up to the full rate when in college for the duration of the course.

I rang welfare the told me that the old system of payments will continue for the duration of ones course for existing participants.

the changes are only for new participants appling in 2013

AlfieBear

zzdp wrote: »

this is the case for new people applying for back to eduction allowance in 2013. people applying in 2013 that are over 25 on a reduced payment will not receive the top-up to 188.

the difference being,for example at present, if your on 80 Euro unemployment allowance a week, due to mean test, this would go up to 188 if you went on back to eduction, reducing ,to 80 Euro for the summer months and then going back up to the full rate when in college for the duration of the course.

I rang welfare the told me that the old system of payments will continue for the duration of ones course for existing participants.

the changes are only for new participants appling in 2013

thanks zzdp! appreciate that

paperclip2

The qualified adult dependents eligibility criteria are under review at the moment and may not be clarified until February.

W86indow

the whole budget is disgusting , the cut of 300e is ridiculous , ya alot of students buy laptops out of it or what ever they need
and rurari quinn is the biggest LIAR EVER

he signed a document in trinity college to say he would not put up the fees

whatever about us being cut ,,,,, the carers cut is an absolute disgrace

how can they do it and get away with it

robbing the poor to feed the rich

fags could have gone up by 60 cent why didnt they put them up they would have got millions and they could have cut everyones dole by 2euro
i would be happy to have my 188e cut by 2e

if i knew that he savings would provide much needed care , the carers payment didnt get cut just their lump sum payment
but they should be entitled to that and do what they like with it
this country is screwd im

Procrastastudy

W86indow wrote: »

the whole budget is disgusting , the cut of 300e is ridiculous , ya alot of students buy laptops out of it or what ever they need
and rurari quinn is the biggest LIAR EVER

he signed a document in trinity college to say he would not put up the fees

whatever about us being cut ,,,,, the carers cut is an absolute disgrace

how can they do it and get away with it

robbing the poor to feed the rich

fags could have gone up by 60 cent why didnt they put them up they would have got millions and they could have cut everyones dole by 2euro
i would be happy to have my 188e cut by 2e

if i knew that he savings would provide much needed care , the carers payment didnt get cut just their lump sum payment
but they should be entitled to that and do what they like with it
this country is screwd im

While it's fairly clear you need a new laptop with the 'shift' ',' and '.' keys broken on yours; I actually don't have an issue with the lump sum payments going. BTEA is for full time students - if that means we have to spend 9 hours a day in college to use books out of the library and the computers in the college rather than buying our own - I think it's a small price to pay.

W86indow

Procrastastudy wrote: »

While it's fairly clear you need a new laptop with the 'shift' ',' and '.' keys broken on yours; I actually don't have an issue with the lump sum payments going. BTEA is for full time students - if that means we have to spend 9 hours a day in college to use books out of the library and the computers in the college rather than buying our own - I think it's a small price to pay.

My friends do forensics in lit and i have friends doing art courses where the materials fee is 500 approx where are they supposed to pull that from???? Im saying in general students use the book allowance for a laptop which they do bloody need our college does not even heat the library and people talk in the library so in my opinion people get more work done at home i use my book allowance for rent and im dam glad of it !!! By cutting this allowance they are putting certain students in a clear disadvantage . I chose lit because i knew i would not be put under pressure to buy expensive books but what about the students on courses that need them????? Im in 3rd year now the book allowance was a great help to me even i didn't have a huge material budget , i feel sorry for people like you ...you have no comprehension of what this cut or any cut is to students like me working 7 day weeks to go to college and keep the roof over my head and do something good with my life , a cut is a cut !!!!! Dont get me started on the fees going up., <Post Edited by Mod>

paperclip2

Lads, keep it civil. Attack the post not the poster. Personal digs aren't clever. Procrastastudy less of the smart comments please. Warning has been issued.

Procrastastudy

I would normally simply apologise and not not respond further but as we've both had our heads bashed together I will break a habit and do both.

Firstly sorry I didn't mean to offend.

Many of the points you've raised are pretty minor. A good set of (cheap but ones that don't leak noise) solves talking in the library; as does turning to them and saying 'be quiet'.

Point taken that certain courses need materials. That said the money shouldn't have been used for rent and so forth - a laptop as I said is hardly a necessity.

On the point of not knowing what it's like: You have no idea of my person circumstances putting that aside it's not unreasonable to expect cuts in something like the BTEA and grant in the current economic climate. We are absolutely blessed here - the fees in the UK are now around £7-9K a year. The US is bonkers money. The €500 and the €300 for students was, in my opinion, a step too far.

You are, of course, welcome to your own opinion. Sorry again for any offence.

W86indow

In my opinion a laptop is a necessity for college , you can never get a free computer to use in the college when you need one , i havent got the book allowance yet this year but i saved my ass off and bought a good one this year i was using a 6 year old one that i had to keep plugged in all the time not very practical, i do programming also not to mind the numerous assignments i was able to do at home it was great .

I think you are referring to headphones or earplugs i can never listen to music and study and ear plugs hurt my ears and give me headaches and if you told someone to be quiet they are more likely to laugh or shout at you in my library its actually got worse this year i used to spend alot of evenings in there in 1st anf 2nd year but its gotten really bad dis year for some reason

300 to you might be nothing but its alot for someone else yes we are lucky to be in the country we are in regarding cost of education fees etc

however if they increased cigarettes by 1 euro they would have saved and why didnt they tax beer??? if they took 2euro off everyones dole 450000 peeps including me and you they would have saved more than cutting the respite allowance for 70000 carers i think approx thats the numbers .

understandably our 300 cost of education allowance has been cut , but in addition the student assistance has been cut or i think even scrapped for 2013.

i just dont think its fair they cut carers and child benefit , they wont touch their own pensions of course
but even worse they cut the telephone allowance from 25.00 to 22.59 to 9.50 this year !!!! whatever about the unemployed line rental should be free for everyone over 70 . im disgusted with a government who. puts our elderly at risk i will never ever vote for them i used to think i was for labour and fair play to james heffernan last night voting no a man with an actual conscience .

i do get your point that yes we are not the most vunerable in society and 300cut is possibly manageable for some of us , but there isnt another system for students to get materials like il find out the actual figure for you but forensics deffo require 500 approx at start of year for their materials

am292

I am that "new applicant". I had planned on going from my current VTOS course to a degree course getting the BTEA in 2013. I think there should be some sort of waiver to the change being brought in for people that have been training towards going on to a higher qualification, now to find out I can't afford to go on next year. I am utterly devastated. I am a 30 year old mother of 3, I finally felt like I was getting on the road to a better life. I'm sure there are a lot of students in a similar position to me.

Procrastastudy

am292 wrote: »

I am that "new applicant". I had planned on going from my current VTOS course to a degree course getting the BTEA in 2013. I think there should be some sort of waiver to the change being brought in for people that have been training towards going on to a higher qualification, now to find out I can't afford to go on next year. I am utterly devastated. I am a 30 year old mother of 3, I finally felt like I was getting on the road to a better life. I'm sure there are a lot of students in a similar position to me.

You might have a legitimate expectations argument. Get writing.

am292

Procrastastudy wrote: »

You might have a legitimate expectations argument. Get writing.

A lengthy e-mail has been sent to Joan Burton. I intend to send more, thanks for the glimmer of hope!

Procrastastudy

am292 wrote: »

A lengthy e-mail has been sent to Joan Burton. I intend to send more, thanks for the glimmer of hope!

Dont send e-mails - always letters.

am292

Procrastastudy wrote: »

Dont send e-mails - always letters.

I have always received replies previously using e-mail, I will definitely follow up with a letter, and maybe a petition from classmates and teachers.

Procrastastudy

am292 wrote: »

I have always received replies previously using e-mail, I will definitely follow up with a letter, and maybe a petition from classmates and teachers.

I wouldnt do a petition. Letters lots of letters quietly trying to get yourself a quiet exception.