- What is the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA)?
- What are the study options?
- How do I qualify for BTEA?
- How do I apply?
- How is the Allowance paid?
- What is the Cost of Education Allowance
- Do you monitor the Allowance
- Can I appeal againist a decision?
1. What is the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA)?
The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is a scheme for unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities who are getting certain payments from the Department of Social Protection.
The allowance can be paid to people who wish to do or take approved second or third level courses of education. BTEA is not an unemployment payment. Participants get a standard rate of payment which is not means tested. If you are signing for unemployment credits or submitting medical certificates for illness credits, you may apply to take part in the scheme.
2. What are the study options?
There are two study options under the scheme:
You can attend a second level course of education at any community, comprehensive, secondary or vocational school.
The course must be:
- full-time, and
- lead to a certificate recognised by the Department of Education and Skills, or
- lead to a certificate approved by the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC), or
- lead to a certificate approved by the Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC).
Courses include the Junior Certificate, Leaving Certificate, Post Leaving Certificate (PLC), City and Guilds Certificate or a National Diploma (BTEC).
Also, full-time third level Foundation or Access courses of education are recognised under the Second Level Option of the BTEA scheme.
Third Level Option
You can take a third level course at any university, third level college or institution as long as it is:
- a full-time day course, and
- approved by the Department of Education and Skills for the
- Higher Education Grant Scheme,
- Vocational Education Committee's Scholarship Scheme, or
- Third Level Maintenance Grant Scheme for Trainees, or
- recognised by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC).
Note:
The postgraduate option of the BTEA scheme is only for people who wish to take:
- a postgraduate course of study that leads to any Higher Diploma (H. Dip.) qualification in any discipline, or
- a postgraduate Diploma in Education (Primary or Secondary teaching).
Other postgraduate qualifications including a Master's degree are not recognised for BTEA purposes.
You will not get the BTEA if you already hold a postgraduate qualification.
The BTEA is for a wide range of people who might want to return to education, so people qualify in different ways, depending on their age and circumstances.
One way to qualify for BTEA is if you have claimed Illness Benefit for two years or more.
Another way to qualify is if you:
- are aged at least 21, or
- are aged at least 24 if you want to do postgraduate study, and
- getting one of the following for at least,
- 3 months (78 days of unemployment) for the Second Level Option
- 9 months (234 days of unemployment) for the Third Level Option
- Jobseeker's Allowance or Benefit,
- Farm Assist,
- One-Parent Family Payment,
- Deserted Wife's Allowance or Benefit,
- Widow's or Widower's Contributory or Non-Contributory Pension,
- Prisoner's Wife's Allowance, or
- Carer's Allowance.
You can also qualify for BTEA if you:
- are aged at least 18, or
- are aged at least 24 if you want to do postgraduate study, and
- getting one of the following for at least,
- 3 months (78 days of unemployment) for the Second Level Option
- 9 months (234 days of unemployment) for the Third Level Option
- Blind Pension,
- Disability Allowance,
- Invalidity Pension, or
- Incapacity Supplement (based on a life Disablement Pension).
Note:
For Jobseeker's claims, the duration of claims are counted in number of days of unemployment. However, Sundays are not counted as a day of unemployment.
Persons awarded Statutory Redundancy under Irish legislation may have immediate access to the BTEA scheme, (or within one year) of the award of the Statutory Redundancy, provided an entitlement to a relevant Social Welfare payment is established prior to commencing an approved course of study.
Note:
- Time spent on BTEA, VTOS, Full-time FÁS/Fáilte Ireland Training course, Youthreach, FIT, Community Employment Schemes, Social Economy Programme, Rural Social Scheme, Back to Work Enterprise Scheme, Short Term Enterprise Scheme, FÁS Job Initiative or Job Assist may 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.
- Time spent on Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) or Direct Provision from the Health Service Executive can count towards the qualifying period for BTEA provided an entitlement to a relevant social welfare payment is established before starting the course of education.
- Time spent on Illness Benefit can count towards the qualifying period, as long as at least 50% of the qualifying period was spent on the relevant social welfare payment that actually qualifies you to take part in the BTEA scheme.
- Time spent in prison can be taken, or count towards the qualifying period for BTEA, provided an underlying entitlement to a relevant social welfare payment is established prior to starting an approved course of education.
- If you qualify for 'credited contributions', you will continue to get 'credits' while you are on BTEA.
- You must be starting your course at year one.
However, you can apply if you:
- Did not complete your course and are returning to the second or subsequent year of your course.
- Are exempt from part of your course because of a qualification you received in a previous course. For example, you have a higher certificate in a course that you now wish to pursue to degree level.
- Completed some of your course as a parttime student, but are now getting a jobseeker's payment and will continue your course on a full-time basis.
For current information on the schemes qualifying conditions, please contact your local Social Welfare Office or:
Back to Education Schemes
Department of Social Protection
Social Welfare Services
Government Buildings
Shannon Lodge
Carrick-on-Shannon
Co. Leitrim.
Tel: 071 96 72698
BTEA for Qualified Adults
If you are the qualified adult of a person who can claim BTEA, you can qualify for BTEA in your own right. You will get an allowance equal to the maximum standard personal rate of the relevant social welfare payment your spouse or partner is getting, provided you are a qualified adult for the required qualifying period immediately before starting the course. You will also get the annual Cost of Education Allowance. Both partners can get BTEA while taking an approved course.
4. How do I apply?
You should contact your local second or third level school or college to get details of their courses. They will also advise you on how to get a place on the course of your choice. Remember, only you can get a place on the course of your choice. We cannot help you to do this. When you have been accepted on a course, notify us by filling in the form BTE 1.
Applications for BTEA must be made prior to commencement of an approved course but late applications will be accepted if received within 30 days of the commencement date of the course, provided there are reasonable grounds for doing so.
The social welfare payment you get indicates where you should send the completed form BTE 1.
- If you are getting:
- One-Parent Family Payment,
- Deserted Wife's Benefit or Allowance,
- Widow's or Widower's Pension,
- Prisoner's Wife's Allowance, or
- Blind Pension
send the completed BTE 1 form to:
Department of Social Protection
Social Welfare Services
College Road
Sligo.
- If you are getting:
- Jobseeker's Allowance, Jobseeker's Benefit, Farm Assist or One-Parent Family Payment payable from your local Social Welfare Office
return the completed BTE 1 to your local Social Welfare Office.
- If you are getting:
- Disability Allowance,
- Invalidity Pension,
- Incapacity Supplement, or
- Carer's Allowance
send the completed BTE 1 form to:
Department of Social Protection
Social Welfare Services
Ballinalee Road
Longford.
- If you are getting Illness Benefit for at least two years, send the completed BTE 1 form to the:
Back to Education Schemes
Department of Social Protection
Social Welfare Services
Government Buildings
Shannon Lodge
Carrick-on-Shannon
Co. Leitrim.
5. How is the Allowance paid?
Back to Education Allowance is paid at a personal rate. If you are currently getting a reduced rate of payment (because you have means assessed against you, or you only qualify for a reduced rate of benefit), you qualify for a higher weekly rate of BTEA. The allowance includes increases for a Qualified Adult and Qualified Children, where applicable. The rate of payment is affected only by changes in the Budget each year and changes in qualified adult or qualified child status.
The allowance is paid instead of the social welfare payment that entitled you to take part in the BTEA scheme.
You can get Back to Education Allowance direct to your account in a financial institution. This account must be a current or deposit savings account not a mortgage account.
Note:
- If you were previously getting an unemployment payment, the allowance is paid during the academic year only. It is not paid for the summer period between academic years.
- BTEA participants who cannot find a job during the summer may claim an unemployment payment, but only if they satisfy the usual qualifying conditions.
- If you are going on to the next year of your course or moving to a higher qualification, you will get your BTEA again from the start of the new academic year regardless of whether you got an unemployment payment for the summer.
- If you finish one course, but intend moving to a higher qualification in the following academic year, you must re-apply for BTEA. The allowance is not paid between courses.
- Your BTEA payment may affect any Maintenance Grant - please check 'www.education.ie' for details.
6. What is the Cost of Education Allowance?
If you qualify for the Back to Education Allowance you may also be entitled to an annual allowance towards the cost of your studies. This allowance is paid once we receive written confirmation from your school or college of your registration on your course, at the start of each academic year and is currently €500.
Secondary benefits
You may keep any secondary benefits you already have such as Fuel Allowance, Diet Supplement, Rent Supplement or Mortgage Interest Supplement (Any increase in income may affect your Rent or Mortgage Interest Supplement), under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme.
Earnings from part-time employment do not affect the basic BTEA payment. However, any income which you or your spouse or partner get, is assessable for Rent or Mortgage Interest Supplement.
Contact your Community Welfare Officer to see how your Rent or Mortgage Interest Supplement may be affected.
7. Do you monitor the Allowance?
Yes, you must submit a letter from registrars/admissions office confirming that you have registered as a full-time day student or started the course and that you attend it. You will have to supply this information before you can get any payment. During the academic year, you may have to give confirmation that you are still taking part in the course.
BTEA is not an unemployment payment and participants are not required to 'sign on'.
The prior approval of the Department must always be sought by Jobseeker's Allowance and Jobseeker's Benefit recipients for participating on any course of education. Failure to seek this approval may result in an overpayment and possible prosecution. Please note that if you cease your course of education you should notify the Department immediately. If you re-apply for any social welfare payment, you must fulfil the qualifying conditions for the scheme. These include disclosure of all earnings and other income.
8. Can I appeal against a decision?
The Back to Education Allowance is a non-statutory scheme and, as such, if you disagree with a decision on your application you do not have a right to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
However, you can request (in writing) a review of your case by the officer in charge of the relevant local Social Welfare Office or section, enclosing any new evidence in support of your request for a review.