Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

The back to education allowance scheme is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to remove the barriers to participation in second and third level education by enabling eligible people on social welfare to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that leads to a higher qualification than that already held.

With effect from 19 July 2010, changes have been made to the qualifying conditions of the back to education scheme to reflect the present economic situation. The period for which a person is required to be on a qualifying social welfare payment before accessing BTEA was reduced from 12 months to nine months. A two year qualifying period continues to apply to participants coming from illness benefit. People who are awarded statutory redundancy may access the scheme immediately, provided an entitlement to a relevant social welfare payment is established prior to commencing an approved course of study.

In addition, a person can avail of BTEA to resume studies in a second or subsequent year of a third level course whereas, prior to July, a person could only apply for BTEA if he was commencing year one of a course. This also applies to people who are granted an exemption from a period of the third level course. A person who completed an earlier year or years of his third level course on a part-time basis but is now getting a jobseeker's payment may apply for BTEA to continue the course on a full-time basis.

These enhancements build on other improvements made to the scheme in recent years in response to the changing economic climate. From September 2007, the qualifying period for illness benefit was reduced from three years to two years; from September 2008, the cost of education allowance, which is an additional annual payment made to cover the cost of books and materials, was increased from €400 to €500; and from September 2009, the six month waiting period for those pursuing second level courses was reduced to three months.

A jobseeker who wishes to participate in a part-time course may do so under the Department's part-time education option. Participants may continue to receive their existing social welfare entitlements provided they continue to satisfy all the existing terms and conditions of their jobseeker scheme including availability for work.

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