Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

The back to education allowance, BTEA, 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 certain social welfare payments to continue to receive a payment while pursuing an approved full-time education course that leads to a higher qualification than that already held.

The number of participants engaged with the BTEA has grown steadily in recent years. In the 2010-11 academic year there were 25,032 participants costing just under €200 million, which represented an increase of 20.3% on the previous year and which comprised 20,808 participants. The 2009-10 academic year saw a dramatic increase of 79% on the previous year. As of 30 September 2011, there were 18,440 participants availing of the scheme. Final figures for the current academic year are not yet available as claims are still being processed. However, it is expected that the participation level will increase this year. The budget for BTEA in 2011 is €198.8 million, which represents an increase of over 10% on 2010 expenditure which was €179.85 million.

A person who wants to pursue BTEA will have to satisfy a number of conditions. These include being a certain age; being in receipt of a prescribed social welfare payment for a specified time period; pursuing a full-time course of study leading to a recognised qualification in a recognised college; and progressing in the level of education held by the client with reference to the national framework of qualifications, among others.

In general, to qualify an applicant must be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment and be at least 21 years of age, or 24 years in the case of post graduate courses, prior to commencing an approved course of study. However, lone parents and persons in receipt of jobseekers payments can qualify at 18 years of age provided they are out of formal education for at least two years.

The qualifying period for the second level option of the scheme has remained at three months, in recognition of the need for more urgent intervention in the case of people who have not completed formal second level education. With effect from 19 July 2010, the period for which a person is required to be on a qualifying social welfare payment before accessing third level education under the BTEA was reduced from 12 months to nine. A two year qualifying period continues to apply to participants claiming illness benefit. Since 2007, people who are awarded statutory redundancy may access the BTEA immediately, provided an entitlement to a relevant social welfare payment is established prior to commencing an approved course of study.

A waiting period is considered essential given that the BTEA confers an entitlement to income support for an extended period and avoids establishing a pull factor to the live register. It is also considered necessary as it reduces unnecessary provision for those who will leave the live register in any event, in the context of targeting scarce resources at those who need it most.

State support for education purposes is grounded on the principle of a student progressing from one qualification level to a higher one. This is necessary to ensure displacement does not occur, in that courses could be offered to students who are not progressing at the cost of students progressing from a lower education level. It should be noted that in the 2010-11 academic year, of the 25,032 participants supported through the BTEA, 43% pursued second level courses. Furthermore, the scheme was never intended to be an alternative form of funding for people entering or re-entering the third level education system.

However, there are options for those who wish to pursue part-time education courses. I do not know if this might be of assistance to Deputy O'Mahony's constituent but he might be able to do so while retaining his jobseeker's payment. He must apply at his local social welfare office and verify that participation in the course does not reduce his availability for work.

In the case of jobseeker's benefit, participation on a course does not grant any extension to the normal period for which jobseeker's benefit is paid. It should also be noticed that the Springboard initiative, administered by the Department of Education and Skills, which was announced as part of the Government's jobs initiative, is aimed at unemployed people with a previous history of employment who already hold a higher level qualification at NFQ levels 6 to 9 who may also require additional upskilling or re-skilling to enter employment. By way of the part-time education option, unemployed people on jobseeker's payments will be facilitated in retaining their payment subject to continuing entitlement within the broader back to education framework. The BTEA, in conjunction with other employment support schemes, will be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure it continues to meet its objectives.

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