Written answers

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Social Welfare Code

9:00 pm

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason the back to education allowance does not cover participants in the labour market activation programme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that participants who start a course in receipt of jobseeker's benefit but who subsequently move to jobseeker's allowance at a reduced rate are faced with financial hardship particularly when they have dependants; if her further attention has been brought to the fact that there is no cost of attendance allowance; and if she will immediately review the terms of the scheme. [1805/10]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department's back to education programme includes the back to education allowance (BTEA) and the part-time education option (PTEO). The back to education allowance is a second chance educational opportunities scheme for people on welfare payments who wish to participate in full time education and who would not other wise be able to do so. The allowance is paid at a standard weekly rate equivalent to the maximum rate of the social welfare payment that qualifies the applicant for the scheme. In addition, an annual cost of education allowance of €500 is payable.

In a joint initiative announced last year between the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority, 1,500 part-time undergraduate places and 1,000 part-time postgraduate places are being provided to people who are unemployed and on the live register for at least 6 months or have an entitlement to statutory redundancy.

A jobseeker who wishes to participate in a part-time course may do so under the Department's part-time education option (PTEO). 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. Approval to undertake a course must be obtained in advance from the local social welfare office.

Participation in a part-time course does not attract any increase in the rate of payment, a cost of education allowance or any extension of the payment period. A participant whose entitlement to jobseeker's benefit ceases during the period on the course is eligible to apply for jobseeker's allowance, entitlement to which is based on a means-test. Someone who qualifies for that allowance at reduced rate would therefore have existing assessable means. In such a case, the combination of the existing means and the reduced rate of jobseeker's allowance awarded would normally exceed the rate payable to a participant who qualifies for maximum rate of jobseeker's allowance.

The back to education programme will continue to be monitored in the light of changing economic circumstances to ensure that it continues to meet its objectives.

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