Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that persons in receipt of back to education allowances are not cut off due to the fact that they cannot be permanently registered with their third level colleges because of the delays in approving grant applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49935/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The back to education allowance (BTEA) is a second chance education opportunities scheme that enables those in receipt of 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.

While provisional approval for BTEA may issue to an applicant, in order to award and put a BTEA claim into payment, certain information must be provided by the applicant. This includes written confirmation from the relevant institute of education that the applicant has registered as a full-time day student pursuing a full time course of study. This confirmation should also include details of the course of study as outlined in their application and the start and finish date of the course in the current academic year. Offices of the Department dealing with BTEA claims are aware of delays in approving student grant applications and are taking this into account in dealing with BTEA applications.