Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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117. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the circumstances under which a person may retain his or her social welfare payment while receiving back to education allowance. [49680/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department of Social Protection provides a number of options to support second chance education under its Back to Education Programme to support Government policy on activation in Pathways to Work. This programme consists of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) Scheme, a Part-time education option and an option to support jobseekers to access shorter duration education, training and development opportunities. Courses of education can range from basic foundation courses through to degree level and limited postgraduate courses.

BTEA is designed to support full-time second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue approved education courses that leads to a higher qualification than that already held and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study, subject to conditions. BTEA covers full-time second level courses and third level courses to higher diploma level (level 8 in the national framework of qualifications).

In order to qualify for the BTEA a jobseeker must attend a full-time course of study at second or third level leading to a progression of qualifications held by the person in a recognised college, be a specific age and be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a specified period of time. Detailed information on BTEA and the other options referred to are available on my Department's website, www.welfare.ie or by contacting one of the Department's offices.