Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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210. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the back to education allowance to €188 for persons under 26 years of age. [20299/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments that pursue courses of education at second or third level. The value of the BTEA weekly payment is equivalent to the weekly rate on the underlying qualifying payment, except in the case of jobseekers who are on an age-related jobseeker allowance payment. Jobseekers who on such payments receive a weekly payment of €160 if approved for BTEA, subject for any deductions for means.

The Department estimates that some 6,000 jobseekers are currently in receipt of an age- related BTEA payment. The cost of increasing the rate of the allowance from €160 to €188 per week (an increase of €28 per week for each affected participant) would be of the order of €6.6m per year.