Seán Conlan (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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252. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when her Department implemented an operational change to the Back to Education Scheme for those with a stamp history, who had been made redundant in circumstances where they were originally able to avail of the scheme for the full length of their course, and are now only able to avail of the scheme for nine months; the persons and bodies who effected such a change; if the change is in compliance with the relevant legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20860/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, 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 objective of the scheme is to raise the educational and skill levels to enable jobseekers better access to the emerging needs of the labour market in line with Government activation strategy. A number of changes have been introduced to the operation of the BTEA in recent years to implement the recommendations of the Review of Employment Support Schemes published by the Department in January 2013.

A person who receives statutory redundancy may be granted immediate access to the BTEA, provided they are able to establish an entitlement to a qualifying payment. In general, the value of the BTEA weekly payment is equivalent to the weekly rate on the underlying qualifying payment. A person who receives voluntary redundancy does not have the same entitlement.

A jobseeker who qualified for BTEA based on a jobseekers benefit (JB) payment will receive BTEA for the duration of the JB entitlement only. This change was introduced in 2014 and became operable for all applications received after 1 January 2015. The BTEA payment will only continue in circumstances where an entitlement to one of the other qualifying payments for BTEA can be established. In the case of JB, this will most likely be a jobseeker’s allowance payment.