Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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475. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a back to education allowance application by a person (details supplied) has been refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40635/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned is currently in receipt of Illness Benefit (credits only) since 01 November 2017. He was in receipt of Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) from 7 November 2017 until 12 September 2018. His SWA claim was suspended on 12 September as he commenced full time education and accordingly not entitled to SWA.

The person concerned did not make an application to participate on the Back to Education Allowance Scheme. However, for Illness Benefit customers to qualify for BTEA they must be in receipt of Illness Benefit / Illness Benefit (credits only) for a period of at least two years. The person concerned has been on Illness Benefit for less than 1 year.

The customer attended the CWS Clinic on 4 October 2018 where he submitted a letter from Limerick Institute of Technology confirming that he had withdrawn from the course. The suspension on his SWA payment has been lifted and backdated to 13 September 2018.