Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

860. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider relaxing the length of time a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment in order to apply for the back to education allowance as a means of assisting persons that want to return to education post-Covid-19 return to employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20229/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 main focus of the BTEA is to assist qualifying applicants to improve their educational qualifications and improve their prospects of gaining employment.

During the course of the roadmap to recovery, we are seeing many people in receipt of the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment returning to employment.  This is expected to continue up to the commencement of the 2020/21 academic year. 

As part of the July stimulus package, the Government announced an extension of the BTEA supports to recipients of pandemic unemployment payment to take up education.  The details are currently being worked through by officials in my Department.

I trust this clarifies the matter at this time.