Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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228. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will amend the back to education scheme to allow for recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment, especially those with former employers that closed down (details supplied), to retain the same level of payment if they return to education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30615/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and certain others in receipt of social welfare payments who pursue full-time courses of education at second or third level.

The BTEA has been extended as part of the July Stimulus in response to Covid-19. Ordinarily a person must be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a minimum period before being eligible to apply for the BTEA when pursuing training or education. The qualifying period has been waived for people on coming from the PUP. This ensures that those who have lost their employment during the pandemic have immediate access to a range of educational options.

In order to avail of continued financial support while pursuing a full-time course, a person in receipt of the PUP should apply for a jobseeker payment. The BTEA is payable at the jobseekers rate. Whereas the PUP is short term in nature and scheduled to cease at the end of March 2021, the Back to Education Allowance may provide longer term income support depending on the individuals circumstances.

Where someone in receipt of PUP wishes to pursue part-time study they can continue to receive PUP while they continue to satisfy the conditions of that payment.

Any person seeking to return to education should engage with their local Intreo Centre to assess their options.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.