Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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588. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the expected timeframe for a decision to be made on an application for the back to education allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12919/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department's Back to Education Allowance provides income support for people who wish to pursue second or third level courses.

In advance of commencing a course of education or training, either part-time or full-time, including springboard courses, a person must establish an entitlement to a qualifying social welfare weekly payment, generally a Jobseeker’s payment.

Under the July 2020 Stimulus the Back To Education Allowance has been extended to people who have been in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. A person will be required to transfer from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to the relevant qualifying social welfare scheme to continue to receive income support while availing of full-time education provision.

My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. Currently the average time for award of Jobseekers Benefit is 1 week with 94% of claims processed within 3 weeks and the average time for Jobseekers Allowance is 2 weeks with 96% of applications being processed within 6 weeks.

The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Grant, payable by the Department of Education and Skills, represents the primary support for people pursuing third level education and its administration is a matter for that Department.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.