Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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415. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if greater flexibility will be shown to persons on jobseeker’s allowance and other social welfare payments to help them return to education given the criteria for access to the back to education allowance for recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment regarding the qualifying social welfare payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22839/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at second or third level. My Department has a provision of €96.5m in supports under the BTEA for 2021.

A person wishing to pursue a course of study under the BTEA scheme has to satisfy a number of conditions, including being in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a specified time period, pursuing a full-time course of study leading to a recognised qualification in a recognised college and progressing in the level of education.

The qualifying period for the second-level option is three months while the qualifying period for third-level courses is nine months prior to the date of commencement of the course. This qualifying period has been waived for people coming from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, where they are required to transfer to a Jobseeker's scheme.

The conditions under which the BTEA operate are designed to ensure that they address the objective of supporting longer term social welfare customers into employment.

Any person planning to undertake an education course should engage with their local Intreo Centre to assess the options available to them.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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416. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22951/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There are 3 categories of claimant who may qualify for Jobseeker’s Benefit while partially employed. They are short-time workers, casual workers and part-time workers.

In order to classify a person as either a short-time, part-time or casual work employee, each case is examined on its merits having regard to the person’s employment history, any fluctuation in the number of days worked, the systematic pattern of the work days, the existence of a contract of employment and if the employee is in receipt of a set wage.

In the case referred to by the Deputy, the customer is considered a part-time worker. He is not categorised as a short-time worker as the number of days worked is not systematic i.e. there is no clear repetitive pattern of employment, nor is he categorised as a casual worker given his circumstances including that he has assurance of repeat employment from the same employer. In order to requalify for jobseekers benefit when a claim exhausts benefit, a part-time worker has to satisfy the substantial loss of employment condition.

My officials have examined the cumulative total of days paid in the individual’s claim to date and I am satisfied that the figure recorded in the Department is correct.

The duration of payment for Jobseeker’s Benefit is 9 months (234 days) for people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid. It is paid for 6 months (156 days) for people with fewer than 260 PRSI contributions paid. The Department corresponds with the Jobseekers Benefit recipient in advance of the expiry date of their claim and advises of the option to apply for the means tested Jobseeker's Allowance scheme. Jobseekers Allowance has no duration limit as long as a person meets the qualifying scheme conditions including the means test.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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417. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if upskilling or retraining opportunities are available for a person (details supplied) who has been in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment since March 2020 and is unlikely to return to full-time employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22973/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There are a number of full-time, part-time and online upskilling and retraining options available to the person concerned. In order to discuss his circumstances and progression the person concerned can request an online appointment with a Case Officer by emailing his contact details to the Activation Team in the Tallaght Intreo Centre at ESTallaght@welfare.ie.

It should be noted that some full time training/education options may require the person concerned to move to a qualifying payment (ie, Jobseeker’s payment) whilst others, part-time and online can be accessed while retaining a PUP payment.

I trust this clarifies the matter.