The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to encourage and facilitate people who have been unemployed for a certain period and others to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active workforce.
One of the conditions for receipt of the back to education allowance is that a person must be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for at least six months, or 156 days, prior to commencing an approved course of study.
The person concerned was initially refused participation in the back to education allowance scheme on the grounds that she did not satisfy the above condition.
However, on further examination of her record of previous unemployment, her application is now being awarded.