Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Dec 2003

Vol. 576 No. 1

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Seymour Crawford

Question:

65 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reasons behind her decision to increase the unemployment period for eligibility for the back to education allowance from six months to 15 months; the persons whom she consulted prior to this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29044/03]

Ciarán Cuffe

Question:

127 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the numbers of those who apply for back to education allowance who will be affected by the change in qualification criteria from six to 15 months unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29015/03]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 65 and 127 together.

The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities programme designed to encourage and facilitate certain groups who are receiving social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active workforce.

At present, to qualify for participation an applicant must be, among other things, in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for at least six months. The qualifying period will be increased from six months to 15 months for new applicants intending to commence third level courses of study, with effect from September 2004.

One of the factors that influenced me in taking this approach is the concern that some people are going on the live register for six months or so specifically to qualify for the back to education allowance. The scheme is intended primarily to assist people with a history of long-term dependence on social welfare. It is not intended to be a parallel third level grant scheme for people who were already planning to study at third level. It is estimated, based on the numbers who actually came forward for the scheme in the 2002-03 academic year, that up to 1,200 people who might otherwise have qualified for the scheme in 2004 will not now qualify.

The qualifying condition will remain at six months for people who wish to pursue a second level qualification. Time spent pursuing a second level course with the assistance of the back to education scheme will count towards meeting the 15 months qualification condition for the third level option.

Participants already pursuing third level courses of study with the assistance of the scheme will not be affected by this change. The change affects people who have been unemployed for fewer than 15 months and who wish to start claiming the allowance in order to pursue a third level qualification.

I have decided to restructure the back to education allowance in this way to ensure that this support retains its focus on the more vulnerable groups in our community, particularly people who do not have a second level education qualification and who are at risk of becoming dependent on social welfare payments on a long-term basis.

I want to ensure that available resources are aimed at those in greatest need of an intervention to prevent them from drifting into long-term unemployment. This change recognises the more urgent need for intervention in the case of people who have not completed formal second level education.

The total number of participants on the back to education allowance scheme for the 2002-03 academic year was 6,473 of whom 4,968 were pursuing third level courses of study. The remaining 1,505 participants pursued a second level course of study.