The Labour Market Activation Fund (LMAF) is an education initiative administered by the Department of Education and Skills that offers free training and education places to certain jobseekers. Participants on programmes eligible for LMAF support must be in receipt of an unemployment payment for a period of at least three consecutive months before joining the programmes (time spent on training or education programmes will be reckonable for this three-month period).
Participants of full-time LMAF courses may qualify for this Department's back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme subject to eligibility criteria being met. BTEA is a second chance educational opportunities scheme for people on certain welfare payments who wish to participate in full time education and who would not otherwise be able to do so. BTEA is payable at a standard weekly rate equivalent to the maximum rate for the scheme from which the unemployed person transfers. It is paid for the duration of a course subject to BTEA rules being met.
Participants of part-time LMAF courses may qualify for the part-time education option (PTEO) available under the jobseeker schemes. The PTEO enables unemployed persons to attend part-time courses of education or training and retain their jobseekers allowance or jobseekers benefit provided they continue to satisfy the conditions of the jobseeker scheme, including being available for and genuinely seeking employment.
Under the PTEO, payment continues for the duration of the jobseeker's claim. A person on jobseekers benefit who exhausts his/her benefit will have to apply for jobseekers allowance in the normal way. Jobseekers allowance is subject to a means test which takes account of spouse's earnings. Participating in a LMAF course does not confer any additional or extended entitlement to a social welfare payment.
I am informed by the Department of Education and Skills that decisions made by participants to withdraw from programmes on the basis of discontinuation of their welfare payments are individual decisions outside the control of the projects concerned. In the time available it is not possible for the Department of Education and Skills to supply a full breakdown of the number of participants leaving courses citing discontinuation of welfare payments as the reason for their withdrawal. However, initial responses from programme providers indicate that a small number of participants have given this as a reason for leaving courses. The Department of Education and Skills have advised me that it will forward the full breakdown to the Deputy in due course.
