A person wishing to pursue back to education allowance (BTEA) scheme will have to satisfy a number of conditions such as being a certain age, in receipt of a prescribed 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 held by the client with reference to the national framework of qualifications among others.
A waiting period is considered essential given that BTEA confers entitlement to income support for an extended period and avoids establishing a pull factor to the Live Register. It is also considered necessary as it reduces unnecessary provision, for those who will leave the Live Register in any event, in the context of targeting scarce resources at those who need it most.
The qualifying period for the second level option of the scheme has remained at 3 months in recognition of the need for more urgent intervention in the case of people who have not completed formal second level education. With effect from 19th July 2010, the period for which a person is required to be on a qualifying social welfare payment before accessing third level education under the BTEA was reduced from 12 months to 9 months (a 2 year qualifying period continues to apply to participants coming from Illness Benefit). Since 2007, people who are awarded statutory redundancy may access BTEA immediately, provided an entitlement to a relevant social welfare payment is established prior to commencing an approved course of study.
However, if a person wishes to pursue a part time education course they may be able to do so while still obtaining their jobseekers payment. They must apply at their local social welfare office and verify that participation on the course does not reduce their availability for work. In the case of jobseekers benefit, participation on a course does not grant any extension to the normal period for which jobseekers benefit is paid.
At present there are no plans to change the qualifying criteria for the BTEA scheme. However, all employment schemes will continue to be monitored in the context of the objectives of the scheme and the changing economic circumstances.
