Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 October 2017
595. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to cap the amount of hours to eight, ten or 12 hours which BTEA (details supplied) recipients can work without being means tested and whereby hours worked in excess of the expected hours would be means tested; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41872/17]
View answerAll Back to Education Allowance, BTEA, participants, with eligibility based on a qualifying payment, must re-establish their entitlement to the qualifying payment at the beginning of each and subsequent academic year. The conditionality attached to the qualifying payment must be examined at the beginning of each academic year in order for BTEA to be approved.
BTEA participants who engage in part-time work within the academic year have their earnings assessed in accordance with their primary payment while in receipt of BTEA. A BTEA participant may engage in part-time work for more than three days per week without losing their entitlement as long as their average weekly means is below the rate payable, based on their family circumstances. BTEA participants are not permitted to work full-time, as the courses of education supported under BTEA are full-time.
The BTEA is not intended to be an alternative form of funding for people entering or re-entering the third-level education system. The student universal support Ireland, SUSI, grant payable by the Department of Education and Skills represents the primary support for persons pursuing education.
Overall, the priority for my Department is that the BTEA scheme remains focused, targeted and suitable for the needs of jobseekers and of the future skills needs of the economy.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
