Written answer
Social Welfare Eligibility
The Minister outlined BTEA, PTEO and ET&D schemes preserving welfare payments during education or training, plus Training Support Grants; apprenticeships fall under another minister.
96. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures are being taken to ensure that social welfare recipients can transition into further education, apprenticeships and training programmes without suffering a loss of income that would discourage participation. [66712/26]
Comment on this
The Back to Education Allowance scheme (BTEA) is an educational opportunities scheme for customers in receipt of certain social welfare payments wishing to pursue second or third level courses of education, subject to meeting the qualifying conditions.
The objective is to raise educational and skills levels to enable them to have better access to labour market needs.
The BTEA scheme has three strands:
Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) – support available to complete a full-time course of study.
Part-Time Education Option (PTEO) – allow a person to retain their Jobseeker’s payment while undertaking a part-time course of study.
Education, Training and Development Option (ET&D) – allow a person to retain their Jobseeker’s payment while undertaking courses of study of short duration.
The Back to Education Allowance can be currently used for an extensive range of courses. The only restriction regarding the course of study being pursued is that it must lead to a qualification that is either recognised by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) or awarded by the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).
Back to Education Allowance is paid at the same rate as the qualifying primary payment.
Additionally, a Cost of Education allowance of €500 per academic year is payable to BTEA customers who are in a full-time day course with a qualified child payment on their claim.
In addition to the Back to Education Allowance, the Training Support Grant (TSG) helps jobseekers access short-term training, renew certifications or permits, and address specific skills gaps that are preventing them from taking up an identified job opportunity. Where a Case Officer has identified an immediate training need linked to employment, financial support of up to €1,000 per year may be provided. The grant is paid directly to the training provider.
Responsibility for apprenticeships sit with my colleague, the Minister for Further and Higher Education.