Back to education scheme rules relaxed

SOCIAL and Family Affairs Minister Seamus Brennan yesterday revealed plans to relax the qualifying rules for back to education allowances for the long-term unemployed.

The change involves a reduction in the time that people must be in receipt of social welfare payments before qualifying for a third-level education scheme.

Under the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) scheme, unemployed people can go back to education through a weekly payment equivalent to unemployment assistance or benefit of €148.80

Up to now, people who wanted to avail of this scheme had to be out of work for 15 months, but Mr Brennan confirmed yesterday that this would be reduced to nine months from September.

Applicants will have to be assessed and approved by FÁS under the National Employment Action Plan. And those who are not taking part in the plan will have their qualifying period reduced from 15 to 12 months.

Participants in the BTEA scheme will also get an increase in their books and material allowance from September - up from €254 to €400.

Mr Brennan said: “The Back to Education scheme has been a career and employment lifeline for thousands of people who could otherwise have found themselves marginalised and struggling to escape from long-term unemployment.”

Former Social and Family Affairs Minister Mary Coughlan drastically cut the scheme in her infamous Savage 16 Budget cuts three years ago. She raised the qualifying unemployment time from six months to 15 and forced BTEA students to sign on during holiday times.

This was challenged in the High Court by a group of 190 BTEA students, who are still awaiting a judicial review of Ms Coughlan’s decision.

The group’s spokesman, Mick Power, yesterday gave Mr Brennan’s new qualifying rules a guarded welcome.

“It is an improvement, but we will pursue our court case demanding that this scheme be extended to all post-graduate students and to stop BTEA students having to sign on during holidays,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael welcomed the change but their education spokesman David Stanton said it was too late for many unemployed to apply for courses for this academic year.

The closing date for CAO applications is in early spring.