# BTEA questions



## Ion (17 Apr 2011)

Hi, I'm wondering if you can help. I hope this is in the right place.

I'm hoping to return to college in September as a mature student, I don't qualify for BTEA because I am not receiving any welfare payments. My husband is working, if he were to be made redundant after I had already begun the course, would I then be able to apply for BTEA for the following year as his qualified adult? Or would I not be eligible because I had already completed a year of the course?

And also, if he were to be made redundant while I was in full time education, does this mean that we would not qualify for rent allowance because I would be studying full time?

Thanks


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## pudds (17 Apr 2011)

If you haven't all ready have a look at the link below.



> *Spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can qualify for BTEA*
> 
> You may qualify for BTEA if you are not getting a social welfare payment but your spouse/civil partner/cohabitant is getting an Increase for a Qualified Adult in their social welfare payment for you. To qualify your spouse/civil partner/cohabitant *must* have an entitlement to BTEA and be getting an Increase for a Qualified Adult in his/her social welfare payment for you as an adult dependant for the required amount of time - see 'Rules' below.
> If you qualify for BTEA because you are an adult dependant, you will get the same social welfare payment as your spouse/civil partner/cohabitant but at the maximum standard personal rate. Your spouse/civil partner/cohabitant will keep his/her entitlement to his/her personal rate of payment. You will also qualify for the annual Cost of Education Allowance.
> If you get the Back to Education Allowance your spouse/civil partner/cohabitant can still keep his/her ent



http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...to_education/back_to_education_allowance.html


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## Ildánach (27 Apr 2011)

There is a general rule that you must be starting the first year of a course to be eligible for BTEA, although there are exceptions to this:

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/bte_all.aspx

*



			1.12.8 Relaxation of the first year of an approved course of study:
		
Click to expand...

*


> The condition that applicants must be commencing the first year of an  approved full-time course to access the BTEA is being relaxed, subject  to fulfilling the other scheme conditions, to allow access after the  first year of a course to:
> 
> 
> Applicants who have been granted an exemption by the  college/course provider based on a previous course or on life  experience.
> ...


You should be able to make a case to them to get on to the BTEA, as every case is consdered on its own merits.



If you don't get onto the BTEA you may have a difficulty in receiving rent allowance if your husband loses his job.  You certainly couldn't apply for rent allowance while in full-time education (without being on the BTEA), although there is nothing to stop your husband applying for it if he is not in full-time education.  Individual CWOs may  may not be happy paying rent supplement in respect of someone who is disqualified because of being a student, but there is nothing against this in the rules as long as the main claimant is not in full-time education.


Of course, if you do get on the BTEA, there shouldn't be a problem getting rent supplement.

Just to let you know as well, that if you had been signing for credits, that you could have been eligible for BTEA.  This doesn't give you an entitlement to the weekly payment, but would give you the book grant, and if you became eligible for a social welfare payment, eg. if your husband lost his job, then you could then be eligible for the weekly payment as well.

You should therefore look into the possibility of signing for credits.  If you let us know when you last made any PRSI contributions someone should be able to advise you on whether you can sign for credits at this stage.


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## VioletWex (26 Feb 2012)

Hi.
I'm doing Fetac Level 5 course now and getting BTEA.
When I started this course I was told that I have to pay 150 € as a registration fee, but now at the end of the course my coordinator told me that I have to pay 200 € more, but she didn't explain why.
 I thought that all the course related charges would be cover by Social Welfare, because I'm getting BTEA.
Does anyone know what should I do?


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## gipimann (26 Feb 2012)

Did you get the cost of education allowance (€500) at the start of your school/college year?


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## VioletWex (26 Feb 2012)

no I didn't, but I know that some of my  friends did, and they are in the same situation like me.


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## gipimann (26 Feb 2012)

You should contact the local office where your BTEA was arranged (where you signed on) to enquire about the cost of education payment which is usually paid at the start of the school/college year.


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## VioletWex (27 Feb 2012)

Thanks for your reply.
I will, but do I have a chance to get it now if it suppose to be paid at the begining of the school year??

and I have one more question.
Two of my friend received the cost of education, but first one has a medical card and he has to pay 100 € only, and the second one doesn't have a medical card and he has to pay 300, why there is so huge difference between those payments? is it because of having and not having a medical card??

gipimann do you know if the BTEA payment is treated as your income?? I wonder because they send me back my medical card application and they wrote I'm untitled to have it, but my sister has the same situation, but she has the medical card. strange :/


Thanks


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## gipimann (28 Feb 2012)

Some schools/colleges may offer a waiver scheme for charges to persons holding a medical card - ask at the school administration office for details.

Almost all Social Welfare income is assessable for a medical card.   If a person's only source of income is a SW income, then even if that payment is above the medical card income guidelines, the HSE grant a medical card.  

You have the right of appeal if you've been refused a medical card.  The details should be on the letter that issued to you.


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## VioletWex (28 Feb 2012)

The thing is that they send me back my application but they just wrote that I'm untitled to have a MC but they give me a GP visit card.
I applied for a MC for the 3rd time already, and I'm not complaining not at all.
I'm really happy that I have a GP visit card now,because I didn't have anything earlier so had to pay even for the doctor's visit,for me, my daughter and my husband. 
It's better to have a GP card than nothing, but I just wonder how is it possible that someone in similar situation has a MC and I don't :/



gipimann said:


> If a person's only source of income is a SW income, then even if that  payment is above the medical card income guidelines, the HSE grant a  medical card.


BTEA payment is not the only source of my family's income, my husband works.
But as I wrote above, my sister has similar situation, her husband works as well, she has BTEA payment like me, and one child just like me, that's why I am w little confused.



gipimann said:


> Some schools/colleges may offer a waiver scheme  for charges to persons holding a medical card - ask at the school  administration office for details.


So if I don't have a medical card, I will have to pay the whole amount, nice


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## gipimann (28 Feb 2012)

The results of the Medical Card means tests for you and your sister were obviously different which is why she qualified and you didn't.


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## sunnygirl (4 Mar 2012)

I am also on BTEA - the college of further education I attend in Drogheda waivered the €200 fee for students who were on BTEA. Perhaps this is something you should check again with your college.


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## VioletWex (20 Apr 2012)

I had to pay 200 €, 150 € to the college (for the cost of education and exams fee) but because I am on BTEA I didn't have to pay 200 more.

sunnygirl when u will finish ur course??
How long I will het BTEA payment and when shoul I go to SW to transfer to JA again??
My last exam is at the end of this month, but I will have all my results at the end of May.
As I remember, when my tutor filled one of those forms from SW which was a proof that I was attending to the course, she wrote that my course will finish  May 31st.
So what day is the last day? The day of my last exam? Or the day when I will have my all results and receive my cert?


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