redundancy -> college -> what benefits after?

S

sistinas

Registered User
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Hi folks
I am taking a voluntary redundancy package later this month after 14 years in my current job. I am going straight back to college to do a 1 year masters (no break in between finsihing work). When I finish the course what happens if I can't get a job - will I be able to claim a years JB (minus penalty for voluntary redundancy) from then, or will the Welfare office take the 52 weeks as having started from the time I finished work, despite me not claiming anything in the interim?

Thanks
 
Hi sistinas


if you get a statutory redundancy payment and you have an entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit (it sounds like you would) then you could qualify for the Back to Education Allowance while you are at college.

This is taken from the DSFA website: "With effect from September 2007, persons awarded Statutory Redundancy may access the BTEA scheme provided an entitlement to a relevant Social Welfare payment is established prior to commencing the first year of an approved course of study."

You can find out more about this in the Operational Guidelines for the BtEA on the Department of Social and Family Affairs website (see note at the end of section 1.11): http://www.welfare.ie/EN/OperationalGuidelines/Pages/bte_all.aspx

Graham Long
Citizens Information
 


Not for doing a Master's as it's not an approved course.

To answer original query, it depends on time that claim is made. If made during 2010, the JB entitlement will be based on 2008 contributions and 104 contributions paid in total (based on current rules). Remember, the budget might make it harder to qualify for JB as they did last time out so nothing can be certain when projecting future entitlements!
 
cheers folks
i knew about the BTEA masters exemption (cant understand why one can do a grad diploma and not a masters under BTEA!), and I went down the welfare office this mornign to check re whether I'd be on JB or JA if I cant get a job next summer, they gave the same answer as you Welfarite. Thanks for the replies!
 
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