Rent Allowance Payments Being Refused

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday September 04, 2002 19:11 by Mick Herrity - Not Applicable ugotmick at hotmail dot com 107 Philipsburgh Avenue, Dublin 3,Ireland 01-8379325

Back to Education Scheme Disqualifying Students from Rent Allowance

At a recent induction course for one of Irelands national universities an access officer advised prospective students of fears that rent allowance was being denied to students who had applied for the Back To Allowance scheme.

Students who have been unemployed for 6 months (156 days) who have
Succeeded in attaining a place in university can apply to the Dept. Of Social
Welfare for the “Back to Education scheme(BTE)”. This scheme removes students
From the live register and allows students to complete courses without risk of losing
Their benefits. This scheme , in the past, has never infringed on the applicants
right to rent allowance .

An access officer advised students that she was receiving complaints of students being denied
Rent allowance who had applied for the BTE scheme. She advised that at 1st reports were coming from the Blanchardstown area but at this time reports were filtering in from all areas of Dublin.

She also advised that no action to communicate this to the media has been forthcoming as
These incidents remain unclarified.

Is there a new policy within the department? Have any students experienced problems securing
Rent allowance? Please post your experiences.