Westmeath Community Development

The following changes will come into effect as of tomorrow, 1st May 2009.  Read on to see how it might affect you.

1. Back to Work Enterprise Allowance

Following the Supplementary Budget of April 2009, the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme has been changed. Some of the information is poted below and more detailed information can be got from the Departments website, www.welfare.ie.

• From 1 May 2009, the amount of time you can participate on the BTWEA scheme will be reduced from 4 years to 2 years for new applicants. Also from 1 May 2009, the qualifying period required for BTWEA is reduced from 2 years to 12 months provided you have an underlying entitlement to Jobseekers Allowance.
• From 1 May 2009, if you have previously participated in the BTWEA scheme and exhausted your entitlement, you can participate a second time after a period of at least 5 years has elapsed.
• A new Back to Work Allowance Scheme called the Short-term Enterprise Allowance will start on 1 May 2009.

Short-term Enterprise Allowance

• There is no qualifying period. You can get immediate access to the allowance but you must meet the qualifying conditions. 
• To qualify you must have an entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit and have 104 contributions paid in the past 2 years or qualify for statutory redundancy.
• The Short-term Enterprise Allowance will be paid to you for a maximum of 1 year. It will end when your entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit ends (that is, at either 9 months or 12 months).

2. Back to Work Allowance

In the Supplementary Budget April 2009 it was announced that the Back to Work Allowance scheme is closed to new applicants from 1 May 2009.