Further Education and Training (FET) allowances

You may get a training allowance, if you take part in further education and training. Training allowances vary widely from course to course, so check the details of each course carefully.

You may get a training allowance, if you take part in one of the following further education and training (FET) programmes:

• Apprenticeship: You get an apprenticeship wage when you are training on-the-job and an apprenticeship allowance when attending class.
• Youthreach: You may keep your social welfare payment or get a Youthreach allowance.
• Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS): You may keep your social welfare payment or get a VTOS allowance.

On this page we provide information about the FET training allowance which can be paid if you are on a course under one of the following programmes:

• Local Training Initiative Programme (LTI)
• Traineeship
• Specific Skills Training (SST)
• Community Training Centres (CTCs)

You will not get a FET training allowance if you do a Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) course. However, you may get a Back to Education Allowance or a SUSI maintenance grant.

If you are getting a social welfare payment, you may keep your social welfare payment or transfer to a FET training allowance when you take part in any of the following:

1. Traineeship Programme - see below
2. Specific Skills Training - see below
3. Community Training Centre (CTC) - see below
4. Local Training Initiative Programme (LTI) - see below

You will transfer to a FET training allowance if you are getting:

• Jobseeker's Allowance
• Supplementary Welfare Allowance
• Jobseeker's Benefit
• Disability Allowance
• Blind Pension
• Beneficiary of Temporary Protection weekly payment

1. The Traineeship Programme provides training and work experience. The duration of the programme will depend on your area of training. When your initial training is completed, you move back and forth between the centre and the employer's workplace, further developing your skills.

2. Specific Skills Training allows people who have lost their job or who are changing job to learn new job-related skills. There are short and long day courses, online courses, blended learning and evening courses.

• The courses vary from centre to centre and from year to year with different levels of certification.
• The courses are run during the day and in the evenings.
• Priority on daytime courses is given to unemployed people. A day course is free to all unemployed people, even if you are not getting a social welfare payment.
• An evening course is not free unless you are getting a social welfare payment.

3. Community Training Centres (CTCs) are independent community-based organisations, which provide training and education for early school leavers, primarily aged between 16 and 21. Courses are generally for one year and are full-time and lead to major awards on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) at Levels 3 and 4.

If you are aged under 18 and attending a Community Training Centre you will get an age-related training allowance – see below.

4. The Local Training Initiative Programme (LTI) is for people who are unemployed and experiencing difficulty in gaining entry to the labour market. It is primarily for people aged 18 – 35. Courses are full-time and lead to major awards on the NFQ at Levels 3, 4 and 5.

Your rate of FET training allowance will depend on your social welfare payment.

You do not pay tax on a FET allowance.

If you are getting Jobseeker's Allowance or Supplementary Welfare Allowance

If you are aged 25 or over and getting Jobseeker's Allowance (JA) or Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA), your payment is suspended, but you will get an FET training allowance of the same amount.

If you are getting a reduced age-related Jobseeker's Allowance your payment is suspended, but you will get a FET training allowance of €244. Any means that were deducted from your Jobseeker’s Allowance will also be deducted from your FET training allowance. This also applies to people getting a reduced age-related basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance.

However, if you are aged under 18 and attending a Community Training Centre, you will continue to get an age-related training allowance – see ’Weekly FET training allowance rates’ below.

If your entitlement to Jobseeker's Allowance or Supplementary Welfare Allowance stops during the FET course, your FET training allowance will stop.

If you are getting Jobseeker's Benefit

If you are getting Jobseeker's Benefit, your social welfare payment will stop and you will get a FET training allowance of the same amount.

If you do not find employment when your course ends, you can re-apply for Jobseeker’s Benefit. Your Jobseeker’s Benefit claim may be linked to your previous claim for Jobseeker’s Benefit. This means that your claim is not treated as a new claim.

If you are getting Disability Allowance or Blind Pension

Your Disability Allowance or Blind Pension is suspended but you will get a FET training allowance of the same amount. The rules that apply to your original social welfare payment also apply to your FET training allowance. You must inform social welfare of any changes to your circumstances.

You will also keep any secondary benefits, such as your medical card or travel pass.

If you have a disability, the Education and Training Board will apply flexible sick leave arrangements if necessary.

If you are getting Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension

You will not get an FET training allowance, but you will keep your Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension. (However, you must get permission from the Department of Social Protection before you to do the FET course).

The rules that apply to your social welfare payment will continue to apply while you are on the FET course. You will keep your secondary benefits.

If you are getting a One-Parent Family Payment

You will not get a FET training allowance, but you will keep your One-Parent Family Payment.

If you are a Beneficiary of Temporary Protection

If you are a Beneficiary of Temporary Protection (BOTP) and you start a FET training course, you will get a full FET training allowance. The FET training allowance is paid at the maximum rate of Jobseeker's Allowance.

If you live in a Designated Accommodation Centre and you have dependants, you will get the full FET training allowance and your dependants will continue to get the BOTP weekly payment from the DSP (€38.80 for an adult, €29.80 for a child).

If you do not live in State-provided accommodation, you will get your full FET training allowance and increases for any qualified adults and children.

If your adult dependant is on a FET course

If you are getting an Increase for a Qualified Adult for your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant as part of your social welfare payment, you can continue to get this while your adult dependant is participating on a course.

Your adult dependant will not get a FET training allowance. However, they may qualify for travel and other allowances. Check with the course provider if these allowances are available with their course.

Accommodation and travel allowance

You may get an extra accommodation allowance or travel allowance. An accommodation allowance is paid if you need to live away from home for the duration of the course. A travel allowance can be paid if you live 3 miles or more from the course centre.

Check with the course provider if these allowances are available with their course.

Weekly FET training allowance rates

If you are getting one of the social welfare payments listed below, you will not get a FET training allowance. However, you will continue to get your social welfare payment.

• Invalidity Pension
• Illness Benefit
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Farm Assist
• Fish Assist

To apply for a place on a FET course, you should contact the course provider.

For some courses you may need to register with your local employment services office or Intreo centre. You will be interviewed in order to identify the course that will best suit your needs.

Due to the pressure on some courses, you may not get a place immediately on the course of your choice. For more information about available training courses, contact your ETB Training Centre.

You can find more information about further education and training courses on fetchcourses.ie.