back to education allowance

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lorr01

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I just have a query if anybody could help. I was on disability due to a car crash and then my specialists told me that i should maybe do a course for re-habilation purposes only so i was put on back to education allowance of 185.80 same as the disability and was giving a book that i sign in the post office for my payment.
Anyway my book ran out and social welfare office ordered me a new one and told me to go to the post office to collect it in 2 days. So i did that yesterday and collected my book and instead of 185.80 like before, i have received 330.00 and i looked through the book and all the pages are 330.00 until the middle of june as im finished college by then.

Is there a mistake here and do i need to go back to social welfare about it?
Thanks very much.
Lorr01
 
Sounds like an error. Contact your local office immediately and they will check it out. Otherwise you might run up a huge overpayment.
 
Welfarite said:
Sounds like an error. Contact your local office immediately and they will check it out. Otherwise you might run up a huge overpayment.
Click to expand...
Would you have to pay this back if it was a mistake?
 
Yes, it's the same thing as a bank overpaying you. You could argue that it was their fault asn see what attitude they take but....
 
I went into my sw office and asked them to check it out. They rang head office and it took a good half hour for them to sort it out but yes it was an error. They took the book from me and will issue me with a new book by monday. I was due 2 weeks back to education anyway so when i cashed 377e i didnt do anything wrong they told me. They told me to keep it and they would sort me out with anything else i was due. They mentioned that i never got the rise in payment from 185e to 195e per week since the increase came and they would issue me a cheque to re-emburse me. Im on 185e per week and i found it better to be honest and up front with these people as i could get caught and have to pay it all back and i do not work due to my injuries so i wouldnt be able to pay them back.
lorr
 
They would have deducted it weekly from any future payments ain any case. Yes, you chould have been getting 197.80 since last budget increasae. I'd say they tried to add in the arrears in the first payment but inadvertently made it the "normal" weekly payment from then on!

BTW, why a book payment and not EFT? It's much more cumbersome adn slower to issue than payment going directly into your bank.
 
When was last budget increase? Amazing that they never checked it out until now that i went in to them!!. Im not sure why i am still using a book instead of a card..
 
December, I think. I know thaqt the BTE scheme was devolved to local offices from Dublin last year and staff there would be very unfamiliar with these type of claims never having dealt with them before. Maybe this is why your claiom was wrong. You would have to request to have your payment made into the bank and supply the bank details to them.
 
Budget increases to Social Welfare payments applied from the week commencing 31st December 2007.

For information, pensioners who are paid by book receive their budget increases in one lump sum payment in mid-February, to cover the weeks until their book is renewed in April.
 
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