Publication
Operational Guidelines: Training Support Grant
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
The Training Support Grant (TSG) is designed to fund quick access to short term training that can support individual jobseekers seeking employment (including self-employment ) to access work opportunities. The grant can be provided when an Employment Personal Adviser or Job Coach has identified an immediate skills or related intervention, such as obtain or renew certification and permits that is preventing a jobseeker commencing a job offer. Courses up to and including QQI level 6 can be supported.
The scheme is not designed to substitute training and activation measures that are funded under other programmes and agencies, for example Education Training Boards.
The objective is to identify skills needs of jobseekers and provide them with financial support up to the value of €1,000 per annum assisting jobseekers to obtain work, in line with their agreed personal progression plan (PPP).
Participants on the Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) may avail of the TSG with expenditure of up to €1,000 permitted on each WPEP Placement.
Expenditure under TSG is funded through the National Training Fund (NTF) which is administered by the department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
Policy in respect of the scheme and these guidelines has been developed and are administered by:
TSG is an administrative scheme approved by the Government.
The National Training Fund (NTF) was established by the National Training Fund Act, 2000, as a dedicated fund to support training and research.
In accordance with the National Training Fund Act 2000, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science may award payments from the Fund to support the training of those in employment, and those seeking employment and for the funding of research to provide information on future skills requirements of the economy subject to the consent of the Minister for Finance.
All payments from the National Training Fund are subject to the provisions of the DPER Circular 13/2014 which outlines the requirements regarding the management and accountability for grants paid from public funds.
This version of the rules and guidelines for the Training Support Grant Schemes are operational from April 2024 and supersede previous guidelines issued in respect of the scheme.
The primary focus of this scheme is on jobseekers and on supporting the activation policy of the department.
Qualifying Payments
Jobseeker’s Allowance (incl. Casuals, Credits only) †
Jobseeker’s Benefit (incl. Casuals, JBSE, Credits only) †
Jobseeker’s Transition payment †
Blind Pension
Carer’s Allowance
Disability Allowance
Deserted Wives Allowance (DWA) / Deserted Wives Benefit (DWB)
Farm/Fish Assist (FA)
Illness Benefit for 6 months or more
Invalidity Pension
One Parent Family Payment
Qualified Adults of Jobseekers payment who are job-seeking ONLY (activation measure)
Rural Social Scheme (RSS)
TÚS
Widows/Widowers Contributory/Non-Contributory
†Must continue to be genuinely seeking work (GSW) and available to work
Work Experience Placement Programme (WPEP) Note: Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) Scheme is no longer available, however, time spent on YESS counts towards qualifying periods.
Employment Personal Advisers may support a customer in receipt of another DSP payment (other than State Pension) that is not listed above where the customer has an identified work/activation opportunity.
International protection applicants with permission from the Department of Justice to access the labour market may be considered for TSG funding. Circular 48/22 refers.
Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who are in receipt of the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection weekly payment may be considered for TSG funding.
Qualifying self-employment schemes that may be considered for funding support under TSG:
Recipients of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance and Short-Term Enterprise Allowance are in engaged self-employment, not seeking employment and therefore not supported for funding under TSG.
A Employment Personal Adviser or Job Coach can approve a grant under this scheme where:
o Driving tuition for HGV/Rigid/Bus can be considered i.e. Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) under the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
o Permits or Renewals can be considered under TSG where the permit is the result of training. For example, an applicant must undertake a course to obtain a permit to spray chemical herbicide (possible requirement for a landscaping job). Driving/PSA licences are excluded.
*In general if a customer satisfies the TSG criteria and a genuine work opportunity is identified, funding can be considered for TEFL type courses. Most TEFL type courses are non-QQI and there are a number of Awarding Bodies for these types of courses on the current non-NFQ list
oCost of Books
oRegistration/Exam Fees
oToolkits for beauty or similar industry
oTutor fees
The Employment Personal Adviser or Job Coach should obtain a breakdown of the funding requested where only the training element is supported. If the provider is saying the equipment is worth €x then that value should be subtracted from the course cost to establish the training cost. There is no scenario where TSG should be used to pay for kits of any sort.
Payment should only be paid after the training has been completed i.e. when the customer:
OR
Invoices should indicate the VAT or other TAX Reference Number of the supplier. The overall amount should be shown less any participant contribution or third party funding.
Payment entered should be the net payment due to the provider (net of any contributions).
Once the intervention has been delivered, the Employment Personal Adviser or Job Coach will check the TSG Approval and Verification Form and supplier invoice against the approved TSG application and attach these to the Accreditation of Provider and Training (APT) form. An order of payment is produced and attached to the supplier invoice (original signatures only).
Providers must be located in Ireland (including Northern Ireland).
Vote Bookeeping Payments,
Department of Social Protection,
Dundalk SWSO / Intreo Centre,
St. Alphonsus Road,
Dundalk,
Co. Louth.
A91 PP5W.
o1 QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland) is an independent State agency responsible for promoting quality and accountability in education and training services in Ireland.
As this is an administrative scheme, decisions cannot be appealed to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
All decisions made under this scheme can be reviewed by an officer not involved in the original decision or by a more senior officer.
Employment Personal Advisers should ensure that funds allocated are used efficiently and appropriately as per the Guidelines.
Each Intreo Centre should ensure that 5% of TSG payments are reviewed annually to verify all paperwork is in order
o Go to A to Z on Stór
o Click on Activation Case Management Unit to open the site
o Click on ‘follow’ on top right hand corner
All customer queries should initially be addressed at the local Intreo Centre.
Policy matters that cannot be resolved should be submitted by email via the mailboxes outlined below or in writing to:
DSP employees can access the Assessment of suitability form and other correspondence at the Working Age Schemes Policy (WASP) team site .
Operational queries to: ACMSupport@welfare.ie
RSU circular 41/2017 updated on 24/02/2021 refers.
The rate published on the day before the due date of entitlement should be used for a new claim or the effective date of a revised decision in the case of a review.