Jobseekers benefit

horse7 · 18-02-2018 9:38pm #1

If I quit my job in April and have to wait 9 weeks to get jobseekers benefit it would be July when I get payment, this payment is based on my 2017 income, and would last for 9 months, so it's 6 months to the end of 2018, and 3 months into the new new 2019, my question is does the payment date applied in july 2018 remain the same for the 3 months in 2019. I have sufficient contributions for 9 month's.

Atlantic Dawn · 18-02-2018 9:40pm

Yes it's 9 full months at whatever the rate is.

splinter65 · 18-02-2018 9:43pm

horse7 wrote: »

If I quit my job in April and have to wait 9 weeks to get jobseekers benefit it would be July when I get payment, this payment is based on my 2017 income, and would last for 9 months, so it's 6 months to the end of 2018, and 3 months into the new new 2019, my question is does the payment date applied in july 2018 remain the same for the 3 months in 2019. I have sufficient contributions for 9 month's.

If you quit your job you will be disqualified for 9 weeks. So there are 9 weeks deducted from your benefit, meaning you will only get benefit for 6 months.
Your benefit entitlement in this year 2018 is based on your PRSI credits and contributions in 2016, not 17.

horse7 · 18-02-2018 10:10pm

Ok I understand it's based on 2016,but I thought it was a 9 week wait for payment ,not a 9 week deduction.

splinter65 · 18-02-2018 10:42pm

horse7 wrote: »

Ok I understand it's based on 2016,but I thought it was a 9 week wait for payment ,not a 9 week deduction.

It’s a 9 week disqualification. 9 weeks deducted from your 9 month entitlement.
If your applying for JSB/JSA then you are “looking for and available for full time work”.
If you’ve left a job of your own accord then your not available for full time work, so the 9 week disqualification is in fact a penalty.

horse7 · 18-02-2018 11:29pm

Thanks, so if I apply for JSB any month this year ,that is based on year end worked 2016, and if after the 9 week waiting /deduction period I should be paid for 9months minus 9 weeks. Does my payment rate change on remaining payments which may be due in 2019. What I'm trying to ask is, will they base my remaining payments in 2019 on my year end worked for 2016 or 2017.

splinter65 · 18-02-2018 11:39pm

horse7 wrote: »

Thanks, so if I apply for JSB any month this year ,that is based on year end worked 2016, and if after the 9 week waiting /deduction period I should be paid for 9months minus 9 weeks. Does my payment rate change on remaining payments which may be due in 2019. What I'm trying to ask is, will they base my remaining payments in 2019 on my year end worked for 2016 or 2017.

You will get your entire personal JSB payment rate from beginning to end based on your average weeks wages in 2016. So if you earned €300 per week then your JSB will be €198.
If your claiming dependents then that is means tested against your partners income.

horse7 · 18-02-2018 11:52pm

Thanks.

amtc · 19-02-2018 6:59am

Just a tip. Go on illness benefit before you resign...then you can go straight to jb...no waiting time.

horse7 · 19-02-2018 9:41am

Thanks, but would I need a final cert before I can apply for jsb

B.A._Baracus · 20-02-2018 2:47am

If you are that set on going on job seekers then it is probably best not to "quit" - Plenty of people have suddenly showed up late for work multiple times to get the sack. Hey it happens :pac: That said you would ruin your reference... So probably not the best thing to do.

tempnam · 20-02-2018 6:10pm

Am I missing something?. my wife hasn't worked since Dec 2016. She enquired about job seekers benefit last year and was told she's not entitled to anything...?

bpmurray · 20-02-2018 6:16pm

tempnam wrote: »

Am I missing something?. my wife hasn't worked since Dec 2016. She enquired about job seekers benefit last year and was told she's not entitled to anything...?

Benefits are entitlements while allowances are not. JSB is paid for 9 months, irrespective of what your partner earns. However, there's a requirement for a minimum number of PRSI A contributions. If your wife was self-employed or a director, she would have paid PRSI S contributions, and would not have any entitlement. However, assuming she had enough A contributions, she should get Job Seekers Benefit.

splinter65 · 20-02-2018 6:30pm

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

If you are that set on going on job seekers then it is probably best not to "quit" - Plenty of people have suddenly showed up late for work multiple times to get the sack. Hey it happens :pac: That said you would ruin your reference... So probably not the best thing to do.

Getting sacked also earns you a 9 week disqualification

splinter65 · 20-02-2018 6:32pm

tempnam wrote: »

Am I missing something?. my wife hasn't worked since Dec 2016. She enquired about job seekers benefit last year and was told she's not entitled to anything...?

What was she doing in 2014? Depends on PRSI she paid or was credited with in 2014.

tempnam · 20-02-2018 8:35pm

splinter65 wrote: »

tempnam wrote: »

Am I missing something?. my wife hasn't worked since Dec 2016. She enquired about job seekers benefit last year and was told she's not entitled to anything...?

What was she doing in 2014? Depends on PRSI she paid or was credited with in 2014.

She had been in full time PAYE employment since 2005...

Squatter · 20-02-2018 9:19pm

tempnam wrote: »

Am I missing something?. my wife hasn't worked since Dec 2016. She enquired about job seekers benefit last year and was told she's not entitled to anything...?

When you say "she enquired about JSB" do you mean that she turned up at her local social welfare office with her P45 in one hand and a JB/JA application form in the other, or that she asked her hairdresser?

And when you say "last year" was that early in the year - i.e. soon after her previous job had ended, or months later?

Did she retire/resign from the previous job or was she made redundant?

tempnam · 20-02-2018 9:29pm

Squatter wrote: »

tempnam wrote: »

Am I missing something?. my wife hasn't worked since Dec 2016. She enquired about job seekers benefit last year and was told she's not entitled to anything...?

When you say "she enquired about JSB" do you mean that she turned up at her local social welfare office with her P45 in one hand and a JB/JA application form in the other, or that she asked her hairdresser?

And when you say "last year" was that early in the year - i.e. soon after her previous job had ended, or months later?

Did she retire/resign from the previous job or was she made redundant?

Enquired - i.e. called our local 'dole office' or whatever those places are called.

The terms of the cessation of her employment are complicated but essentially she resigned in December 2016.

"Last year" - Last April / May.

She was told that she wasn't entitled to anything.

Neither one of us have ever been unemployed previously (apart from a 1 month period a few years back after i was made redundant) so we've no experience regarding entitlements. So she just took the word of whoever she dealt with over the phone when she enquired.

splinter65 · 20-02-2018 9:37pm

tempnam wrote: »

Enquired - i.e. called our local 'dole office' or whatever those places are called.

The terms of the cessation of her employment are complicated but essentially she resigned in December 2016.

"Last year" - Last April / May.

She was told that she wasn't entitled to anything.

Neither one of us have ever been unemployed previously (apart from a 1 month period a few years back after i was made redundant) so we've no experience regarding entitlements. So she just took the word of whoever she dealt with over the phone when she enquired.

It looks as if she probably had the PRSI requirement covered.
Problem is if she “retired” in December then she would probably be disqualified from the first 9 weeks of entitlement to Benefit because if you have a job and you leave or are sacked then your not” looking for or available for full time work” ( the main condition attached to entitlement to a Jobseekers payment).
However if she quit in December and only tried to claim in April then the 9 weeks had lapsed so...if the DSP staff asked her was she available for full time work and looking for full time work what would she have said?

Squatter · 20-02-2018 9:40pm

tempnam wrote: »

Enquired - i.e. called our local 'dole office' or whatever those places are called.

The terms of the cessation of her employment are complicated but essentially she resigned in December 2016.

"Last year" - Last April / May.

She was told that she wasn't entitled to anything.

Thanks.

Ideally, she should have turned up at her local DSP office immediately after her employment ended to apply for Jobseekers Benefit (JB). As mentioned on this thread, she would have been 'penalised' 9 weeks JB payments for resigning but would then have been eligible to be paid 30 weeks of JB - assuming that she was available for work, fit for work and actively seeking work.

Unfortunately at this stage its probably too late to do anything about it, as the Department will say that the onus is on you to acquaint yourselves with its schemes and you won't be able to prove what she was told when she phoned the DSP.

But I suggest that you check with your local Citizens Information Office whether she'd be eligible for PRSI credits as these would be helpful when she comes to claiming her Contributory Old Age Pension.

EDIT - to splinter65 - can she apply for PRSI credits?

splinter65 · 20-02-2018 10:08pm

Squatter wrote: »

Thanks.

Ideally, she should have turned up at her local DSP office immediately after her employment ended to apply for Jobseekers Benefit (JB). As mentioned on this thread, she would have been 'penalised' 9 weeks JB payments for resigning but would then have been eligible to be paid 30 weeks of JB - assuming that she was available for work, fit for work and actively seeking work.

Unfortunately at this stage its probably too late to do anything about it, as the Department will say that the onus is on you to acquaint yourselves with its schemes and you won't be able to prove what she was told when she phoned the DSP.

But I suggest that you check with your local Citizens Information Office whether she'd be eligible for PRSI credits as these would be helpful when she comes to claiming her Contributory Old Age Pension.

EDIT - to splinter65 - can she apply for PRSI credits?

Yes she can but the clock is ticking on that. She needs to have paid PRSI in either 16 or 17 to sign for credits.
She has lost a whole year now and nearly 2 months and that could be disastrous for her pension at 66/7.
I would highly recommend that she go in to her local office and say she is looking for and available for full time work and ask to be considered for JSB, even if the answer is no she should ask to be allowed to sign for credits and be awarded credits for last year.
As ever, bring photo ID and proof of residence and be sure to get the name of the staff member she deals with.

tempnam · 20-02-2018 10:33pm

Forgive my ignorance, but what's the implication on her pension?

splinter65 · 20-02-2018 10:56pm

tempnam wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance, but what's the implication on her pension?

The entitlement to con state pension is entirely linked to PRSI contributions and credits.
At the moment it’s literally a question of them adding all your PRSI up and dividing by the amount of years that have gone by since you first made a contribution.
The max average is 48+. That gets you the max pension of €238.
Too many gaps like this and the smaller the average the less pension.
Edited to add: contributions and credits all count for pension. Very important to keep signing for credits.

horse7 · 22-02-2018 11:33am

splinter65 wrote: »

Getting sacked also earns you a 9 week disqualification

Thanks, does the claimant being 62 make any difference to the sighing on period or any other issues?

splinter65 · 22-02-2018 11:48am

horse7 wrote: »

Thanks, does the claimant being 62 make any difference to the sighing on period or any other issues?

If I found myself without a job for whatever reason at 62 I personally would be applying for Illness Benefit instead of JSB but that’s just me.

horse7 · 22-02-2018 5:15pm

Thanks, I'm trying to hang on till January for the 62 age, but based on 2016 my earnings were higher.

splinter65 · 22-02-2018 5:20pm

horse7 wrote: »

Thanks, I'm trying to hang on till January for the 62 age, but based on 2016 my earnings were higher.

Once your weekly wage was €300 your going to get the max anywat

B.A._Baracus · 22-02-2018 10:06pm

If she's amounted enough 'stamps' (or prsi) she is entitled to job seekers benefit. If she hasn't enough then it will go on how much you earn etc (job seekers allowance) that's the means tested part.

ttsnar · 22-02-2018 11:07pm

If your wife makes a claim now it is based on her 2016 record in which she worked the full year.She will be entitled to Jobseekers benefit once she states she is looking for work .

horse7 · 23-02-2018 9:36am

splinter65 wrote: »

Once your weekly wage was €300 your going to get the max anywat

If I leave it till January my earnings will be below the 300.

Jobseekers benefit

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