[jollygood]

Hi, I a bit snowed under with all the forums and the official website and would be grateful if someone could answer me a couple of questions:

Background - I am recently unemployed and my boyfriend who I live with earns 54K

1. Will I be entitled to a medical card?
2. Will I be entitled to rent allowance (rent is currently 1100 euros/per month)
3. Will I be entitled to Job Seekers Allowance? I resigned from my position but this was because I was severely depressed in my old job and had re-trained in a completely different industry.

I am looking for work and at the same time have decided to use the time to set up my own business,

Thanks very much in advance....

[miec]

Hi Op

In answer to your questions, I'll take each one at a time:

1. Will I be entitled to a medical card?
2. Will I be entitled to rent allowance (rent is currently 1100 euros/per month)
3. Will I be entitled to Job Seekers Allowance? I resigned from my position but this was because I was severely depressed in my old job and had re-trained in a completely different industry.

1. The medical card is means tested and they take the following into account: earnings, rent paid out, travel allowance (if your partner commutes a long way), no. of children and chronic medical conditions, so for example if you or your partner needs medication for diabetes etc every month, they take that into account. The fact is 54K is a lot and it is likely that it is over the threshhold but as I said they do take into account of many factors so I would apply for it. You apply for the medical card through the local Health centre not the social welfare.

2. The answer is no you won't because your partner has sufficient funds to pay for the rent, nor will you get a payment from the community welfare office because you are living together, I say this because I am in the same boat as you and I tried.

3. You may be suspended for a period of time before receiving unemployment benefit or assistance because you resigned but I believe that you will be paid after the suspension period. You will need to ring the dole office to find out for sure. If you have worked in the last two years you will have enough credits to receive jobseekers benefit, and as such, you partner's income is irrelevant, but, if you are only entitled to jobseekers allowance then it is means tested, they take into account of his earnings, rent paid, any children you may have, savings, property or stocks/bonds. It gets tricky here because you may be only entitled to a part payment or none at all. It takes a long time, I'm still waiting after three months and it could be another two months before I get a payment, if any, but it is worth trying.

Hope that helps

[jollygood]

Thanks it most certainly does help. Much appreciated.

[Nolanger]

If you're setting up your own business then there's a Social Welfare book available on this: http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publication...oiltrouble.pdf

[GER12]

1. Will I be entitled to a medical card?

No. The reason is that your means assessment will include your boyfriends income of €54.000.

2. Will I be entitled to rent allowance (rent is currently 1100 euros/per month)

No. Because rent allowance is means tested on household income and you are living with your boyfriend who has an income of €54,000.

3. Will I be entitled to Job Seekers Allowance? I resigned from my position but this was because I was severely depressed in my old job and had re-trained in a completely different industry.

Job seekers allowance is means tested - your boyfriends income will be included in that assessment. Its unlikely that you would qualify.

You could claim JB if you have sufficient social insurance records. That is not means tested and will not matter that you are living with your boyfriend. Also, look into enterprise ireland and the start up grants available for new businesses. Contact citizens information centre - they should be able to provide you with this info. Hope this helps.